OpenAI Invites Developers to Submit Apps to ChatGPT

OpenAI has introduced a new “Apps” section in beta on ChatGPT, and the company is also inviting all developers to submit their apps to this new app store. This follows the launch of a selection of new third-party apps in ChatGPT in October, with Booking, Expedia, Canva, Coursera, Figma, and Spotify being among the first partners.

The company published various resources to help developers build ChatGPT apps that will be featured on the chatbot’s new app directory. There’s also a new deep link system that developers can use to send users directly to their new ChatGPT app page.

Third-party apps in ChatGPT can perform various actions and provide an interactive chat experience. The existing connectors in ChatGPT used to pull data and perform file search are also being renamed to “apps” without any loss in functionality. For users, connecting to third-party apps is done by completing OAuth authentication and, if required, enabling file sync. After completing this step, invoking apps is done by using @mentions in a prompt.

“In this early phase, developers can link out from their ChatGPT apps to their own websites or native apps to complete transactions for physical goods. We’re exploring additional monetization options over time, including digital goods, and will share more as we learn from how developers and users build and engage,” OpenAI said yesterday.

ChatGPT currently has over 800 million weekly users, and the platform is now big enough to enjoy its “app store moment. “This is just the beginning,” the company said yesterday. “Over time, we want apps in ChatGPT to feel like a natural extension of the conversation, helping people move from ideas to action, while building a thriving ecosystem for developers.”