ChatGPT App Builder
Build ChatGPT apps with interactive widgets using mcp-use. Zero-config widget development with automatic registration and built-in React hooks.
The app is consumed by two users at once: the human and the ChatGPT LLM. They collaborate through the widget -- the human interacts with it, the LLM sees its state. The widget is your shared surface.
Before You Code
- Clarify what to build → discover.md: when starting a new app, validating an idea, or scoping features
- Design tools and widgets → architecture.md: when deciding what needs UI vs tools-only, designing UX flows
Setup
- Scaffold and run → setup.md: when creating a new project, starting dev server, connecting to ChatGPT/Claude
Implementation
- Server handlers + widget creation → server-and-widgets.md: when writing server.tool() with widgets, widget() helper, React widget files
- Widget state and LLM context → state-and-context.md: when persisting state, triggering LLM from widget, managing ephemeral vs persistent data
- Display modes, theme, layout → ui-guidelines.md: when adapting to inline/fullscreen/PiP, handling theme, device, locale
- Component API → components-api.md: when using McpUseProvider, Image, ErrorBoundary, useWidget
- CSP and metadata → csp-and-metadata.md: when configuring external domains, dual-protocol metadata
- Advanced patterns → widget-patterns.md: when building complex widgets with tool calls, state, theming
Quick Reference
// Server
import { MCPServer, widget, text, object } from "mcp-use/server";
server.tool({ name: "...", schema: z.object({...}), widget: { name: "widget-name" } },
async (input) => widget({ props: {...}, output: text("...") })
);
// Widget (resources/widget-name.tsx)
import { McpUseProvider, useWidget, type WidgetMetadata } from "mcp-use/react";
export const widgetMetadata: WidgetMetadata = { description: "...", props: z.object({...}) };
export default function MyWidget() {
const { props, isPending, callTool, sendFollowUpMessage, state, setState, theme } = useWidget();
if (isPending) return <McpUseProvider autoSize><div>Loading...</div></McpUseProvider>;
return <McpUseProvider autoSize><div>{/* UI */}</div></McpUseProvider>;
}
Source: Shubhamsaboo/awesome-llm-apps → generative_ui_agents/ai-mcp-app-builder/apps/mcp-use-server/.agent/skills/chatgpt-app-builder/SKILL.md
1---2name: chatgpt-app-builder3description: | DEPRECATED: This skill has been replaced by `mcp-app-builder`. Check if `mcp-app-builder` is available in the skills folder. If not, install it: `npx skills install mcp-use/mcp-use --skill mcp-app-builder` Use `mcp-app-builder` instead of this skill. Build ChatGPT apps with interactive widgets using mcp-use and OpenAI Apps SDK. Use when creating ChatGPT apps, building MCP servers with widgets, defining React widgets, working with Apps SDK, or when user mentions ChatGPT widgets, mcp-use widgets, or Apps SDK development.4---567# ChatGPT App Builder89Build ChatGPT apps with interactive widgets using mcp-use. Zero-config widget development with automatic registration and built-in React hooks.1011The app is consumed by **two users at once**: the **human** and the **ChatGPT LLM**. They collaborate through the widget -- the human interacts with it, the LLM sees its state. The widget is your shared surface.1213## Before You Code1415- **Clarify what to build** → [discover.md](references/discover.md): when starting a new app, validating an idea, or scoping features16- **Design tools and widgets** → [architecture.md](references/architecture.md): when deciding what needs UI vs tools-only, designing UX flows1718## Setup1920- **Scaffold and run** → [setup.md](references/setup.md): when creating a new project, starting dev server, connecting to ChatGPT/Claude2122## Implementation2324- **Server handlers + widget creation** → [server-and-widgets.md](references/server-and-widgets.md): when writing server.tool() with widgets, widget() helper, React widget files25- **Widget state and LLM context** → [state-and-context.md](references/state-and-context.md): when persisting state, triggering LLM from widget, managing ephemeral vs persistent data26- **Display modes, theme, layout** → [ui-guidelines.md](references/ui-guidelines.md): when adapting to inline/fullscreen/PiP, handling theme, device, locale27- **Component API** → [components-api.md](references/components-api.md): when using McpUseProvider, Image, ErrorBoundary, useWidget28- **CSP and metadata** → [csp-and-metadata.md](references/csp-and-metadata.md): when configuring external domains, dual-protocol metadata29- **Advanced patterns** → [widget-patterns.md](references/widget-patterns.md): when building complex widgets with tool calls, state, theming3031## Quick Reference3233```typescript34// Server35import { MCPServer, widget, text, object } from "mcp-use/server";36server.tool({ name: "...", schema: z.object({...}), widget: { name: "widget-name" } },37 async (input) => widget({ props: {...}, output: text("...") })38);3940// Widget (resources/widget-name.tsx)41import { McpUseProvider, useWidget, type WidgetMetadata } from "mcp-use/react";42export const widgetMetadata: WidgetMetadata = { description: "...", props: z.object({...}) };43export default function MyWidget() {44 const { props, isPending, callTool, sendFollowUpMessage, state, setState, theme } = useWidget();45 if (isPending) return <McpUseProvider autoSize><div>Loading...</div></McpUseProvider>;46 return <McpUseProvider autoSize><div>{/* UI */}</div></McpUseProvider>;47}48```4950---5152**Source:** [`Shubhamsaboo/awesome-llm-apps`](https://github.com/Shubhamsaboo/awesome-llm-apps) → `generative_ui_agents/ai-mcp-app-builder/apps/mcp-use-server/.agent/skills/chatgpt-app-builder/SKILL.md`