How to Add a Plugin Marketplace to ChatGPT

Add a local plugin marketplace to the ChatGPT desktop app, install your development plugin, and prepare a repeatable testing and release workflow.

A plugin marketplace gives your development packages a place to be discovered and installed. Use this guide to add a plugin marketplace to ChatGPT for local desktop testing, then manage your plugin releases with Telvine.

1. Prepare your plugin folder

Create a plugin using our ChatGPT plugin guide. For this example, put it at plugins/my-plugin in your project. Keep the manifest, Skills, and any reference assets in that folder so the package can be reviewed together.

2. Create the marketplace catalog

OpenAI's packaging documentation describes a repo marketplace at .agents/plugins/marketplace.json and a personal marketplace at ~/.agents/plugins/marketplace.json.

For the repo example, create .agents/plugins/marketplace.json with:

{
  "name": "my-team-plugins",
  "interface": {
    "displayName": "My Team Plugins"
  },
  "plugins": [
    {
      "name": "my-plugin",
      "source": {
        "source": "local",
        "path": "./plugins/my-plugin"
      },
      "policy": {
        "installation": "AVAILABLE",
        "authentication": "ON_INSTALL"
      },
      "category": "Productivity"
    }
  ]
}

The source path is relative to the marketplace root, not the directory containing the JSON file. In this repo example, it resolves to the project's plugins/my-plugin folder.

3. Install and test

Restart the ChatGPT desktop app, open the Plugins Directory, and select your marketplace. Install the plugin and test it in a fresh chat.

If it does not appear, check the JSON syntax, source path, and plugin manifest. Confirm that the folder contains the expected release. If a workflow runs but behaves incorrectly, review the Skill description and instructions before adding more components.

4. Keep the catalog useful

Give each plugin a clear name and one-sentence purpose. Keep unrelated workflows in separate products so users can choose the capability they need. Record the owner, tested version, dependencies, and intended users alongside each release.

Before expanding the catalog, have someone else install the first plugin and run the documented example. That catches missing references and assumptions that are easy to overlook on the builder's machine.

5. Publish the managed release with Telvine

npm i -g @telvine/cli
telvine login
telvine publish ./plugins/my-plugin

Use Telvine to maintain plugin versions and release evidence. A local marketplace is your installation and testing catalog; Telvine publication manages the plugin product record. Public listing in OpenAI's directory follows a separate review process.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need one marketplace per plugin? No. Add more entries to the catalog when you have more packages ready to test.

How should I test updates? Record the version, refresh the installed package as needed, and verify the behavior in a new chat. Keep a regression example for each bug you fix.