OpenAI restricts custom GPT creation on personal accounts

OpenAI has quietly pulled the plug on one of ChatGPT’s most popular features for everyday users. As of August 16, 2026, personal accounts across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro tiers can no longer create or publish new custom GPTs. Existing custom GPTs still work and can be edited, at least for now. But if you were planning to build something new this weekend, you’ll need a Business, Enterprise, or Education workspace to do it. What actually changed The restriction showed up in OpenAI’s updated help documentation on August 16, with the relevant help-center pages receiving another update the following day. Community members in various Facebook groups started flagging the change around August 15, suggesting the rollout may have begun slightly before the documentation caught up. The new rules are straightforward. Personal accounts of any tier lose the ability to create and publish new custom GPTs. Publishing to the GPT Store is also off the table for individual users. Any GPTs you already built remain functional and editable, subject to your plan’s existing permissions. Business, Enterprise, and Education workspaces keep full access to GPT creation and sharing, governed by whatever administra...