ChatGPT Agent Mode Guide 2026: Retired, Use ChatGPT Work

If you open ChatGPT today and look for agent mode, you will not find it. OpenAI retired ChatGPT agent in summer 2026 and moved its job to a new mode called ChatGPT Work.

This guide explains what agent mode did, what replaced it, which plans get it, and how to run the same kind of tasks today. It is up to date as of November 9, 2026.

TLDR

Agent mode is gone: OpenAI’s help page now says “ChatGPT agent is no longer available”.
The replacement: ChatGPT Work (launched July 9, 2026) for multi-step tasks, plus the cloud browser for website tasks.
Plans: Work is limited on Free and Go (desktop app only) and full on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu.
Limits: no more “40 messages a month”. Work uses a credit-style allowance, like Codex.
Safety: you still sign in yourself, and ChatGPT still asks before payments, bookings and submissions.

What Happened to ChatGPT Agent Mode

ChatGPT agent launched on July 17, 2025. It joined two older tools, Operator (a browser agent) and deep research, into one mode you picked from the composer.

A year later, OpenAI changed direction. The official ChatGPT agent help article now opens with a short notice: “ChatGPT agent is no longer available.” It sends users to ChatGPT Work for longer, multi-step tasks, and to the cloud browser for supported website tasks.

The timeline

July 17, 2025: ChatGPT agent launches for Pro, Plus and Team users.
July 9, 2026: OpenAI launches ChatGPT Work alongside the GPT-5.6 models.
July to August 2026: users on the OpenAI community forum report the agent option missing on web, Windows and iOS.
August 25, 2026: the Work cloud browser gets secure sign-in for websites, the last big agent feature to move over.
September 29, 2026: OpenAI adds dots, an always-on background agent, for Pro and Business Premium.

Note: OpenAI has not published an exact switch-off date for agent mode. The dates above come from OpenAI’s launch posts and user reports on the forum.

What Agent Mode Used to Do

It helps to know what the old tool did, so you can map each part to its new home. Agent mode ran on its own virtual computer and could:

Browse websites: click, scroll, fill forms and read pages in a remote browser.
Research: pull facts from many pages, like deep research.
Use connectors: read Gmail, Google Drive, GitHub and other linked apps.
Make files: build slides, spreadsheets and reports.
Hand control back: a “take over” option let you drive the browser yourself to type a password.

On the old plans, Plus users got 40 agent messages a month and Pro users got 400. The help page notes that these limits no longer apply.

ChatGPT Work: The Replacement

ChatGPT Work is not a plan. It is a mode, like Chat and Codex, that you switch to inside ChatGPT. OpenAI built it for tasks with a clear finished result, such as a deck, a spreadsheet, a brief or a recurring report.

Here is how the old agent features map to Work today:

Old agent mode feature	Where it lives now
Multi-step tasks with files	ChatGPT Work (Cloud or Local)
Virtual browser	Cloud browser in Work, or the built-in browser in the desktop app
Take over to sign in	Secure sign-in form in the cloud browser
Connectors	Plugins (the renamed app directory)
Scheduled agent runs	Scheduled tasks in Work
Long background jobs	dots (Pro and Business Premium)

What Work adds that agent mode did not have

Plan mode: Work can show a step-by-step plan that you approve before it starts.
Local mode on desktop: with your permission, Work can use files and apps on your own computer, plus Computer Use.
Sites (beta): Work can turn an output into a small interactive web app you share by link.
Auto-review: a separate model checks important actions on connected tools before they run.
Newer models: since October 26, 2026, GPT-6.1 Terra is available in Work and Codex on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. OpenAI says it is not available in Chat.

ChatGPT Work Plans and Usage Limits

OpenAI’s pricing page lists Work on every plan, but with very different access. The cloud browser is only on paid plans above Go.

Plan	Price (US)	ChatGPT Work	Cloud browser
Free	$0	Limited, desktop app only	No
Go	About $8/month	Limited, desktop app only	No
Plus	$20/month	Desktop, web and mobile	Yes
Pro 100 / 200 / 500	$100 / $200 / $500 a month	Desktop, web and mobile, longer sessions	Yes
Business, Enterprise, Edu	Per seat	Yes, admin controlled	Yes, if the admin allows it

How Work usage is counted

There is no fixed message count anymore. Work uses an allowance that works the same way as Codex: longer and more complex tasks use more of it. OpenAI has not published exact credit numbers for personal plans.

Pro boost: on October 29, 2026 OpenAI doubled the Work and Codex allowance on Pro 100, Pro 500 and Business Premium, with no price change.
Scheduled tasks: reported caps are 3 active tasks on Go, 5 on Plus and 15 on Pro.
Enterprise: admins can set monthly credit limits per user or group.

For full plan details, see my ChatGPT plans comparison. If you mostly want coding tasks, the Codex usage limits guide explains the shared allowance.

How to Start a ChatGPT Work Task (Step by Step)

These steps follow OpenAI’s “Get started with Work” guide. The labels can vary a little by app and rollout.

Switch to Work. Open ChatGPT on the web, mobile or desktop app and pick Work instead of Chat.
Pick Cloud or Local. In the desktop app, choose Cloud in the composer for tasks that do not need your computer. Choose Local when the task needs your files or apps.
Add plugins if needed. Go to Customize then Plugins in the left menu and install the apps you need, such as Google Drive or Slack.
Write a clear prompt. Say the outcome, the sources to use, any limits, what “good” looks like, and when it should stop for your review.
Approve the plan. If Work shows a plan, check the steps and approve or edit them.
Watch and steer. Follow progress, answer questions, change direction and approve important actions as they come up.
Review the result. Open the finished file, such as a deck or sheet, then edit it or ask for changes.
Make it recurring (optional). Turn a good task into a scheduled task that runs again later.

Tip: Ask Work to “stop and show me a draft before you finish”. That one line saves credits, because you can fix the direction before it spends time on the full job.

Plugins: The New Connectors

Agent mode used “connectors” to reach your apps. In Work, the same idea is called plugins. OpenAI renamed the app directory, and launch coverage counted more than 1,400 plugins.

Install: Customize, then Plugins, then pick the app and sign in.
Point at one app: type @ and the plugin name in your prompt, for example @Google Drive.
Common picks: Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, Salesforce and Zoom.

A plugin acts with the permissions of the account you connect. In company workspaces, OpenAI warns that a shared account may have wider access than the person asking, so check what you link.

Cloud Browser, Sign-In and Takeover

The cloud browser is the closest thing to the old agent’s virtual browser. It runs on a remote machine, so it keeps working even after you close the chat or turn off your device.

How sign-in works now

Since August 25, 2026, the cloud browser can open sites that need a login. When it reaches a login page, it pauses and shows a secure form.

You type the details: username, password and any two-factor code go into that form, not the chat.
The model never sees them: OpenAI says credentials go straight to the remote browser and are not stored or used for training.
Phishing check: a separate review model checks the site before the form appears.
Password managers: supported in the sign-in form.
Sessions can stay active: later tasks may not need a new login until the session expires.

What about “take over”?

The old agent had a take over button to drive the browser yourself. In Work, the secure sign-in form covers the main reason people used it. The browser also pauses when it needs missing details or a confirmation, and you may need to finish a final step yourself.

The cloud browser has its own cookies and logins. It cannot see your real browser tabs, history or saved passwords.

The desktop built-in browser

The ChatGPT desktop app also has a built-in browser with its own profile. You open it with New tab or Ctrl+T (Cmd+T on Mac). One limit to know: ChatGPT cannot automate file uploads in this built-in browser.

Safety Confirmations and Permissions

Agent mode was known for asking before risky steps. Work keeps that habit, and adds settings you can tune.

Cloud browser site permissions

Go to Settings > Cloud browser to pick how ChatGPT treats new websites:

Always ask (default): ChatGPT asks before each new site.
Auto approve: ChatGPT checks the address and only stops if something looks unsafe.
Always allow: any site is allowed. OpenAI does not recommend this.

Actions that always need your OK

Allowing a site is not the same as allowing every action on it. ChatGPT still asks before:

Money: purchases and payments.
Bookings: reservations and orders.
Submissions: sending forms or information.
Account changes: changing permissions or deleting data.

Warning: OpenAI says its tests for prompt injection and phishing “do not eliminate every risk”. Keep Always ask on for signed-in work, and never leave a banking or work account signed in to the cloud browser longer than needed.

How to sign out and clear data

There is no sign-out button inside the cloud browser. Go to Settings > Cloud browser > Browser data and clear data for one site or all sites. The next task will ask you to sign in again.

Example Tasks You Can Copy

These prompts follow OpenAI’s advice: say the outcome, the sources, the limits and when to stop.

Weekly report: “Using @Google Drive, read this week’s sales sheet and build a 6-slide summary deck. Show me the outline before you design it.”
Price watch: “Every Monday at 9 am, check these three product pages and send me a table of prices. Do not buy anything.”
Travel research: “Find 5 hotels in Lisbon under 150 euros a night near Alfama for 12 to 15 March. Put them in a sheet with links. Stop before any booking.”
Inbox triage: “Using @Gmail, list unread emails from clients this week and draft short replies. Do not send them.”
Research brief: “Compare three CRM tools for a 10-person team in a one-page brief with a pricing table and sources.”

For pure research with no actions, deep research is often cheaper. For a goal that should run for days in the background, look at ChatGPT dots.

Troubleshooting: Common Problems and Fixes

“I can’t find agent mode”: it was retired. Switch to Work instead. Old agent chats may still be in your history.
No Work tab: Work rolled out in stages. Update the app, sign out and in, and check your plan. On Free and Go it is only in the desktop app.
No cloud browser: it needs Plus or higher in a supported region. In a company workspace, your admin must allow it.
Task stops at a login: look for the secure sign-in form and enter details there, not in the chat.
Site blocks the browser: some sites block automated traffic or show CAPTCHAs. Do the step yourself; OpenAI advises against trying to get around blocks.
Usage ran out fast: long and scheduled tasks use more allowance. Ask for a draft first and lower the number of steps.
Work is slow or erroring: check the general fixes in my ChatGPT not working guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ChatGPT agent mode still available?

No. OpenAI’s help article says ChatGPT agent is no longer available and points users to ChatGPT Work and the cloud browser.

What replaced ChatGPT agent?

ChatGPT Work, launched on July 9, 2026, handles multi-step tasks and finished files. The cloud browser inside Work handles website tasks, including signed-in sites.

Is ChatGPT Work free?

Free and Go users get limited Work in the desktop app only. Full Work on web and mobile, plus the cloud browser, starts with Plus at $20 a month.

How many Work tasks can I run per month?

OpenAI no longer uses a fixed message count. Work draws from a credit-style allowance like Codex, so longer tasks use more of it.

Can ChatGPT Work see my passwords?

No. You type logins into a secure form, and OpenAI says the model does not see, store or train on those details.

Will ChatGPT buy things without asking me?

No. Purchases, bookings, submissions and account changes each need your explicit confirmation, even on sites you have allowed.

Do my old agent mode chats still exist?

The help page says agent chats, browsing history and screenshots stayed until you deleted them. You can delete old chats and clear remote browser data in your data settings.

ChatGPT Agent Mode Guide (November 2026): Why It Was Retired and How to Use ChatGPT Work Instead