To connect an MCP server to ChatGPT, open Plugins in ChatGPT on the web, select the plus button, choose "Add custom MCP server", enter the server's HTTPS URL and authentication, and create it as a plugin. Full MCP support, including tools that change things (write actions), is available on ChatGPT Business and Enterprise/Edu. ChatGPT Pro can connect custom servers with read-only access. It works on the web only, and only with remote servers.
Below are the steps, what each plan can do, and how to fix the usual problems, based on OpenAI's help article Connecting custom MCP servers in ChatGPT, checked on 10 November 2026. OpenAI changes this area often, so check that article if a label has moved.
Which ChatGPT plans support MCP
| Plan | Custom MCP servers | Write actions (create, update, schedule) | Who sets it up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise / Edu | Yes | Yes | Admins, owners and members an admin authorises |
| Business | Yes | Yes | Admins and owners |
| Pro | Yes | No: read and fetch only | You |
| Plus and Free | Not listed in OpenAI's help article | No |
So if you want ChatGPT to do things through an MCP server, such as creating a task, updating a CRM or scheduling a post, you need a Business or Enterprise/Edu workspace. On Pro, ChatGPT can read through the server (search, fetch, list) but not change anything.
How to add a custom MCP server to ChatGPT
In ChatGPT on the web:
- Go to Plugins.
- Select the plus button, then Add custom MCP server.
- Enter a name and, optionally, a description.
- Under Connection, enter the server's public HTTPS MCP endpoint URL. (For a private server, choose Tunnel; see below.)
- Configure authentication: OAuth if the server supports it, or none for public servers.
- Read the risk warning and tick I understand and want to continue.
- Select Create as a plugin, then review the tools ChatGPT found.
If the server uses OAuth, a sign-in window opens for the service. You no longer need to turn on Developer Mode first in the current Plugins experience; you acknowledge the risk warning for each server instead.
How to use the server in a chat
Start a new conversation, type @ in the prompt box and pick the plugin. Then ask in plain English.
- The plugin selection applies to that message. For a follow-up that needs fresh data or another action, @mention it again.
- You can use several apps in one message, for example "check my calendar and draft a post about tomorrow's launch".
- For write actions, ChatGPT may ask you to confirm first, depending on the app's permissions and what the action would do. Some especially risky actions are blocked rather than offered for approval.
Setting it up for a workspace (Business, Enterprise, Edu)
In a company workspace, an admin or owner (or, on Enterprise/Edu, a member an admin has authorised) connects and tests the server first, then publishes it so others can use it:
- Connect and test the server privately, as above.
- In the Admin Console, open Plugins, then Manage Legacy Apps, then Drafts.
- Select Publish and review the safety warnings, especially for write actions.
Enterprise/Edu admins can also choose which actions a server is allowed to use and which groups can access it. Once approved, ChatGPT uses a frozen snapshot of the server's tools: new or changed tools don't appear until an admin refreshes and republishes.
Local MCP servers and tunnels
ChatGPT only connects to remote MCP servers over HTTPS. A server running on your laptop or private network can't be added directly. OpenAI's Secure MCP Tunnel connects a private server without exposing it to the internet; choose Tunnel in the connection step.
OAuth tips for server builders
If you run your own MCP server with OAuth, make sure it issues refresh tokens. OpenAI's article notes that without refresh-token support (for OpenID Connect, the offline_access scope), ChatGPT can lose access when the first token expires and users have to sign in again. If you change your OAuth metadata, recreate the plugin so ChatGPT reads it again.
Example: let ChatGPT schedule social media posts
Postbase runs a hosted MCP server for scheduling posts to X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastodon and YouTube.
- Connect your social accounts in Postbase.
- In ChatGPT, add a custom MCP server with the URL
https://mcp.postbase.so/mcpand choose OAuth. Sign in to Postbase when the window opens; there's no API key. - In a chat, @mention Postbase and ask: "Turn this blog post into an X thread and a LinkedIn post, and schedule both for Tuesday at 9am."
On Business or Enterprise/Edu, ChatGPT writes the posts, asks you to confirm, and schedules them; they appear on your Postbase calendar, where you can still edit or cancel them. On Pro, the read-only tools still work: "What's scheduled this week?" or "Which of last month's posts did best?" More on the Postbase app for ChatGPT.
Use your API key to automate Postbase — hook up an AI agent over MCP, script it from the CLI, or call the REST API directly.
API keys
A key authenticates the MCP server, the REST API, and the CLI. Shown once — store it safely.
pb_live_…9c1eMCP client configuration
Connect the Postbase MCP server to your AI tool so it can schedule and publish for you.
Authentication
No key to manage — your tool signs in through Postbase.
Client
In ChatGPT on the web, open Plugins, choose Add custom MCP server, paste this URL and choose OAuth. You'll sign in to Postbase in a browser window — no API key.
https://mcp.postbase.so/mcpCopyConnected apps
Tools you've signed in to Postbase from. Revoking cuts off their access immediately.
Why can't I add a custom MCP server in ChatGPT?
There's no "Add custom MCP server" option. Your plan or workspace doesn't allow it. On Business, only admins and owners can add servers; on Enterprise/Edu, an admin has to grant you permission (the workspace permission is called "Create plugins with MCPs").
The server's write tools don't work. You're on Pro, which allows read and fetch only, or your workspace admin has turned those actions off.
You're on the phone app. Custom MCP servers can only be connected on ChatGPT on the web.
The connection fails. Check the URL is the server's public HTTPS MCP endpoint (often ending in /mcp), that it isn't a local address, and that OAuth sign-in completes.
New tools don't show up. Workspace connections use a frozen snapshot. An admin needs to refresh the tool list and republish.
ChatGPT keeps asking you to sign in again. The server's OAuth isn't issuing refresh tokens. That's on the server's side.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT support MCP?
Yes. ChatGPT can connect to remote MCP servers from Plugins on the web. Full support, including write actions, is on Business and Enterprise/Edu; Pro can connect servers with read and fetch access.
Can ChatGPT Plus use MCP servers?
OpenAI's help article lists Business, Enterprise/Edu and Pro for custom MCP servers, not Plus. Check the article for changes, since OpenAI updates plan access often.
Do I need Developer Mode to add an MCP server to ChatGPT?
Not in the current Plugins experience. You add the server from Plugins and acknowledge a risk warning for it.
Can ChatGPT connect to a local MCP server?
Not directly. ChatGPT only connects to remote servers. Use OpenAI's Secure MCP Tunnel to connect a server on a private network or your own machine.
Can I add MCP servers in the ChatGPT mobile app?
No. Custom MCP servers can only be connected in ChatGPT on the web.
Can ChatGPT post to social media through MCP?
Yes, on Business or Enterprise/Edu, with an MCP server that schedules posts, such as Postbase. ChatGPT asks you to confirm before it schedules, and the posts land on your Postbase calendar.
Is it safe to connect an MCP server to ChatGPT?
Only connect servers you trust. MCP servers can expose ChatGPT to prompt injection from the data they return, and write actions change real data. Prefer servers with OAuth sign-in, clear tool lists and a way to revoke access.
Postbase