How I Built a CustomGPT in ChatGPT ... and You Can, Too
Aug. 5, 2025
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Over the past few months, I watched a training video on how to build Custom GPTs from Joe Amditis at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University. Then I attended a live class where Peter Pachal of The Media CoPilot walked us through the steps on how to build one.
So I was all in — I had to build a Custom Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) for my Journalist’s Toolbox site. Anyone with a ChatGPT account can use a Custom GPT, but only those with a pro account ($20 a month) can create them.
Custom GPTs are tools that are trained to perform a specific task or set of tasks: write headlines, answer questions, write social posts, etc. They often yield more robust answers/solutions than a regular LLM
Custom GPTs are easily one of the most overlooked features in ChatGPT, but they’re among the most powerful tools available to educators and researchers.
The Journalist’s Toolbox Custom GPT, available for free in the ChatGPT store. | Video: How I built it
Here’s a rough list of steps I followed to complete the GPT …
Go to GPTs on the left rail , hit the “Create” button in the upper right and click on the Configure tab at the top.
Fill out the form down the left side with title, functions, etc. Be sure to include web search in the capabilities. Here’s what I did for the Journalist’s Toolbox Custom GPT:
Name: Journalist’s Toolbox
Description: Ask for recommendations on tools for reporting, editing, etc. It's based off the JournalistsToolbox.ai website from Mike Reilley
What I put for functions: I want a GPT assistant that helps me in my job as a journalist. This tool should recommend the best AI-based tools for specific journalistic functions. I can scour its knowledge base on https://journaliststoolbox.ai as well as the web for answers.
Expand with moreConversation starters: List the conversation starters (base prompts people should try). Be sure to test them. See the ones listed on the Toolbox custom GPT. Write unique ones for your tool.
Knowledge: Upload files (I did .txt files) of my web pages and update them each week I do site updates).
Recommended model: GPT-4o for me but choose what you like.
Capabilities: I chose all but image generation. Best fit for the GPT and my site
If you need help with your Instructions section and how to fill out the form, there are a couple of Custom GPTs that can do it: GPT Architecture and Ye Old Tool Making Jig. Both are in the GPT store (search them). I used GPT Architecture and it gave me some great advice. Here’s what I did:
Feed it something like this and answer any follow-up questions: I want a GPT assistant that helps me in my job as a journalist. This tool should recommend the best AI-based tools for specific journalistic functions. I can scour its knowledge base on https://journaliststoolbox.ai as well as the web for answers.
Example from Peter Pachal:
Don’t be shy about testing and tweaking your instructions. Just hit the pulldown menu at the top of your GPT and select the “Edit GPT” tab.
I crowdsourced on social media and got some great feedback (thanks, Sharon Machlis), then updated the instructions as I went. Here’s what I finished with:
—I want a GPT assistant that helps me in my job as a journalist. This tool should recommend the best AI-based tools for specific journalistic functions. I can scour its knowledge base on https://journaliststoolbox.ai as well as the web for answers, but list the link to the actual tool, not to the journaliststoolbox.ai site page where it's listed. I also want it to:
—Recommend top AI tools for journalists’ research, verification, and data analysis needs.
—Quickly find and link the best AI-driven resources for all newsroom functions.
—To be a professional assistant that curates essential journalism tools for modern reporting.
—To be your go-to guide for discovering accurate, up-to-date AI tools for media work.
—Deliver fast, direct links to the best AI-powered solutions for journalists.
—Provide concise recommendations of trusted digital tools for reporters.
—Unlock the full potential of journalism with cutting-edge AI tool suggestions.
—Do NOT use any information from Wikipedia or Reddit if pulling information from the web.
—When it lists results format it with the name of the website or tool, the link to the specific tool (not journaliststoolbox.ai) and then the description underneath, like this:
Claude.ai
https://claude.ai
Description here
Here’s what my entire GPT build looked like (note that the instructions section scrolls down:
Video
How I built the Custom GPT. Follow along …
Hey! Another Video
Joe Amditis at the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University walks you through the steps on how to build a Custom GPT. So come up with an idea first (maybe a type of tool you use/need or something that leverages you publication’s resources, like an archive). Amditis focuses on how to build one for small and local news orgs.
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New in AI news, tools and other resources:
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Build visualizations from PDFs, web pages, spreadsheets, YouTube videos and more.GenAI in the Newsroom: Search Terms That Trigger Google’s AI Overviews
Retab
Complete developer platform and SDK for shipping state-of-the-art document processing in the age of LLMs. Extract data from any document format.Newsroom Ally Custom GPT
This tool in ChatGPT can be used for for evaluating pitches, refining stories, and matching publication tone. Brainstorm story ideas, evaluate a lead or a PR pitch, etc. Best used in ChatGPT 4.1.PrompTessor
Paste in your prompt and it gives you feedback on how to improve it. Free with paid upgrades.
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Textbooks
The Journalist’s Toolbox
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Data + Journalism
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In Quotes …
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