Introduction to ChatGPT Apps

Welcome to ChatGPT Apps 101! In this course, you'll learn to build production-ready ChatGPT Apps from scratch.

What Are ChatGPT Apps?

ChatGPT Apps are integrations that extend ChatGPT's capabilities through:

MCP Servers — Backend services that provide tools and data
Widgets — React components that render rich UI in the chat
Authentication — User-specific data and personalization

Think of them as plugins for ChatGPT, but with a modern, standardized architecture.

The Architecture

User asks a question
    ↓
ChatGPT decides which tool to call
    ↓
Your MCP server executes the tool
    ↓
Returns data + optional widget metadata
    ↓
ChatGPT renders response (text + widget)

What You'll Learn

Module	Topic	Example App
0	Introduction & SDK Overview	-
1	Real-World Example	Shopify Store App
2	State Management	FPL Fantasy Football
3	Authentication	Task Manager
4	Building with Claude Code	All Examples

The OpenAI Apps SDK

The Apps SDK provides:

useToolOutput() — Read data from your MCP tools
Pre-built components — Cards, tables, charts
Styling — Matches ChatGPT's design system

Prerequisites

Basic JavaScript/TypeScript knowledge
Familiarity with React (for widgets)
A ChatGPT Plus account (for testing)

Let's Get Started

Watch the video below for a complete introduction, then move on to Module 1 where we'll build a real Shopify integration.

Introduction to ChatGPT Apps & OpenAI Apps SDK

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