On September 29, 2026, OpenAI launched Dots at its DevDay event. OpenAI describes them as always-on agents that can take on anything. A Dot is an AI agent that keeps working on a goal you give it, in the background, while you do something else.
That is a big change from a chat. In a chat you ask, the AI answers, and nothing happens until you ask again. A Dot takes the job and keeps going.
Here is what Dots are, who can use them today, and what they could mean for the marketing of a small business. Every fact below comes from OpenAI's announcement and the news coverage of it, linked at the end, checked on September 30, 2026.
What a Dot is
According to OpenAI and the coverage of the launch:
- It works in the background. A Dot pursues a goal you set and keeps at it around the clock, with little oversight.
- It has its own computer. Each Dot runs on its own cloud computer, and you can watch that computer while it works.
- It connects to apps. Dots can reach more than 4,000 apps through the plugins in OpenAI's ecosystem.
- It learns from feedback. You correct it, and it does better next time.
- It asks when you want it to. You can set rules for when a Dot may act on its own and when it needs your approval.
- You can reach it where you work. You message a Dot from ChatGPT, Slack or Microsoft Teams, and text messages are coming.
Dots run on GPT-6 Astra, OpenAI's newest model.
Who can use Dots today
Dots opened on September 29 for ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium users in eligible markets. The first Dot comes at no extra cost, and OpenAI says the first month of use does not count toward your plan's limits. Enterprise workspaces can try Dots when an admin turns them on.
Two things to know before you plan around them:
- Not every country has them yet. ChatGPT Pro does not include Dots in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK at launch.
- The price may move. Bloomberg reports a new ChatGPT tier at $500 a month, and OpenAI says more Dots and more work per Dot can be added later. The terms after the first month have not been announced.
Dots also arrive three weeks after Meta launched Muse, its own personal agent, and a few months after Google showed Gemini Spark. Agents that work for you are becoming the next thing every big AI company sells.
What a small business could hand a Dot
Think of the work you do every week that follows the same steps. That is what an agent is good at. For marketing, that could be:
- Planning the week of posts. "Every Friday, look at how this week's posts did and plan next week, three posts in our voice."
- Answering the same questions. "When someone asks about prices or opening hours in a DM, answer, and pass anything else to me."
- The newsletter. "Once a month, turn our best posts into an email for our list and show it to me."
- A page for each offer. "When we run a promotion, make a landing page for it with a signup form."
An agent can only do this if it can reach the tools where the work happens. That is where connections come in.
The part that decides if it works: connections
An agent is only as useful as the apps it can reach. Dots reach apps through plugins in OpenAI's ecosystem, and those plugins are built on MCP, the open standard that lets AI apps use tools. A tool with an MCP server can be connected to ChatGPT today.
Postfjord has one. Connect it to ChatGPT, and ChatGPT can read your calendar and your numbers, write posts and emails, build landing pages and set up DM automations, all in your brand voice. See how it works.
To be clear about where we stand: we have not tested Postfjord with Dots yet, because Dots are not open where we are. Since Dots use the same plugins as ChatGPT, we expect the connection to carry over. We will update this post as soon as it is confirmed.
How to get ready for an agent
You do not need a Dot to start. What makes an agent useful is the same thing that makes a new employee useful: clear instructions and access to the right places.
- Write down your voice. Three sentences on how you sound, and three posts you are proud of. An agent copies what it is shown.
- Put your work in one place. Posts, emails, DMs and your link in bio page in one workspace, so an agent needs one connection instead of five.
- Decide what needs your yes. Posting, sending an email and switching on an automation are good places to ask first. In Postfjord a connection has a level: read only, drafts only, or schedule and publish, and new automations always start paused.
- Start in a chat. Connect Postfjord to ChatGPT or Claude and give it one job this week, like planning next week's posts. You will learn what to ask for before you hand anything to an agent.
FAQ
What is OpenAI Dots?
Dots are AI agents from OpenAI, launched on September 29, 2026. They work on a goal in the background around the clock, each on its own cloud computer, and connect to more than 4,000 apps through OpenAI's plugins.
How much does a Dot cost?
The first Dot is included for ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium users at no extra cost, and the first month of use does not count toward plan limits. OpenAI has not announced the terms after that.
Can I use Dots in Europe?
Not with ChatGPT Pro at launch: Pro does not include Dots in the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the UK.
Can a Dot post to Instagram for me?
Only through an app it can connect to. Dots reach apps through OpenAI's plugins. Postfjord works as a plugin in ChatGPT today, and we will confirm here when it is tested with Dots.
Will a Dot post without asking me?
You decide. OpenAI says you can set rules for when a Dot acts on its own and when it needs your approval. In Postfjord you also choose what a connection may do, and new DM automations start paused.
Sources
- OpenAI, Introducing dots, September 29, 2026
- TechCrunch, OpenAI launches Dots, its bubbly agentic avatar, September 29, 2026
- 9to5Google, OpenAI launches Dots, new always-on agents you can assign tasks to, September 29, 2026
- PYMNTS, OpenAI launches Dots to capture AI agent market, September 2026
- Bloomberg, OpenAI unveils always-on AI agent Dots, new $500 paid tier, September 29, 2026