OpenAI unveils app-like plugin experiences and MCP Events support at Dev Day

At its Dev Day event on September 29, 2026, OpenAI announced that developers can now build app-like experiences inside ChatGPT using plugin extensions. The plugins, which previously connected ChatGPT to tools such as Slack, SharePoint, Airtable and Google Drive, will get a dedicated home in the ChatGPT sidebar. Developers can also create interactive panels and support file viewers for the file formats their products use.

To make plugin development easier, OpenAI introduced a Plugin Creator tool and redesigned the submission flow with clearer feedback. The company also improved how plugins are ranked and recommended in the directory and surfaced in conversations. Users can approve each plugin's access requirements individually when they choose to work with it.

In addition, ChatGPT Sites, the lightweight websites that users build with ChatGPT, can host these plugins. For example, someone could share an app with colleagues, who can use it with their own connected data and permissions.

OpenAI also said it is adding support for the proposed MCP Events specification, which would allow plugins to trigger automations based on events in a connected app. The company also made automations easier to add and manage.