ChatGPT connectors default off for Enterprise

OpenAI’s latest ChatGPT admin documentation says connectors are not turned on by default for Enterprise and Edu workspaces. Owners have to switch them on before employees can use them. (help.openai.com) The company now calls connectors “apps,” a label that covers both interactive app experiences and tools that search or reference outside data inside ChatGPT. OpenAI says the rename took effect on December 17, 2025. (help.openai.com) In OpenAI’s admin controls guide, the default behavior is explicit: “All apps are disabled by default” for ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu. The same page says ChatGPT Business has “all apps enabled by default,” with owners able to limit them later. (help.openai.com) That matters because OpenAI has been expanding what those connections can do. Release notes published last week say company knowledge now supports custom Model Context Protocol, or MCP, connectors with search and fetch functions. (help.openai.com 1) (help.openai.com 2) Company knowledge is OpenAI’s feature for grounding answers in an organization’s own documents and connected systems. Its help page says the feature is available across Business, Enterprise, and Edu, but access depends on workspace settings and admin controls. (help.openai.com) OpenAI’s release notes add a second layer of control: custom MCP connectors appear in company knowledge only if they are enabled for the organization and enabled for allowed users. That means an information technology team can approve both the connector and the audience before rollout. (help.openai.com) The same admin guide says workspace owners can manage app access in Workspace settings and assign app-specific roles through role-based access control. OpenAI also says some connectors support “chat,” “deep research,” or “synced” modes, with different controls and data flows. (help.openai.com 1) (help.openai.com 2) Model access is gated separately. OpenAI’s Enterprise and Edu models page says workspace admins can enable additional legacy models for the whole workspace, and availability can vary by plan, task, and workspace settings. (help.openai.com) OpenAI has also widened the set of users who can connect internal tools to research workflows. ChatGPT release notes say Team, Enterprise, and Edu customers can use connectors in deep research, alongside Pro and Plus users in supported regions. (help.openai.com) The net effect is that OpenAI is shipping more ways for ChatGPT to reach company data while keeping the default switch off for its largest managed workspaces. In Enterprise and Edu, the first move belongs to the admin. (help.openai.com)