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How To Build App For Chatgpt With The Apps Sdk And Monetize It

Leo Migdal
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how to build app for chatgpt with the apps sdk and monetize it

Thanks to OpenAI’s new SDK and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), developers can now build and test interactive apps in under a day. Similar AI-assisted development tools have demonstrated 50–60% time savings compared to traditional workflows. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build app for ChatGPT with the Apps SDK. You’ll discover how to set up your environment, define tools using JSON Schema, add simple UI components, and test your app directly in ChatGPT. The ChatGPT Apps SDK is a new toolkit from OpenAI. It helps developers build apps that live inside ChatGPT.

Instead of switching between websites or tools, users can now do everything directly in chat. The SDK uses something called the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This protocol tells ChatGPT how to talk to your app, what data it needs, what tools it can use, and how to show results. Before starting, create a free OpenAI Developer Account and confirm access to the Apps SDK preview. Some features are still in early release as of 2025. Check the Apps SDK Overview for setup details and updates.

The Apps SDK relies on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to expose your app to ChatGPT. To build an app for ChatGPT with the Apps SDK, you will need two things: In this quickstart, we’ll build a simple to-do list app, contained in a single HTML file that keeps the markup, CSS, and JavaScript together. To see more advanced examples using React, see the examples repository on GitHub. Let’s start by creating a file called public/todo-widget.html in a new directory that will be the UI rendered by the Apps SDK in ChatGPT. This file will contain the web component that will be rendered in the ChatGPT interface.

window.openai is the bridge between your frontend and ChatGPT. This guided tutorial walks you through creating your first ChatGPT app using OpenAI’s Apps SDK. You’ll set up a minimal MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, define a simple tool with JSON Schema, run it locally over HTTPS, render a lightweight UI component inside ChatGPT, add optional OAuth with PKCE,... Before you begin, you’ll need a free OpenAI developer account and access to the Apps SDK preview. As noted in the OpenAI documentation (2025), the Apps SDK is in preview and will expand submission capabilities later in the year; see the overview in the Apps SDK landing page for current status... For orientation, skim the 2025 concept docs on MCP servers in the MCP server concepts and the bridge API in the Apps SDK Reference, which describes the sandboxed iframe and the window.openai bridge.

If you’re new to terms like “MCP” and “tools/actions,” you might find this primer helpful: OpenAI AgentKit Glossary: essential terms — it clarifies common agent and tooling vocabulary. Tip: Use a dedicated project folder and a .env file for secrets. Keep ports consistent and avoid reusing privileged ports. 9:00 am October 12, 2025 By Julian Horsey What if you could build a fully functional app with just one prompt? Imagine skipping the steep learning curve of traditional development and diving straight into creating something impactful, without needing years of coding experience.

Thanks to the OpenAI Apps SDK, this isn’t just a dream; it’s a reality. Designed to simplify app creation within ChatGPT, this toolkit enables developers of all skill levels to turn ideas into publishable apps. Whether you’re envisioning a simple utility or an advanced AI-driven solution, the SDK provides the tools to make it happen, fast. And with the upcoming ChatGPT App Store, your creation could reach a global audience, opening doors to innovation and monetization like never before. In this guide by Creator Magic, you’ll discover how to harness the power of the OpenAI Apps SDK to build your very first ChatGPT app, starting with just a single prompt. From understanding the SDK’s intuitive features to exploring real-world examples like the “Voiceovers” app, you’ll learn how to create, test, and deploy your application seamlessly.

Along the way, you’ll uncover how this platform is reshaping the future of conversational AI, offering opportunities for creativity and business growth. The OpenAI Apps SDK is a comprehensive toolkit designed to make app development within ChatGPT more accessible and efficient. Unlike traditional plugins or GPT-based solutions, this SDK provides a robust framework for building fully functional applications. By the end of 2025, OpenAI plans to launch a submission and review process for developers to publish their apps, creating a dynamic marketplace for innovation and collaboration. This SDK is particularly well-suited for conversational AI, allowing developers to craft interactive and intelligent user experiences. Whether you aim to create a simple utility or a sophisticated AI-driven solution, the SDK equips you with the tools to turn your vision into reality.

Its versatility and ease of use make it an essential resource for anyone looking to innovate in the AI space. ChatGPT Apps SDK guide accelerates building conversational apps that reach millions and drive revenue. OpenAI just gave developers superpowers. With the new ChatGPT Apps SDK, you can now build apps that run inside ChatGPT itself — not as external integrations, but as native experiences within the chat interface. This changes everything for developers, startups, and product builders. ChatGPT is no longer just an AI assistant — it’s a platform where your apps can live, interact with users, and leverage ChatGPT’s intelligence directly.

If the App Store created the mobile economy, ChatGPT is creating the AI App Economy. In this guide, we’ll break down how to build, deploy, and publish your own app inside ChatGPT — step by step. The ChatGPT ecosystem has rapidly evolved from a simple AI conversational interface into a sophisticated platform supporting integrated applications. Initially launched in late 2022, ChatGPT has progressively expanded its capabilities – first by adding web access and computational plugins in early 2023, then by introducing user-created “custom GPTs” (akin to smartphone apps) and... By 2025, OpenAI rolled out an Apps SDK and in-chat “apps” that allow third-party services (e.g. Spotify, Booking.com, Zillow) to be invoked directly within a conversation ([3]) ([4]).

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of how developers and organizations can create these ChatGPT-integrated apps. We review the historical context (from basic chatbots to the current platform model), outline the technical framework (including the open Model Context Protocol used by the Apps SDK ([5])), and detail the step-by-step development... We also examine multiple perspectives – developer workflows, business and market implications, user experiences, and ethical considerations (privacy, safety, and trust). Real-world examples illustrate current use cases and benefits: for instance, a user can ask ChatGPT to ”make me a new Spotify playlist” or ”create a Zillow real estate listing”, and ChatGPT will seamlessly call... Data and industry analyses are cited to show the explosive adoption of ChatGPT technologies (e.g. hundreds of millions of users ([6]) ([7])) and the analogies to smartphone app ecosystems ([1]) ([2]).

We conclude by discussing the future trajectory: the continued growth of a ChatGPT “app store,” emerging agent capabilities, and the potential for conversational AI to transform how software is built and used. ChatGPT (Chat-based Generative Pre-trained Transformer) was introduced by OpenAI in November 2022 as a large-language-model-powered chatbot. Its ability to generate fluent natural language answers spurred rapid user adoption. By early 2023, ChatGPT became the world’s fastest-growing consumer application, reaching over 100 million monthly active users ([2]) ([8]). Researchers and enterprises quickly recognized that conversational AI could do more than chat; it could assist with tasks across domains (from coding and writing to planning and analysis). This led OpenAI to expand ChatGPT from a static conversational model into a platform for interactive tools.

In March 2023, OpenAI released an initial plugin system allowing ChatGPT to access updated web information, perform computations, and call third-party services ([9]) ([10]). Over the next two years, OpenAI iteratively built out this platform model. In late 2023, at its first Developer Day, OpenAI unveiled customizable ChatGPT “GPTs” – specialized versions of ChatGPT with tailored data and behaviors – likening them to AI counterparts of smartphone apps ([1]) ([11]). In January 2024, OpenAI launched a GPT Store, effectively a conversational app directory, where developers had already published millions of custom chatbots (reportedly 3 million at launch ([2])). In mid-2025, OpenAI introduced a formal Apps SDK and in-chat apps: a system where developers can build hosted services that run “inside” ChatGPT conversations ([5]) ([3]). These in-chat apps allow users to perform tasks (like booking tickets, making presentations, querying calendars) simply by asking ChatGPT – the chatbot automatically invokes the appropriate background service.

In effect, ChatGPT is becoming a “conversational app store,” embedding useful tools into its interface ([3]) ([1]). This report systematically explores how these ChatGPT apps are created: from planning and design to development and deployment. We also analyze market data, user surveys, and expert commentary to understand the current state and future implications of this emerging technology. ChatGPT’s path from a standalone chatbot to a full-fledged platform has unfolded rapidly. Within weeks of ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, users and developers began envisioning extensions of its capabilities. In early 2023, OpenAI introduced plugins – small add-ons enabling ChatGPT to retrieve live web data, perform computations, or interact with external APIs ([9]) ([10]).

The official announcement credited plugins as a “major milestone” that turned ChatGPT into an ecosystem for third-party functionality ([12]). The first partners included travel and shopping services (Expedia, Kayak, Instacart, etc.) and productivity tools (Slack, WolframAlpha, Zapier) ([13]) ([14]). OpenAI simultaneously provided developer documentation so others could build plugins, gradually rolling out access through a waitlist. The plugin system set the stage, but OpenAI envisioned a broader expansion. At Developer Day 2023, they announced “GPTs” – chatbots customized by developers for specific tasks or domains. Axios reported that OpenAI described GPTs as “the AI counterpart to smartphone apps,” promising a marketplace where users could try or even buy these custom chatbots ([1]).Indeed, early previews showed how companies could create...

A GPT Store was promised to launch soon. This store debuted in January 2024, and OpenAI noted that ~3 million custom GPTs had already been created by developers and hobbyists ([2]). The store categorized these GPTs (e.g. writing, programming, lifestyle) and made them available to ChatGPT paid subscribers. Initially, OpenAI did not charge developers for listing GPTs; monetization and revenue-sharing models were still being worked out in early 2024 ([2]) ([15]). OpenAI recently introduced ChatGPT Apps, powered by the new Apps SDK and the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Think of these apps as plugins for ChatGPT: You can invoke them naturally in a conversation. They can render custom interactive UIs inside ChatGPT (maps, carousels, videos, and more). They run on an MCP server that you control, which defines the tools, resources, and widgets the app provides. As AI becomes a core part of everyday workflows, ChatGPT has become second nature for billions of people. But until now, ChatGPT was mostly about conversation, not interaction.

What if you could chat with apps directly inside ChatGPT, from booking hotels to designing slides, all in one place? That's exactly what Apps in ChatGPT bring to the table. Powered by the new Apps SDK, developers can now build interactive, context-aware apps that live inside ChatGPT. In this guide, you'll learn how to build your own ChatGPT app with using FastApps framework. We'll walk through each part of the code and I'll explain how it works. By the end, you'll have a running ChatGPT app that can dynamically show widgets directly in your ChatGPT environment.

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