Guide
Move your custom GPT to a skill
Custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026. FedRAMP accounts and approved deferrals have until February 11, 2027. If you've built a GPT you rely on, you can keep what it does by turning it into a skill: a plain SKILL.md file you own, that works in Grok Bot, Muse or Dots, and that can run on a schedule.
This guide takes about 15 minutes per GPT. BotPlaza is an independent catalog, not affiliated with OpenAI.
What carries over and what doesn't
| Part of your GPT | Moves to a skill? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | Yes | Copy them by hand into the skill's Steps and Boundaries. |
| Conversation starters | Yes | They go in the "When to use" list. |
| Knowledge files | Yes, by hand | Put the files in a references/ folder next to SKILL.md, and list them in the skill. |
| Custom actions (API calls) | No | Custom actions don't carry over. Replace each one with a connector or app in your assistant, if one exists for that service. |
| Name and description | Yes | They become the skill's front matter. |
Custom actions are the one part that needs real thought. Write down what each action did in plain words ("looks up the order status", "adds a row to my sheet"). Then check which apps or connectors your target assistant offers. Where there's a match, the skill can tell the assistant to use it. Where there isn't, the skill can ask you for the information instead.
Step by step
1. Copy what your GPT knows
Open your GPT in the editor and copy these into a note before the retirement date:
- The full instructions text.
- The conversation starters. These go in the "When to use" list.
- The knowledge files. Download them and put them in a
references/folder next to SKILL.md. - A one-line description of each custom action.
2. Turn it into a SKILL.md
A skill is one Markdown file with a short header. Paste your GPT's pieces into this template and fill in the angle brackets:
---
name: <short-name-with-dashes>
description: Use when <the requests this skill should handle>. Produces <what the user gets>.
metadata:
version: "1.0.0"
---
# <Skill name>
## What it does
<One or two sentences on the outcome. Start from your GPT's description.>
## When to use
- <Conversation starter 1>
- <Conversation starter 2>
- Not for: <requests it should leave alone>
## Inputs
- <What the user provides, with a sensible default>
- Knowledge files: files in references/, next to SKILL.md
## Steps
1. <First thing to do. Move your GPT's instructions here, one action per step.>
2. <Where a custom action used to run: "Use the connected <service> app to ...", or "Ask the user for ...">
3. <How to finish>
## Output format
<The shape of the answer: headings, a table, a short list, length limit.>
## Boundaries
- Read-only unless the user approves a change.
- Never send, post or buy anything without asking first.
- <Anything your GPT was told never to do>Two tips. Write the description as "Use when ...", because that's how assistants decide to pick the skill up. And keep each step to one clear action, so it's easy to fix later.
3. Add a schedule, if it should run on its own
A GPT only answers when you open it. A skill can run by itself. If your GPT was something you opened every morning or every Sunday, add a line like this under the title:
## Schedule
Weekly, Sunday 6:00 PM. Deliver the result in chat.Then set the schedule in your assistant when you install it. Grok Bot uses routines, and Dots supports scheduled check-ins. Scheduling in Muse isn't confirmed yet, so there you run the skill on demand.
4. Install it
Paste the SKILL.md into your assistant and ask it to save the skill. The steps for Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots are on each skill page, such as Morning Newspaper.
Two assistants also take the file directly:
- ChatGPT Skills: upload the skill zip on Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare plans.
- Gemini: upload a SKILL.md or a zip, on personal accounts for people 18 and older.
If a ready-made skill already does the job, start from one below, such as Research Brief.
Or start from a ready-made skill
Many custom GPTs do jobs that already have a skill on BotPlaza. Install one of these, then copy your favourite instructions into its Boundaries or Steps.
| If your GPT was a ... | Start from |
|---|---|
| Research assistant GPT | Research Brief |
| Fact-checker GPT | Source Check |
| Daily news summary GPT | Morning Newspaper |
| Email triage GPT | Inbox Digest |
| Meeting notes or prep GPT | Meeting Prep Brief |
| Weekly planning GPT | Weekly Planner |
| Paper or article summarizer GPT | Reading Digest |
| Resume writer GPT | Tailored Resume |
| Cover letter GPT | Cover Letter from Template |
| Workout coach GPT | Weekly Fitness Summary |
| Weekly meal planner GPT | Meal Plan & Grocery List |
| Budget or subscriptions GPT | Subscription Audit |
FAQ
Will my GPT stop working before December 11, 2026?
The retirement date is December 11, 2026, or February 11, 2027 for FedRAMP accounts and approved deferrals. Copy your instructions and files well before then so you aren't rushed.
My GPT used custom actions. Can I keep them?
Not as they are. Custom actions don't carry over. Describe what each one did, then use a connector or app in your assistant where one exists, or have the skill ask you for that information.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. A SKILL.md is plain text with a short header. If you can edit a document, you can write one.
Can I use the same skill in more than one assistant?
Yes. The same file works in Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots. ChatGPT Skills can take a zip upload on Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare plans. Gemini can take a SKILL.md or a zip on personal accounts for people 18 and older. Paste steps for Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots are on each skill page, such as Inbox Digest.