During its Dev Day presentation on Tuesday, OpenAI announced a significant expansion of its ChatGPT plugin infrastructure, enabling developers to create app-like experiences directly within the platform. While the company has previously integrated plugins for tools such as Slack, Google Drive, and Airtable, the updated system introduces dedicated sidebar real estate for these applications.
The new extension framework allows developers to build interactive panels that enable users to interact with their connected tools while maintaining an active chat with ChatGPT. Additionally, the updates include support for custom file viewers tailored to specific developer products, ensuring seamless data interaction.
To streamline development, OpenAI introduced a Plugin Creator tool and overhauled the submission process for its plugin directory, providing developers with clearer feedback mechanisms. On the user side, the company has refined how plugins are ranked and recommended, both within the directory and during conversations. Users now have the ability to approve access permissions on a per-plugin basis.
Furthermore, ChatGPT Sites—lightweight websites built by users—can now host these plugins, facilitating collaboration among colleagues who can utilize shared apps with their own connected data and permissions.
OpenAI also confirmed support for the proposed MCP Events specification, which empowers plugins to trigger automations based on events occurring in connected applications. The company noted that it is also simplifying the process for users to add and manage these automations.
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