Custom GPT retirement breaks existing public distribution

ChatGPT Feature requests
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1

The current migration path from Custom GPTs to Plugins creates a serious continuity problem for creators who use GPT links as public destinations.

Many Custom GPTs are already linked from Medium articles, GitHub repositories, websites, QR codes, documentation, bookmarks, newsletters, and search results. Those URLs are part of the published work itself.

The current documentation says GPT pages will become inaccessible at retirement, migration does not preserve sharing settings, and replacement plugins start private. There is also no documented permanent redirect from the old GPT URL to the migrated plugin.

That means a technically successful migration can still break the public distribution layer around the GPT.

Please consider preserving existing GPT URLs through permanent redirects, carrying forward public access settings where feasible, and providing a direct public landing page for migrated GPTs.

Plugins are useful as capabilities inside ChatGPT. Custom GPTs also function as public destinations. Preserving that second use case would prevent large amounts of existing published material from becoming stale.

2

OpenAI hasn’t provided a proper migration process so far.

I’ve created 30 personalized GPTs to simplify routines and teach many people specific GPT workflows. For most of them, this was the main reason they bought a ChatGPT account.

Not only will I lose a tool, but these people will also lose a highly successful and functional resource.

What is the reason behind this? Didn’t plugins work fine! Why force a migration to a non-functional tool?

3

Skills are very helpful, but they are in now way a replacement for Custom GPTs

4

Skill donsnt exist to free tier gpt users.

5

I’m in the same predicament. I made several custom GPTs for my students. These tools assist them with advising, various class assignments, and help familiarize them with an AI environment. Now, suddenly, after migration to Plugins, they are unavailable for public distribution. It used to be simple. Make a GPT, share it publicly, copy and paste the link.
I’m not sure what to do now. It just got a lot more difficult.