OpenAI is discontinuing custom GPTs. According to the Help Center , they will be phased out across all ChatGPT plans on December 11, 2026. They are being replaced by plugins, which are powered by skills: reusable instructions that ChatGPT applies automatically whenever they fit the task at hand.
For many teams, this means the GPTs you use to create quotes, meeting minutes, or social media posts will need to move over in the coming weeks. In this article, we’ll explain what ChatGPT skills are, how to create them, how to migrate your GPTs, and what companies should keep in mind. All information is based on the OpenAI Help Center as of November 2026.
What are ChatGPT skills?
ChatGPT skills are reusable workflows that help ChatGPT handle specific tasks more consistently. A skill includes instructions, examples, and code if needed. ChatGPT automatically uses relevant skills, even multiple ones at the same time. According to OpenAI, custom skills are available in Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu plans.
Every eligible account comes with a built-in skill called skill-creator. If you ask ChatGPT to create or modify a skill, it will automatically use this tool. Skills also run in Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent.
For example: A skill for quotes can include your formatting, standard text blocks, and a solid example quote. When you type "Create a quote for Company X" in the chat, ChatGPT recognizes the right skill. It then follows your guidelines without you having to explain them all over again.
OpenAI isn’t the only platform relying on modular workflows: To see how Anthropic implements this feature and which setups drive real ROI for teams, check out our guide on Claude Skills for businesses.
Comparing skills, plugins, apps, and GPTs
With the introduction of skills, OpenAI has also reorganized its terminology. Here is the overview:
The most important difference from GPTs: You had to open a GPT specifically to use it. Skills and plugins work within your regular chat, and ChatGPT selects them itself. You can find plugins in the sidebar under "Plugins," and the directory is available in all plans. Which plugins you can use depends on your plan, workspace, and region.
To learn how to craft instructions that keep your AI permanently aligned with your workflow, check out our guide on the best custom instructions for ChatGPT.
GPTs are being retired: What you should do now
Custom GPTs are scheduled to be discontinued on December 11, 2026. For FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved extension, the date is February 11, 2027. In affected Enterprise workspaces, it has not been possible to create new GPTs since October 26, 2026. Previous conversations with GPTs will remain accessible even after they are shut down.
You can start the migration under "My GPTs" by selecting "Migrate to Plugin" as soon as the option is enabled for your account. Here is what happens:
- Instructions become a skill: The text from your GPT is converted into a skill within the new plugin.
- Knowledge files become reference files: Your uploaded documents are transferred over.
- Connected apps are carried over: They will be attached to the plugin.
- Not transferred are custom actions, the selected model, as well as drafts and unpublished changes.
The biggest hurdle is the custom actions. If your GPT was querying your CRM via an action, for example, you'll need to rebuild the connection using an existing app or your own MCP server. Plan to spend the most time on this.
Don’t treat this migration merely as maintenance—see it as an upgrade. Legacy Custom Actions were notoriously fragile. Switching to dedicated connectors or the open MCP (Model Context Protocol) standard makes your team's tooling far more resilient and portable than the old GPT setup ever was.
Here is how we would approach it:
- Take stock: List all the GPTs your team uses and note who created them. Only the person who built the GPT can migrate it, though in Enterprise, administrators can do so as well.
- Save test cases: Save three to five typical prompts per GPT along with the responses you are happy with.
- Publish final changes: The migration uses the most recently published version. After that, the old GPT becomes read-only.
- Migrate and compare: Test the new plugin with your saved prompts and at least one difficult case.
- Share: The plugin is private after migration. Be sure to share it with the people who were using the GPT previously.
Creating ChatGPT Skills
You can find your skills in the sidebar under "Plugins" in the "Skills" tab. ChatGPT sorts them there by installed, created by you, shared with you, and shared by the workspace. There are three ways to create new skills:
- In the chat: Select "Create" and "Create in chat" or simply ask ChatGPT to build a skill. ChatGPT will ask follow-up questions about the process, inputs, and desired output, and will offer to install it once finished.
- In the editor: Use "Create" and "Create with editor" to write and manage skills directly.
- By upload: Use "Upload from computer" to upload finished skill files, for example from your team.
Whether a skill works reliably depends primarily on its description. Be specific about the tasks you want ChatGPT to use it for. It’s better to build several small skills rather than one large one, include a good example result, and test each skill with differently phrased prompts.
ChatGPT uses the same format as Claude Skills: a folder with a file named SKILL.md. According to OpenAI, ChatGPT initially only reads the name and description of each skill and only loads the full instructions when the skill is actually needed. At bakedwith, we primarily build our own skills in Claude. We show how they are structured and what we use them for in our article on Claude Skills.
Sharing and managing skills in your team
Use the three-dot menu to share a skill with individuals or groups in your workspace or to copy a shareable link. If you want a skill to be available to everyone, publish it to the workspace library.
In Enterprise and Edu plans, admins define which roles can create, upload, share, publish, or install skills for others. A dedicated admin page displays all skills, including their owner, access permissions, and usage over the last 30 days. From there, admins can download skills, change access, transfer ownership, or delete skills. Data residency settings for the workspace apply to supported content.
Security and data protection for ChatGPT Skills
Skills can contain code. That’s why ChatGPT scans every uploaded skill before it becomes available. Suspicious skills are flagged as "Review required" or blocked. According to OpenAI, this scan does not replace your own internal review.
For companies, this means:
- Only trusted sources: Only upload skills from the web or other companies if you have reviewed them yourself first.
- No training: By default, OpenAI does not use data you share with a skill for training in their business plans.
- Check external services: If a skill calls other services, their own terms for storage and processing apply.
Which ChatGPT plan is right for you and how much it costs is covered in our article ChatGPT for Business. You can read the basics about US providers in AI and data protection.
The bottom line: Skills turn ChatGPT into a tool for your workflows
ChatGPT Skills bundle your workflows into reusable instructions that ChatGPT applies at just the right moment. Together with apps and plugins, they replace the current GPTs, which will be retired on December 11, 2026. You can create your own skills in business plans via chat, in the editor, or by uploading files, and then share them with your team. Since ChatGPT and Claude both use the same SKILL.md format, you can easily transfer skills between them.
The best way to get started: List all the GPTs your team is currently using this week and migrate the most important ones first. This leaves you plenty of time to test them before December, especially for GPTs that involve actions.
If you need help with the migration or building your own skills, reach out to us for an AI consultation.
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FAQ: Frequently asked questions about ChatGPT Skills
What are ChatGPT Skills?
Skills are reusable instructions for specific tasks, complete with guidelines, examples, and optional code. ChatGPT uses them automatically whenever they fit a request, so you don't have to open them manually like you do with a GPT.
Which ChatGPT plans include Skills?
According to OpenAI, eligible users on Business, Enterprise, Healthcare, and Edu plans can create and use their own Skills. Availability also depends on your workspace settings.
When are ChatGPT GPTs being discontinued?
Custom GPTs are scheduled to be discontinued on December 11, 2026. For FedRAMP workspaces and Enterprise workspaces with an approved extension, the date is February 11, 2027.
What happens to my GPTs?
You can convert them into a plugin by selecting "Migrate to Plugin." Instructions will become a Skill, and knowledge files will become reference files. You will need to reconfigure custom actions, but your old conversations will be preserved.
Can I use Claude Skills in ChatGPT?
Generally, yes, as both use the SKILL.md format. However, you should still check after uploading to ensure that instructions, files, and scripts work as expected in ChatGPT.
What is the difference between Skills and plugins?
A Skill is a single set of instructions for a specific task. A plugin is a package that bundles Skills with apps and other features. This means a single plugin can contain multiple Skills.
Posted by:
Jens Bohse is co-founder and managing director of bakedwith, a Berlin-based AI and automation agency for B2B marketing and sales teams. As an external AI automation team, bakedwith builds and operates AI-powered workflows from lead generation through outreach, follow-up and reporting. View services: https://www.bakedwith.com/preise
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