How to Set Up an OpenAI dots Plugin for Social Media Posting

Getting an OpenAI dots plugin for social media posting to work takes one MCP URL, one sign-in and one test message. OpenAI launched dots at DevDay on 29 September 2026, AdaptlyPost is not in the ChatGPT plugin directory, and the route in is a custom MCP server added in developer mode. Two things decide whether that route posts anything: the ChatGPT plan you are on, and whether your dot picks up a developer-mode plugin at all, which OpenAI has not documented.

The short version: turn on developer mode, add https://mcp.adaptlypost.com/mcp at chatgpt.com/plugins, sign in to AdaptlyPost when asked, and have your dot list your connected accounts without changing anything. On a Business or Enterprise workspace, set Custom Rules to "Ask before taking action" and let it draft. On ChatGPT Pro, plan for read-only.

What is an OpenAI dots plugin?

An OpenAI dots plugin is a ChatGPT plugin, meaning an MCP server plus skills, that your dot calls while it works on its own cloud computer. OpenAI's user docs say a dot "can use supported plugins installed and enabled for your account", and its plugin docs describe one directory shared by ChatGPT and Codex.

AdaptlyPost is not in that directory as of 29 September 2026. You add its hosted MCP server yourself, which ChatGPT supports in developer mode. The catch is the word "supported". The dots docs never say whether a developer-mode plugin qualifies, so the first job after setup is proving it with a call that changes nothing.

Can a dot on ChatGPT Pro publish posts?

A dot on ChatGPT Pro reads AdaptlyPost data through a custom MCP server, and OpenAI's August 2026 help article says Pro stops there. The article states that "Full MCP is only available to Business and Enterprise/Edu" and that "Pro users can connect MCPs with read/fetch permissions in developer mode." It predates dots and uses the older "apps" wording, so your own test settles it.

Scheduling a post is a write. So is saving a draft, because AdaptlyPost's create_post tool creates a post record even with saveAsDraft: true. OpenAI has not published how ChatGPT sorts an MCP tool into read or write, so expect drafts to be blocked on Pro until your account shows otherwise.

The same article carries one more line: "Agent mode will not use custom apps." OpenAI has not said whether dots follow the agent-mode rule, which is one more reason the read-only test comes before anything else.

How do I add AdaptlyPost as a custom plugin in ChatGPT?

Adding AdaptlyPost takes four steps in ChatGPT on the desktop app or a desktop browser. OpenAI says you cannot create a dot on mobile, and dots do not run on mobile web.

Connect your social accounts in AdaptlyPost first, because the plugin sees only those. AdaptlyPost's server answers a request that carries no credentials with a 401 and a WWW-Authenticate header, which is the signal an OAuth client uses to open the sign-in page. If ChatGPT never shows that page, stop there and do not paste a token instead.

Why sign in with OAuth instead of pasting an API token?

OAuth keeps your AdaptlyPost credential out of the dot's conversation, and OpenAI's own safety post says a pasted secret is not protected there. OpenAI writes that "a secret placed separately in a readable message or document may still be visible to the model", and its safety FAQ says password protections "don't cover passwords you share separately in a chat or document, or through a plugin."

AdaptlyPost API tokens start with adaptly_ and belong in a Bearer header, which is how Claude Code, Cursor and servers use them. A dot chat is not a header field. OpenAI has not documented a dot calling a REST API with a key from its cloud computer either, so as of 29 September 2026 the token route has no documented place in dots.

The sign-in also sets a ceiling on what the dot can do. AdaptlyPost's MCP server acts under the role of whoever signed in, and a Contributor "creates and edits own drafts; cannot schedule or publish." Invite a second login as a Contributor, sign the plugin in with it, and AdaptlyPost refuses to publish whatever the dot decides. AdaptlyPost's Pro plan has 5 seats and Enterprise 20, so this needs one of those two.

How do I test the plugin before my dot posts anything?

Test the plugin with one message that calls only read tools and tells the dot to change nothing. A reply listing your workspace and connected accounts proves the plugin, the sign-in and the dot's access all work together. A reply saying it has no AdaptlyPost tools answers the undocumented question for your account.

Use the AdaptlyPost plugin. This is a read-only test.
 
1. List my AdaptlyPost workspaces and say which one is current.
2. List my connected social accounts with platform, username and status.
3. List my 5 most recent scheduled posts.
 
Do not create, schedule, publish, edit or delete anything. Name each
AdaptlyPost tool you called. If you cannot see AdaptlyPost tools, say so
and stop.

Run a second test once the first passes. Ask for one draft to one account with saveAsDraft: true and have the dot return the post ID. On a Business workspace the draft appears in AdaptlyPost. On ChatGPT Pro a refusal confirms the read-only limit on your account.

Which Custom Rules setting should a posting dot use?

A posting dot should run AdaptlyPost on "Ask before taking action" until you have approved a few weeks of its drafts. As of 29 September 2026 Custom Rules offer four settings: take action without asking, take action when you say so or if pre-approved, ask before taking action, and hand off to you. A separate auto-review checks each planned action "against your instructions, Custom Rules, and safety requirements."

OpenAI says dots "are taught to seek authorization" before they send a message or share a file, and that "asking your dot to draft replies doesn't give it permission to send them." OpenAI does not say whether a social post published through a plugin counts as sending a message, so set the rule yourself. OpenAI's launch example is a dot that "drafts social posts for your approval". Copy it: the dot calls create_post with saveAsDraft: true, you review, and publish_draft sends it. Activity View shows current and delegated tasks, and OpenAI says monitoring can pause or stop the dot's work.

How do recurring tasks and event triggers work for posting?

A dot runs recurring work as saved schedules, and it starts on an event only "when a connected service supports event monitoring." OpenAI announced "MCP events for plugin automations" at DevDay, and as of 29 September 2026 neither OpenAI nor AdaptlyPost documents a dot subscribing to AdaptlyPost events. AdaptlyPost's REST API sends webhooks such as post.failed and account.unauthorized to an endpoint you run, which is a separate thing.

Pick the scheduler by what changes each time.

The third row is where a Pro dot earns its keep. It reads the queue at 8am, reports what failed overnight, and you fix it in AdaptlyPost.

What does a dot cost, and who can use one?

OpenAI includes your first dot in ChatGPT Pro or Business Premium at no extra cost, and Pro costs $100, $200 or $500 a month. OpenAI's dots pages quote no Business Premium price. Each user gets one dot at launch, users must be over 18, and OpenAI says access "may take several days to reach your account." Conversations with a dot don't count toward ChatGPT usage limits, while tasks it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work do.

On the AdaptlyPost side, Creator is $19 a month, Pro $39 and Enterprise $89. Every plan includes API access, which the MCP server needs, and a 7-day free trial.

Which platform guide should I read next?

Each network adds one field or rule on top of this setup, so read the guide for the network you post to most.

• X: the field is twitterConnectionIds, and a thread is a set of timed posts.
• Instagram: postType picks Feed, Reel or Story.
• Facebook: pages go in pageIds, not a connection ID array.
• LinkedIn: a DOCUMENT post carries one PDF, slide deck or Word file and is LinkedIn only.
• TikTok: privacyLevel is required, and recurrence is off.

One create_post call reaches any mix of the ten networks, which is multi-platform posting from one sentence. Meta's agent builds a custom connector from the OpenAPI spec instead, covered in the Meta Muse connector guide, and the Grok bot template installs from a share link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AdaptlyPost in the ChatGPT plugin directory?

AdaptlyPost is not listed in the ChatGPT plugin directory as of 29 September 2026. You add its hosted MCP server, https://mcp.adaptlypost.com/mcp, as a custom plugin in developer mode.

Does OpenAI confirm that dots use custom MCP plugins?

OpenAI does not confirm it. The dots docs say a dot uses "supported plugins installed and enabled for your account", and no OpenAI page says whether a developer-mode plugin qualifies. The read-only test above answers it for your account in one message.

Can I run a posting dot in the EU or the UK?

A ChatGPT Pro dot is not available in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK. Business Premium covers all supported ChatGPT regions, and Business workspaces get full MCP under OpenAI's August help article. That makes Business Premium the plan that both reaches Europe and publishes.

Will my dot publish without asking me?

A dot set to "Ask before taking action" for AdaptlyPost asks before it acts there. OpenAI trains dots to seek authorization before sending a message, but does not say whether a social post counts. Drafting with saveAsDraft: true adds a second checkpoint inside AdaptlyPost.

What happens when one network rejects a post?

AdaptlyPost records a result per platform, so list_post_results names the network that failed and its error message. retry_failed_platforms re-sends only the failures and leaves published platforms alone. Retrying is a write, so on ChatGPT Pro you retry in AdaptlyPost yourself.

How do I cut my dot off from AdaptlyPost?

Remove the plugin in ChatGPT or sign out, and the signed-in session loses access, per AdaptlyPost's setup docs. Tokens you created elsewhere are revoked at adaptlypost.com/api-tokens, which disconnects anything using them at once. OpenAI says deleting the dot is the only way to clear the memories it formed from connected apps.

Can I use a dot with AdaptlyPost from my phone?

OpenAI says you cannot create a dot on mobile, and dots do not run on mobile web. Add the AdaptlyPost plugin in ChatGPT on the desktop app or a desktop browser. Do the whole setup there.

Do I need an API token to connect AdaptlyPost to a dot?

Connecting takes an OAuth sign-in, not a token. AdaptlyPost API tokens start with adaptly_ and belong in a Bearer header, and OpenAI has not documented a dot using one. If ChatGPT never shows the sign-in page, stop instead of pasting a token into the chat.

How much does a posting dot cost?

OpenAI includes your first dot in ChatGPT Pro ($100, $200 or $500 a month) or Business Premium at no extra cost, and quotes no Business Premium price. AdaptlyPost is Creator at $19 a month, Pro at $39 or Enterprise at $89, all with API access and a 7-day free trial.

How do I stop a dot from publishing at all?

Sign the plugin in with a login invited as a Contributor. A Contributor "creates and edits own drafts; cannot schedule or publish", so AdaptlyPost refuses to publish whatever the dot decides. This needs the Pro plan with 5 seats or Enterprise with 20.

Start a 7-day AdaptlyPost trial, connect your accounts, and add the MCP URL in developer mode. The agent setup docs list every tool the plugin exposes, and the MCP server comparison covers other agents.

Sources: OpenAI's dots launch post, dots safety post, getting started help, safety FAQ, dots user docs, plugins docs, connecting a plugin to ChatGPT, the MCP help article (updated August 2026), AdaptlyPost's agent setup docs and the AdaptlyPost OpenAPI spec. Checked 29 September 2026.