ChatGPT App Development

What is a ChatGPT App?

ChatGPT apps are custom-built applications that live inside the ChatGPT interface. They respond to natural language prompts and can embed interactive UI elements directly within the chat, blending conversation with intuitive interfaces. These apps allow your brand, service, or data to be seamlessly integrated into users’ ChatGPT sessions, opening up new opportunities for engagement and functionality.

Built on OpenAi’s Apps SDK and Model Context Protocol (MCP) framework, ChatGPT apps can be used for a wide range of applications, including:

• Booking services
• Advanced search functionality
• Content generation
• Product recommendations

Early Adopters and Availability

Major brands such as Booking.com, Canva, Expedia, and Spotify have already launched ChatGPT apps, showcasing the potential of this technology. Currently, these apps are available to all logged-in ChatGPT users outside the EEA, Switzerland, and the UK, across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. OpenAI has indicated plans to expand availability to EU and UK users in the future.

Our ChatGPT App Development Service

At ROAST, we offer a comprehensive ChatGPT App Development service that covers all aspects of bringing your app to life:

• Use case Ideation: What should your app do? Is it to replicate existing data and products or offer something entirely new? In a ROAST-led workshop we develop ideas specific to your brand.

• Conversational Design: We craft intuitive dialogue flows, define your app’s persona, and seamlessly integrate chat with UI elements.

• MCP / Apps Logic & Integration: Our ROAST team expertly handles data exchange, context management, and backend connectivity using the Model Context Protocol and Apps SDK.

• Tool / UI Component Creation: We build interactive elements that enhance user experience within the chat interface.

• Testing & Validation: Rigorous testing ensures your app performs flawlessly across various scenarios.

• Analytics & Monitoring: We implement robust tracking and reporting to help you understand user interactions and optimise performance.

• Submission & Publication Support: We guide you through OpenAI’s review process, ensuring compliance with all necessary policies.

Why ROAST for ChatGPT App Development?

ROAST brings deep expertise in AI, conversational systems, and integrations. We offer end-to-end capability, from initial design to launch and beyond. With a strong emphasis on privacy, data security, and compliance, we ensure your ChatGPT app meets the highest standards of quality and user trust.

The team have history in developing Alexa Skills and Google actions which have a similar architecture to ChatGPT apps along with our experience of developing other AI based tools such as ROASTWriter.

FAQs

What exactly is a ChatGPT app and how is it different from a chatbot or API integration?
A ChatGPT app lives inside ChatGPT’s interface, blending natural language with interactive UI elements. Unlike a standalone chatbot, it’s surfaced in context and can leverage ChatGPT’s reasoning to invoke your app logic.

Which brands already have live ChatGPT apps?
Pilot partners include Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Expedia, Figma, Spotify, and Zillow in supported markets

Can I launch a ChatGPT app in the UK / EU now?
As of now, OpenAI makes apps available outside the EEA, Switzerland, and UK. However, they plan to expand availability in EU / UK markets in the future. We suggest that brands in the UK should start to build and test apps now with a view to launching when apps go live in the UK.

What’s required from us on the client side?

We handle the entire development process, but for an app to work we require some access and documentation.

• Access to your APIs or data endpoints
• Clear documentation of business logic
• Branding guidelines, tone, legal/terms privacy inputs
• Testing support and feedback during the development cycle

How do you ensure privacy, security and compliance?

• We design data minimisation and only request needed scopes
• We ensure secure authentication, encrypted data channels
• We validate app compliance according to OpenAI’s policies
• We assist with the privacy policy and user disclosure needs

What happens after we build — maintenance, updates, analytics?
We monitor usage, error logs, performance,  We can iterate, add features, optimise flows, We support new versions, ongoing compliance, and new integrations.

How long does it take to build a ChatGPT app?
It depends on complexity. A minimal viable app might take 6–8 weeks; a richer feature set or enterprise integration could take several months. This timeline includes design, development, testing, and submission phases.

Can the app access my internal systems / databases?
Yes, with proper API integration and security layers. We can architect middleware or connectors so your internal systems are exposed securely (and only what’s needed) to the app logic layer.

For users to log into their existing account they have with you requires an authorisation server which supports a common protocol such as OAuth.

How is monetisation handled?
OpenAI plans to support monetisation models and introduce features like Agentic Commerce Protocol (for instant checkout) in future. OpenAI We can help advise or integrate monetisation flows (e.g. gated premium features, subscription unlocks, transaction fees). Monetisation will be different for each brand, it could be by simply having an app you start to drive awareness of your brand and traffic to your site.

Will the app continue working if OpenAI changes their SDK or APIs?
We build with modular, maintainable architecture to adapt to version changes. We also monitor OpenAI’s developer updates and can support migrations or upgrades when needed.

Get Started with ChatGPT App Development

Our team will work with you to understand your goals and develop a tailored strategy for bringing your service into the world of conversational AI.