In this guide · 8 sections
- 01Apps, plugins and connectors: what the names mean now
- 02What is on by default in ChatGPT Business
- 03The admin controls, step by step
- 04What data a connected app sees and sends
- 05Custom GPTs are retiring: what to do
- 06A simple app approval policy for a small company
- 07Do it yourself or get help?
- 08Frequently asked questions
Short answer
In ChatGPT Business, apps are enabled by default. Admins manage them under Plugins in Admin console: switch apps off workspace-wide, limit read and write actions, set when ChatGPT must ask before acting, and restrict which email domains can connect. Installing a plugin does not grant app access.
Apps, plugins and connectors: what the names mean now
OpenAI has renamed things several times. As of October 2026, its help centre uses these terms:
| Term | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| App (formerly connector) | A link from ChatGPT to an outside service, using your account on that service | Google Drive, Slack, GitHub |
| Plugin | A bundle of skills, apps, app templates and extensions for a task | A project-update plugin that reads Slack and Linear |
| Skill | Reusable instructions and workflow guidance inside a plugin | Your weekly report template |
| Custom app (MCP) | An app your team adds through a custom MCP server | Your own CRM or booking system |
| Custom GPT | The older way to package instructions; being retired | An internal policy GPT |
The ChatGPT Business release notes record that on 9 July 2026 OpenAI replaced the App Directory with the Plugin Directory, with existing app connections unaffected. OpenAI's plugins article adds that installing a plugin cannot bypass provider or workspace permissions. For background on MCP, see our Model Context Protocol explainer.
What is on by default in ChatGPT Business
Defaults differ by plan, according to OpenAI's admin controls article for plugins and apps.
- ChatGPT Business: apps are enabled by default. Administrators can change workspace-wide app availability, but per-role app access is an Enterprise and Edu feature.
- Enterprise and Edu: new workspaces start with a selected set of apps enabled; new plugins and apps are generally disabled by default, and admins can use role-based access.
- Google Drive actions: unified Drive actions are on by default for Business and off by default for Enterprise and Edu until an admin enables them.
- Individual plans: the plugin directory is available across ChatGPT plans, but without a workspace admin each person decides what to connect.
The admin controls, step by step
Business admins manage most of this in Admin console under Plugins. OpenAI separates three things: role access (who can use an app), actions (what the app can do) and permissions (when ChatGPT asks before using it).
Open Admin console and select your workspace
Go to Plugins. Older app settings remain under Manage Legacy Apps or Workspace settings > Apps.
Disable apps you have not approved
Switch off apps the business does not use. Disabling an app blocks app-backed features but does not necessarily uninstall a plugin's skill-only parts.
Limit actions per app
Under Actions, allow only read actions where staff just need to search. Under New actions, choose "Only enable new read actions" or "Disable new actions" so future write features are not switched on silently.
Set the workspace permission default
In Workspace settings > General, under Plugin permissions, choose when ChatGPT asks: Always ask, Allow read actions or Allow low-risk actions. Allow all actions is only offered per app and carries higher risk.
Restrict account domains
Use Manage domains on each supported app so members can only connect accounts on your company email domain, not personal ones.
Review plugins in bulk
Since 15 October 2026, admins can change up to 25 plugins at a time: available for installation, installed for workspace, or disabled.
What data a connected app sees and sends
An app works with the permissions of the connected account. If a staff member connects Google Drive, ChatGPT can search what that person can open, which is why over-shared folders matter. Our guide to ChatGPT connectors for Google Drive and SharePoint covers tidying that up.
- Training: OpenAI says that by default it does not use ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspace content, including information accessed through apps, to train its models.
- Third-party terms: information sent to a connected third-party service is subject to that provider's storage, privacy and data residency terms.
- Data residency: OpenAI notes residency covers supported content at rest and does not mean every external integration stays in the selected region.
- Logs: the Compliance Platform for app activity is only for eligible Enterprise and Edu workspaces; Business admins do not automatically see members' conversations.
- Prompt injection: OpenAI says its safeguards reduce but do not eliminate prompt-injection and third-party risk.
Custom MCP apps are, in OpenAI's words, not verified by OpenAI and intended for developer use only. Add one only if you know and trust the server behind it.
Custom GPTs are retiring: what to do
OpenAI's custom GPT retirement FAQ says custom GPTs are scheduled to retire on 11 December 2026 (11 February 2027 for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral). Creators can migrate a GPT to a plugin: instructions become a skill, knowledge files become reference files and connected apps are added as apps.
Two catches for businesses: custom actions do not transfer and may need a custom MCP server, and migration does not carry over sharing, so colleagues need access to the new plugin. List the GPTs your team relies on and who created them now, while there is time to test replacements.
A simple app approval policy for a small company
You do not need a long document. A one-page policy that staff read and admins follow covers most of the risk.
ChatGPT app policy
To find AI tools staff are already using outside ChatGPT, see our guide to finding shadow AI tools. For plan prices in Singapore, see ChatGPT Business plan pricing.
Do it yourself or get help?
A ChatGPT Business owner can apply the admin settings above in under an hour. The bigger work is usually on the other side: cleaning up sharing in Google Drive or SharePoint, and controlling which third-party apps can access Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace at all.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Our Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) enforces MFA for up to 15 users, blocks legacy sign-in and risky apps, sets external sharing rules for files and cleans up admin roles, with a before and after report. That limits what any connected AI tool can reach.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. OpenAI's help centre says apps are enabled by default in ChatGPT Business, and administrators can change workspace-wide availability in Admin console under Plugins. Enterprise and Edu workspaces work differently: new plugins and apps are generally disabled by default and admins can control access by role.
An app connects ChatGPT to an outside service such as Google Drive or Slack using your account there. A plugin is a bundle that can contain skills, apps, app templates and extensions for a specific task. Installing a plugin does not grant access to its apps; account authorisation and workspace permissions still apply.
OpenAI says that by default it does not use ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspace content, including information accessed through apps, to train its models. Information sent to a connected third-party service follows that provider's own terms, so review the privacy terms of each app you approve.
Yes. For apps that support it, admins can enable only read actions, block future new actions, and set a workspace default so ChatGPT always asks or only reads without asking. The Allow all actions setting is only available per app and carries higher risk, so most small businesses should avoid it.
OpenAI says custom GPTs are scheduled to retire on 11 December 2026, or 11 February 2027 for Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral. Creators can migrate a GPT to a plugin. Custom actions do not transfer automatically and sharing settings are not carried over, so test replacements before the retirement date.