September 12, 2026 · 7 min read
Apps inside ChatGPT: a new digital storefront for businesses
The Apps SDK brings interfaces and actions into ChatGPT. Here is what that means for products, services and websites.
OpenAI’s current documentation presents the Apps SDK as a way to design both logic and interface for applications that run inside ChatGPT. These apps use the Model Context Protocol to connect conversations to real tools, data and backends.
Why this matters to an ordinary business
An experience can surface while a user is already explaining what they need. Instead of opening a site, finding a menu and completing several fields, the person can ask, compare, configure or start an action inside the conversation.
What makes a useful conversational app
- Solve one concrete intent instead of representing the entire business.
- Show interface only when a visual interaction genuinely helps.
- Request the minimum permissions and explain what will be shared.
- Connect to a real backend for current data and verifiable actions.
- Keep your own website or app as the permanent home of the brand and customer account.
It does not automatically replace an app or website
We disagree with abandoning owned channels. A ChatGPT app is a distribution and interaction layer. The website still concentrates brand, content, search and trust; a native or web app remains necessary when the product needs frequent use, notifications or a highly specific experience.
The opportunity
Services that involve substantial explanation before purchase — travel, consulting, bookings, education, property and recruitment — can benefit early. The best first move is not to “put AI everywhere”; it is to choose one repetitive, useful task that conversation can complete better.
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