Learn how to build a GPT action that intelligently calls your API

# [Actions in GPTs](https://platform.openai.com/docs/actions/introduction/actions-in-gpts)

## [Introduction](https://platform.openai.com/docs/actions/introduction/introduction)

Learn how to build a GPT action that intelligently calls your API.

[What is a GPT?](https://platform.openai.com/docs/actions/introduction/what-is-a-gpt)

[GPTs](https://openai.com/blog/introducing-gpts) provide the ability to deeply customize ChatGPT for specific use cases along with custom capabilities. You can create a GPT that:

- Has custom instructions which determine the way the GPT interacts with users
- Includes tools like browsing, DALL·E, and Code Interpreter
- Comes with preset starter prompts for new and returning users
- Has custom actions which allow you to connect the GPT to APIs

And more! If you want to explore what is possible, check out the deep dive on GPTs from OpenAI Developer Day 2023:

<iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/pq34V_V5j18?si=q4ZPUe-dS8Ii8YX0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(53, 55, 64); font-family: Söhne, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"></iframe>

[What is an action in a GPT?](https://platform.openai.com/docs/actions/introduction/what-is-an-action-in-a-gpt)

In addition to using our built-in capabilities (browsing, DALL·E, and Code Interpreter), you can also define custom actions by making one or more APIs available to the GPT. Actions allow GPTs to integrate external data or interact with the real-world, such as connecting GPTs to databases, plugging them into your emails, or making them your shopping assistant, all through APIs.

The design of actions builds upon insights from our plugins beta, granting developers greater control over the model and how their APIs are called. Actions are defined using the [OpenAPI specification](https://swagger.io/specification/), which is a standard for describing APIs.