OpenAI announced that developers can now submit apps for review and publication directly within ChatGPT, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond conversation and into real-world tasks. These apps allow users to bring in external context and complete actions—such as ordering groceries, turning an outline into a slide deck, or searching for an apartment—without leaving the chat interface.

The announcement builds on OpenAI’s earlier preview of ChatGPT apps at DevDay and introduces a new in-product app directory designed to make apps easier to discover and use. According to OpenAI, the first approved apps will begin rolling out gradually in the new year.

ChatGPT apps are designed to operate directly within conversations, allowing users to move from prompts to outcomes without switching tools. By introducing external context and connected services, apps can support workflows like ordering groceries, searching for apartments, or turning outlines into slide decks—all from within chat.

OpenAI is also introducing an app directory built directly into ChatGPT, where users can browse featured apps or search for any published app. The directory is accessible through the tools menu or directly at chatgpt.com/apps, making app discovery part of the core ChatGPT experience. Developers can also share deep links on external platforms, allowing users to jump directly to an app’s directory page and connect from there.

Once connected, apps can be activated by:

OpenAI emphasized that users remain in control of when and how apps are introduced, with clear options to provide feedback or disconnect apps at any time.

According to OpenAI, building a successful ChatGPT app starts with designing for real user intent rather than broad functionality. Developers are encouraged to focus on tightly scoped, chat-native experiences that feel intuitive within conversation and deliver clear value—either by completing real-world workflows that begin in chat or by enabling new, fully AI-native interactions inside ChatGPT.

To support this, developers can use the Apps SDK, which is currently in beta, to bring external context and actions directly into ChatGPT. OpenAI said the strongest apps are those that feel natural in conversation, avoid unnecessary complexity, and are designed around specific user needs rather than general-purpose features.

OpenAI has also published a range of developer resources informed by what it has learned since DevDay, including best practices for building high-quality ChatGPT apps, open-source example apps, an open-sourced UI library for chat-native interfaces, and a step-by-step quickstart guide. The company recommends reviewing the app submission guidelines early in the development process to ensure apps meet quality and safety expectations.

Once an app is ready, developers can submit it for review through the OpenAI Developer Platform, where they can also track approval status. Submissions require details such as MCP connectivity information, testing guidelines, directory metadata, and country availability settings. OpenAI said the first set of approved apps will begin rolling out gradually in the new year.

Apps that meet OpenAI’s quality and safety standards may be published in the ChatGPT app directory, and those that resonate with users could receive more prominent placement or be recommended directly within ChatGPT.

In the initial phase, developers can link users from their ChatGPT apps to external websites or native apps to complete transactions for physical goods. OpenAI said it is exploring additional monetization options over time, including support for digital goods, and will share updates as it learns from how developers and users build and engage with apps.

All submitted apps must comply with OpenAI’s usage policies and app submission guidelines covering safety, privacy, and transparency. According to OpenAI, apps must be appropriate for all audiences and adhere to third-party terms of service when accessing external content.

Developers are required to:

When users connect to an app, ChatGPT discloses the types of data that may be shared with the third-party developer and provides access to the app’s privacy policy for review. Users remain in control throughout the process and can disconnect an app at any time, immediately revoking its access.

Q: What is OpenAI announcing?
A: OpenAI is now allowing developers to submit apps for review and publication directly within ChatGPT, making them discoverable through a built-in app directory.

Q: What do ChatGPT apps allow users to do?
A: Apps extend ChatGPT conversations by enabling real-world actions, such as ordering goods, searching for services, or transforming content, all from within chat.

Q: How do users access and activate apps?
A: Users can browse apps in the ChatGPT app directory, trigger them by @ mentioning the app, selecting them from the tools menu, or—experimentally—through contextual recommendations.

Q: What tools are available for developers?
A: Developers can use the Apps SDK (beta), along with open-source examples, a chat-native UI library, and submission guidelines provided by OpenAI.

Q: Can developers monetize their apps?
A: In this early phase, developers can link users to external websites or native apps for physical goods, with digital goods and expanded monetization options planned.

Q: How does OpenAI handle safety and privacy?
A: Apps must comply with OpenAI usage policies, include clear privacy disclosures, and request only necessary data. Users can disconnect apps at any time.

Opening app submissions transforms ChatGPT from a standalone AI assistant into a platform where conversations can directly trigger real-world outcomes. For users, this means fewer handoffs between tools—where ideas, decisions, and actions can now happen in one place.

For developers, ChatGPT becomes a new distribution layer embedded inside a high-engagement AI environment, rather than another app competing for attention. The addition of an in-product directory and contextual app discovery lowers friction for reaching users at the moment of intent.

At a broader level, this move reflects OpenAI’s strategy to position ChatGPT as an interface for everyday digital work, not just information retrieval. As monetization options mature, the app ecosystem could reshape how AI-native products are built, discovered, and sustained—directly inside conversational AI.

As apps become embedded directly in conversation, ChatGPT’s role may shift from an assistant that informs decisions to an interface that actively drives them.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.