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**Feature Availability Notice**: Custom GPTs and the GPT Store are available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users (verify current access at openai.com). Availability and the GPT Store interface may have changed since course creation.

What is a Custom GPT?

A Custom GPT is a specialized version of ChatGPT created by a user â€" with custom instructions, knowledge, name, description, and behavior built in. Instead of starting every conversation by explaining who you are and what you need, a Custom GPT already "knows":

• What role it should play
• What topics it specializes in
• What response format you prefer
• Any custom knowledge you have provided

Custom GPTs are created by users and businesses â€" they can be kept private, shared with specific people, or published publicly in the GPT Store.

Finding Custom GPTs in the GPT Store.

The GPT Store (accessible from the ChatGPT interface) contains thousands of publicly available Custom GPTs built by users and organizations. Categories include coding, writing, research, education, productivity, and many others.

Evaluation criteria for third-party Custom GPTs:

• Who built it? Is the creator verified or recognizable?
• What access does it request? Review any permissions a Custom GPT asks for.
• How recently was it updated?
• What do user reviews say about accuracy and usefulness?

Caution about third-party Custom GPTs. Unlike standard ChatGPT, which is governed by OpenAI's training and guidelines, Custom GPTs are created by third parties. Apply appropriate skepticism about accuracy, do not share sensitive information, and verify outputs from third-party Custom GPTs the same way you would any other AI output.

Creating your own Custom GPT.

To create a Custom GPT (Plus account required):

1. From the ChatGPT interface, navigate to "Create a GPT" (or the current equivalent)
2. Use ChatGPT's builder interface â€" describe the role, behavior, and knowledge you want
3. Configure: give it a name, description, profile image, and instructions
4. Optionally upload knowledge files the Custom GPT should reference
5. Set access: private (you only), link (shared with specific people), or public

A practical Custom GPT configuration.

A five-element Custom GPT configuration:

1. Name: Descriptive and specific (e.g., "Grant Proposal Reviewer")
2. Instructions: Detailed persona, role, response style, and recurring constraints
3. Knowledge: Uploaded documents the GPT references (grant guidelines, past successful proposals)
4. Capabilities: Which built-in tools to enable (web search, OpenAI image generation, data analysis)
5. Access: Who can use it

High-value Custom GPT use cases.

• A GPT configured with your organization's style guide for consistent communications
• A GPT pre-loaded with a grant funder's scoring criteria for faster proposal review
• A GPT configured with your preferred coaching framework for reflective practice
• A GPT with your personal writing style instructions for maintaining voice consistency

Privacy consideration: uploaded knowledge files.

Documents you upload to a Custom GPT's knowledge base are stored by OpenAI. Apply the same six-category sensitive information guidelines as with standard ChatGPT â€" never upload documents containing SSNs, financial credentials, passwords, or other sensitive information.