Do ChatGPT Directory listings use screenshots or example prompts?

Definition: OpenAI's plugin guidelines say that screenshots are no longer shown in the ChatGPT Directory and instruct developers to provide example prompts that help users start with a plugin. The submission documentation still describes screenshot files and a screenshots manifest field, so listing presentation and package fields should be treated as separate questions.

Key facts

• OpenAI says its plugin guidelines cover every plugin listed in the ChatGPT Directory, including MCP and skills-only plugins, in the plugin guidelines.
• Under “Plugin name, description, and prompts,” the same guidelines say, “Screenshots are no longer shown in the Directory, instead provide example Prompts that help users get started with your plugin.”
• Names and descriptions must be “clear, accurate, and straightforward,” and the guidelines prohibit unverifiable claims in descriptions.
• OpenAI's submission page shows defaultPrompt as a presentation field with three example strings in its complete manifest example: “Find my notes about the launch,” “Summarize the decisions in my launch notes,” and “Open the project kickoff notes” (Upload and submit your plugin).
• The package guide still lists composerIcon, logo, and screenshots as visual assets that can be stored under ./assets/ (Plugin package guide).

What should a Directory listing provide?

The Directory presentation requirement is example prompts. OpenAI's plugin guidelines place this instruction in the section covering the plugin name, description, and prompts, immediately after the statement about screenshots. The same section requires names and descriptions to explain the plugin clearly and accurately. It also says that subtitles and descriptions must avoid comparisons with other products, disparaging alternatives, and unverifiable claims.

The practical listing content is therefore a clear name, a factual subtitle or description, and prompts that show the kinds of requests the plugin handles. The guidelines also say that a plugin must serve a clear purpose and reliably do what it promises.

Where do example prompts appear in the package?

OpenAI's submission documentation places example prompts in the defaultPrompt array inside the com.openai interface. Its complete example uses this shape:

"defaultPrompt": [
  "Find my notes about the launch.",
  "Summarize the decisions in my launch notes.",
  "Open the project kickoff notes."
],

The same page says that its examples describe an illustrative notes plugin and that the example cases have not been run against a real service. Replace the sample wording with prompts that describe the actual plugin behavior before submitting a package.

These listing prompts are separate from review test cases. The submission page asks for five positive test cases containing a scenario, user prompt, expected tools, and expected result. It also asks for three negative test cases covering a request where the plugin should not act and the expected refusal, clarification, or safe fallback.

What role do screenshots have now?

The plugin package guide continues to document screenshots alongside composerIcon and logo, and says to store visual assets such as these under ./assets/ when possible. The submission page likewise tells developers to include the four icon files and screenshot under assets/ in its complete metadata example.

Those package instructions describe files and manifest fields. The Directory display instruction is on the separate guidelines page and says screenshots are no longer shown there. OpenAI's documentation reviewed here does not state that the screenshots field has been removed from the package format.

Related terms

• ChatGPT search
• Answer engine
• ChatGPT shopping

FAQ

Should a Directory submission include example prompts?

Yes. OpenAI's plugin guidelines instruct developers to provide example prompts that help users get started with the plugin.

Will a screenshot appear in the Directory listing?

The guidelines say screenshots are no longer shown in the Directory. The submission and package documentation still show screenshot assets and a screenshots field in package examples.

Are listing prompts the same as review test cases?

No. The submission documentation describes defaultPrompt as part of the interface example and separately asks for positive and negative review test cases.

Sources

1. OpenAI Developers, "Plugin guidelines", undated
2. OpenAI Developers, "Upload and submit your plugin", undated
3. OpenAI Developers, "Plugin package guide", undated

---

Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer