Apps inside ChatGPT: a new storefront, or a distraction?
ChatGPT now hosts interactive apps from brands like Booking.com and Zillow. For some businesses it's a new channel to hundreds of millions of users. For others, it's not yet worth it.
By the Xuru Technologies team · 8 October 2025
Key takeaways
- At DevDay on 6 October 2025, OpenAI introduced apps that run inside ChatGPT conversations, plus an Apps SDK built on the Model Context Protocol.
- Launch partners included Booking.com, Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify and Zillow.
- OpenAI also launched AgentKit for building agents.
- Businesses with frequent, conversational use cases may benefit; most should first make their websites AI-friendly.
Every new platform creates a gold rush. The key question is whether your customers would actually use your service inside a chat.
What happened
Simon Willison's live blog and InfoQ covered the announcements, including app discovery within conversations and plans for monetisation.
Who should consider a ChatGPT app
- Good fit: search-and-choose services (travel, property, courses), tools people use repeatedly, booking flows.
- Weaker fit: one-off local services where customers simply need contact details.
- Prerequisite: an API or structured data about your offering.
- Still essential: a strong website for trust, SEO and direct relationships.
A sensible path
| Stage | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Make your website clear, structured and AI-readable |
| 2 | Expose key data (availability, catalogue) through an API |
| 3 | Prototype a ChatGPT app for one high-value task |
| 4 | Measure usage and conversions before expanding |
Frequently asked questions
Is building a ChatGPT app expensive?
A focused prototype on top of an existing API can be modest. Costs grow with complexity and integrations.
Do apps in ChatGPT replace my website?
No. They're an additional channel. Your website remains central to trust, search and owned relationships.
What is the Apps SDK built on?
OpenAI said it builds on the Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI to tools and data.
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