ChatGPT Plugins
ChatGPT Plugins were third-party extensions, introduced in beta in March 2023, that let OpenAI's ChatGPT access real-time information, execute code, and interact with external services beyond its training data through standardized API integrations and function calling. OpenAI closed the plugin store on March 19, 2024 and ended existing plugin conversations on April 9, 2024, replacing plugins with GPTs and Actions, and later with connectors, MCP support, and the Apps SDK. They extended ChatGPT's capabilities with connections to web browsing, mathematical computation, document analysis, e-commerce platforms, productivity tools, and specialized databases. The plugin architecture used an OpenAPI specification alongside a manifest file, plus authentication settings and a review process that governed how ChatGPT called external systems. OpenAI shipped its own browsing and code interpreter plugins, while third-party entries covered document processing and domains such as travel booking and restaurant reservations. The mechanism let the model pick a tool based on the user's request, call it with parameters drawn from the conversation, and fold the result into its reply. The design showed how a language model can be extended through modular tool interfaces, and that pattern carried into the GPTs, connectors, and MCP-based integrations that replaced it.
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