A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom GPT in ChatGPT

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to create a Custom GPT in ChatGPT, step by step.

Step 1: Make Sure You’re on a Paid ChatGPT Plan

To create a Custom GPT, you must be on a paid ChatGPT plan.

Custom GPT creation is not available on the Free plan.

You can create a Custom GPT if you’re on:

• Go plan
• Plus plan
• Business / Team plans
• Any higher-tier paid plan

Once you upgrade, the Custom GPT feature becomes available automatically.

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Step 2: Open “Explore GPTs”

After upgrading:

1. Look at the left-hand sidebar
2. Click Explore GPTs

This takes you to the GPT marketplace where:

• You can browse existing GPTs created by others
• Or create your own from scratch

Step 3: Click “Create” (Top Right)

On the Explore GPTs screen:

• Look at the top right-hand corner
• Click the Create button

This opens the Custom GPT builder.

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Step 4: Understand the Purpose of a Custom GPT

Before configuring anything, it’s important to be clear on why you’re creating a GPT.

A Custom GPT is essentially a personalized assistant that:

• Follows specific instructions
• Uses your documents or knowledge
• Behaves consistently based on defined rules

You can build one for:

• Business use (sales, marketing, internal ops, support, training)
• Personal use (career assistant, resume helper, research assistant)
• Client-facing use cases

Step 5: Configure Basic GPT Information

Inside the Configuration section, you’ll define the basics:

1. Name

Give your GPT a clear, descriptive name.

2. Description

Explain what your GPT does and who it’s for.

3. Instructions (Most Important Part)

This is where your prompting skills matter.

A strong instruction setup usually includes:

• Role – Who or what the GPT is
• Rules – Boundaries and constraints
• Tasks – What it should help with
• Examples – Sample inputs and outputs
• Output format – How responses should be structured

This ensures your Custom GPT behaves consistently and clearly understands how to interact with users.

Step 6: Add Conversation Starters

Conversation starters are clickable prompts users see when they open your GPT.

They help users:

• Understand what the GPT can do
• Start a conversation instantly

Examples:

• “Help me create a sales email”
• “Summarize this document”
• “Generate ideas for my campaign”

Step 7: Upload Knowledge & Documents

You can upload files to give your GPT additional context.

Examples:

• Business documents
• SOPs
• Marketing assets
• Internal playbooks
• Resumes or personal documents

This is especially powerful for:

• Internal business assistants
• Training bots
• Knowledge-based GPTs

Step 8: Choose the GPT Model

Next, select which model your Custom GPT should use.

• ChatGPT will recommend a default model
• You can change it based on your needs (speed vs reasoning depth)

For most use cases, the recommended model works perfectly.

Step 9: Enable Capabilities

In the Capabilities section, you choose what your GPT can do:

Options include:

• Web search
• Canvas
• Image generation
• Code interpreter
• File analysis

Examples:

• Coding assistant → enable code interpreter
• Image assistant → enable image generation
• Text-only assistant → enable web search & canvas only

Choose only what your GPT actually needs.

Step 10: (Optional) Add Actions & APIs

If you want your GPT to interact with external systems, you can define Actions.

This allows your GPT to:

• Call APIs
• Fetch data from external tools
• Trigger workflows outside ChatGPT

You’ll configure:

• Authentication method
• API endpoints
• Inputs and outputs

This step is optional and only needed for advanced use cases.

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Step 11: Create & Share Your GPT

Once everything is ready:

1. Click Create
2. A popup appears asking how you want to share your GPT

You can choose:

• Only me → Private GPT
• Anyone with the link → Public GPT

Click Save.

Step 12: Access & Share Your Custom GPT

After saving:

• Your Custom GPT appears on the left-hand sidebar under GPTs
• You can start chatting with it immediately

If it’s public:

• You’ll receive a shareable link
• You can send that link to anyone

Your Custom GPT is now live and ready to use.

Final Thoughts

Creating a Custom GPT is one of the most practical ways to turn ChatGPT into a real assistant tailored to your exact needs — whether for work or personal use.

If you found this guide helpful:

• Share it with someone exploring AI
• Check out our AI tools directory to discover useful tools
• Or get in touch if you’d like us to run an AI masterclass for your team

Thanks for reading, and happy building 🚀

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