Feature: Support Resource Templates (for things such as SSR)

[rinormaloku]

Problem Overview

In the current OpenAI Apps SDK examples, the recommended pattern is to bundle JavaScript, host it on a CDN, and reference it statically from an MCP Resource.

However, Resource Templates (i.e., parametrized resource URIs) are not supported which limits the possibility to template the view based on the parameter for ChatGPT widgets.

What’s Missing

Currently, there is no way for a tool response to return a parametrized resource URI (template).
For example, a tool could ideally emit metadata like:

'openai/outputTemplate': 'ui://widget/pizza-list/{pizzaTopping}',

If the tool returns the topping "pepperoni", ChatGPT could then resolve and render the following Resource Template:

{
  id: "pizza-list",
  title: "Show Pizza List",
  templateUri: "ui://widget/{pizzaTopping}",   // Matching template URI
  invoking: "Hand-tossing a list",
  invoked: "Served a fresh list",
  html: `<!-- RENDERING LOGIC GOES HERE -->`,   // e.g. filter pizzas containing the topping
  responseText: "Rendered a pizza list!"
}

This would allow tool responses to drive dynamic visualizations for e.g., filtering, searching, or contextual rendering without requiring full re-registration of resources or rebuilding bundles.

Current Behavior

• ChatGPT fetches and caches all resources (including templates) at connection time.
• Since templates are cached as static resources, the {pizzaTopping} placeholder is never resolved dynamically.
• The UI can’t re-query or re-render based on runtime parameters.

Expected Behavior

• Resource Templates should be resolved on-demand, after the tool returns the URI and the parameter(s) to fill it.
• ChatGPT should then query the resource with the parameter substituted and render the appropriate visualization.

Why It Matters

Templated resources are a lightweight and elegant way to enable server-side rendered (SSR)-like widgets inside ChatGPT apps.
Supporting them would allow:

• Dynamic, data-driven widget views (search results, filtered lists, etc.)
• Major DX win, as it simplifies the stack to simply templating HTML and CSS.

Summary

Feature request: Support for dynamic ResourceTemplate resolution in ChatGPT widgets.
This would allow parameterized resource URIs to be resolved at runtime, enabling flexible, data-driven widget rendering and simplifying interactive app development.

[Raghvender1205]

I have question regarding this. Suppose, I am looking to build an app which would display my products in a widget, the data would be dynamic like product_name, price etc. I would like to render a list or a product card. Would i currently be able to do this or is this feature not supported right now?

[rinormaloku]

According to my understanding, YES .... BUT instead of simply returning HTML and CSS, you would have to build a react component that is stored in a CDN, that reads ChatGPT context data (openai.global see docs) and runs JS to fetch the data that you want to show.

This feature request is proposing that we have a simpler way in which we use ResourceTemplates and simple HTML templating to visualize data, especially ones that are not interactive and don't require JS.

However, I might be mistaken and support might be just around the corner, or not planned for some specific reason. I would love to hear @katia-openai's input on this

[katia-openai]

Hi @rinormaloku, thanks for opening this issue and suggesting this!

Right now you should be able to do this, but you would have to handle that logic on the component side (taking a tool param as input, the view would be different). But I agree that this use case is interesting - I will chat to the team about it. Will keep you posted if anything changes!