Launch guideAI products
How to launch a custom GPT or ChatGPT app
There are now two ways to put something inside ChatGPT: a custom GPT (instructions, knowledge and actions set up in the GPT builder) and an app built with OpenAI's Apps SDK. GPTs are quick to build but easy to copy; apps take engineering and go through review. Either way, most discovery happens outside ChatGPT, so you still need a page on the open web that explains what it does.
Updated · platform facts checked against the official docs linked below
At a glance
Where people find custom GPTs and ChatGPT apps
- GPT Store: Browse and search inside ChatGPT. Publishing needs an eligible plan and a completed builder profile.
- ChatGPT app directory: For Apps SDK apps that pass review.
- Your own landing page: People search Google for "GPT for X"; a page you own can rank and link into ChatGPT.
- AI directories: Several list GPTs and assistants by task.
- The niche community: A GPT for landlords spreads through landlord forums, not AI forums.
Assets to prepare
| Asset | Spec or guidance |
|---|---|
| Builder profile | Name or verified domain shown on the GPT; domain verification uses a DNS TXT record.[1] |
| Conversation starters | Four prompts that show the best use cases, written in the user's words. |
| Icon | Simple, readable at small sizes. |
| Landing page | Explains the job, shows a real conversation, links to the GPT or app. |
| Privacy policy | Required for Apps SDK apps; needed for GPT actions that call your API.[2] |
Store and listing rules
What the platform itself says, with a link to the page we checked.
- OpenAI's help center says publishing to the GPT Store depends on your plan, workspace settings and permissions, and that personal accounts may need to verify a name or domain in the builder profile. Plans change; check the article before building.[1]
- Apps SDK submissions must come from verified individuals or organizations, include a privacy policy, test credentials that work, and must not imply OpenAI endorsement.[2]
- Apps that are trials, demos or copycats of other apps are rejected under the submission guidelines.[2]
A 4-week launch timeline
Week 1 · four weeks out
- Decide GPT or Apps SDK app based on whether you need your own UI and data.
- Check plan eligibility and complete the builder profile or identity verification.
- Pick one narrow job and write the instructions around it.
Week 2 · three weeks out
- Test with 20 real prompts from target users; fix the failures.
- Write conversation starters from those prompts.
- Build the landing page with a real conversation screenshot.
Week 3 · two weeks out
- Set up actions or the MCP server behind the app, with auth and rate limits.
- Write the privacy policy.
- Submit the app for review if you're using the Apps SDK.
Week 4 · launch week
- Prepare posts for the niche community.
- List on AI directories.
- Plan what you'll add that a copycat can't: your data, your actions, updates.
Launch-day checklist
- Publish the GPT (or go live after app approval) and link it from the landing page.
- Post a real conversation in the niche community.
- Launch the landing page on LaunchRanked for a permanent, indexable page.
- Watch for prompts that break it and patch the instructions.
- Ask early users what they expected it to do but it didn't.
After launch: SEO steps
Launch boards reset; search pages don't. These steps keep people finding you after launch week.
- Rank the landing page for "{job} GPT" and "ChatGPT for {job}" searches.
- Publish example conversations as pages people can read without ChatGPT.
- Link the GPT from every directory listing and your own site.
- Update the page when you add actions or data; it's your changelog.
Common mistakes
- Building a thin prompt wrapper that anyone can copy in minutes.
- Relying on GPT Store search alone for discovery.
- Skipping plan and verification checks until publish day.
- Actions without auth or rate limits.
Templates for this launch
- Directory listing descriptionWrite directory and launch-site listings once: a 60-character tagline, a 160-character short description and a long version, with a filled example.
- Launch thread for XA copy-paste launch thread for X: hook, problem, demo, how it works, proof, offer and ask, with a filled example and the 280-character rule.
- Landing page hero copyHero section copy for a product landing page: headline, subhead, call to action and proof line, with formulas, a filled example and what to avoid.
FAQ
Who can publish a GPT to the GPT Store?
It depends on your ChatGPT plan, workspace settings and a completed builder profile. OpenAI has changed eligibility over time, so check its help article on sharing and publishing GPTs first.
What's the difference between a GPT and a ChatGPT app?
A GPT is configured in the builder with instructions, files and optional actions. An app is built with the Apps SDK, can show its own UI, and goes through OpenAI's app review.
How do people find custom GPTs?
Through GPT Store search, but also through Google, niche communities and AI directories. A landing page you own does a lot of the work.
How do I stop a GPT being copied?
You can't stop the idea being copied. Build on data, actions and updates others don't have.
Sources
Checked . Platforms change their rules; open the source before you rely on a number.
Related launch guides
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- How to launch an AI agentLaunching an AI agent: prove it finishes real tasks, show its permissions and guardrails, publish to MCP and app directories, and plan a 4-week launch.
- How to launch a Notion templateLaunch a Notion template: creator profile, Marketplace submission and fees, publishing with duplicate on, previews that sell, and channels.