What Are Custom GPTs? — AI Glossary

What it is: Custom GPTs are personalized versions of ChatGPT built for a specific task. They live inside ChatGPT and can be created in minutes without writing any code.
Who it’s for: Anyone who repeats the same kind of ChatGPT request often and wants to skip the setup each time.
Best if: You want a one-page primer before building or using one.
Skip if: You already build Custom GPTs regularly.

A Custom GPT is a personalized version of ChatGPT that has been pre-configured with specific instructions, knowledge files, and tools for a specific job. Once you create one, it shows up in your ChatGPT sidebar — click it and you’re already configured for that task without re-explaining the context each time.

OpenAI launched Custom GPTs at its November 2023 DevDay event. Two months later, the GPT Store opened, allowing anyone with a ChatGPT Plus subscription to publish a Custom GPT for the world to use. By 2026 the store contains more than three million public Custom GPTs across writing, coding, research, image generation, analytics, education, and almost every professional niche.

What goes into a Custom GPT

• Instructions: a plain-English description of how the GPT should behave (its role, tone, rules, output format).
• Knowledge files: documents you upload that the GPT can reference during conversations — your style guide, your product docs, a research corpus.
• Capabilities: toggles for web browsing, image generation (DALL-E), and code execution (Python).
• Actions: optional API connections that let the GPT do things in the real world — query a database, send an email, look up a CRM record.
• Conversation starters: the suggested prompts users see when they open the GPT.

How to create or use one

• To use: open chatgpt.com, click “Explore GPTs” in the sidebar, browse or search the GPT Store, click a GPT to start using it.
• To create: click “Create” inside the Explore GPTs page. The GPT Builder walks you through naming, describing, and configuring the GPT in conversation — no code required.
• Requirements: creating Custom GPTs requires a paid ChatGPT subscription (Plus, Pro, Team, or Enterprise). Using public Custom GPTs is also subscription-gated; the free tier has limited access.
• Publishing: you can keep a Custom GPT private, share it with a link, or publish it to the GPT Store for anyone to find.

How Custom GPTs compare to similar features

• vs. system prompts: a system prompt configures ChatGPT for a single conversation. A Custom GPT is saved and reusable across many conversations.
• vs. Gemini Gems: Gems are Google’s direct equivalent inside Gemini.
• vs. Claude Skills: Skills are Anthropic’s portable instruction packages that work across Claude products. Custom GPTs only work inside ChatGPT.
• vs. the OpenAI API: Custom GPTs are a no-code surface for end users. The API is the programmer’s interface and gives much more control. See our OpenAI API for Beginners post.

Related terms: ChatGPT, OpenAI, Prompt, Prompt Engineering, Gemini Gems, Claude Skills, AI Plugins.

Learn more: ChatGPT Custom GPTs: How to Build and Use Them, ChatGPT Plugins and Tools, How to Use ChatGPT: Complete Beginner’s Guide. Get every ChatGPT update in our free daily Beginners in AI newsletter.

You may also like

• ChatGPT Custom GPTs: How to Build and Use Them
• What are Gemini Gems?
• What are Claude Skills?
• How to Use ChatGPT
• ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
• AI Glossary: 100+ Terms Every Beginner Needs to Know