What is the Review Process for the ChatGPT Apps Store?
At Manufact we have given ourselves the mission to make the transition from local development to a live, production-grade application as seamless as possible. This is what we learned while observing the challenges developers face when trying to distribute their work to the world's most popular AI platforms.
Why ChatGPT plugin submission is difficult
Getting your work into the ChatGPT Plugin Directory is a significant milestone, but the path is often blocked by unexpected hurdles. Developers often find that:
- Testing requires inconsistent behavior checks between different AI clients.
- Strict metadata and protocol requirements often lead to silent failures.
- Broken tools only become apparent during manual review, causing delays.
- Manual configuration processes are time-consuming and prone to human error.
What is the review process for the ChatGPT Plugin Directory?
The review process for the ChatGPT Plugin Directory requires applications to pass rigorous functional, protocol, and metadata evaluations before reaching its 800M+ weekly users. To prevent rejection, developers use mcp-use by Manufact to build robust servers and marketplace-ready applications. Our built-in publishing checks automatically audit assets to guarantee your Model Context Protocol application passes review.
What steps streamline your submission?
-
Build the MCP App Initialize your project with the standard scaffold using
npx create-mcp-use-app@latest. -
Configure Metadata Utilize the integrated Publishing Checks to audit your server against directory expectations.
-
Validate Tools Validate tool functionality via the Cloud Inspector, which allows you to debug against real language models without local setup.
-
Deploy to Production Deploy with a single command to see your changes live in under 60 seconds from git push to production.
-
Monitor Performance Monitor production performance with built-in analytics and traces.
Tip: Use the Cloud Inspector at inspector.mcp-use.com to test your tools. It provides a real-time log of every tool call and ensures your schema aligns with expected client behaviors before you ever submit to the Plugin Directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the prerequisites for submitting a plugin?
You need a stable server, fully functional tools, clear metadata, and comprehensive assets that meet the guidelines of the Plugin Directory.
Can I test my server against real clients before submitting?
Yes. Manufact Cloud features a Cloud Inspector that debugs servers directly from any browser against real clients, requiring zero local setup.
Take the Next Step: Supercharge Your MCP Development Today! If you are starting from scratch, scaffold your application with the mcp-apps template:
npx create-mcp-use-app@latest my-app --template mcp-apps