# OpenAI GPT-5 mini — deprecation status

> Yes — OpenAI deprecated GPT-5 mini on June 11, 2026 and shuts it down on December 11, 2026 (in 134 days). The recommended replacement is GPT-5.6 Terra.

The cost tier of the original GPT-5 release, and the model that absorbed most of the volume GPT-4o mini used to carry. It was deprecated in the same June 2026 announcement as the rest of the GPT-5 family, on the same December shutdown date.

## Facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Provider | OpenAI |
| Model id | `gpt-5-mini` |
| Status | Deprecated |
| Aliases | `gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07` |
| Released | August 7, 2025 |
| Deprecated | June 11, 2026 |
| Shutdown | December 11, 2026 (in 134 days) |
| Last verified | July 30, 2026 |

## Replacement

- **GPT-5.6 Terra** (`gpt-5.6-terra`) · recommended — https://modeldeprecations.dev/openai/gpt-5.6-terra
  - Terra is the volume tier of the current generation, so this is the like-for-like swap. Check per-token pricing before assuming the migration is cost-neutral in either direction.
  - Parameters it accepts: https://modelparams.dev/models/openai/gpt-5.6-terra

```diff
- "model": "gpt-5-mini"
+ "model": "gpt-5.6-terra"
```

## FAQ

### When will OpenAI GPT-5 mini shut down?

OpenAI GPT-5 mini is scheduled to shut down on December 11, 2026, in 134 days.

### What replaces OpenAI GPT-5 mini?

OpenAI recommends GPT-5.6 Terra (`gpt-5.6-terra`) as the replacement for OpenAI GPT-5 mini. Terra is the volume tier of the current generation, so this is the like-for-like swap. Check per-token pricing before assuming the migration is cost-neutral in either direction.

### Is OpenAI GPT-5 mini still available?

Yes, for now. OpenAI GPT-5 mini is deprecated but still answers requests until December 11, 2026. Deprecated models get no further updates and are the first to lose capacity.

### How do I migrate from OpenAI GPT-5 mini to gpt-5.6-terra?

Swap the model id in your API call: replace "gpt-5-mini" with "gpt-5.6-terra". Terra is the volume tier of the current generation, so this is the like-for-like swap. Check per-token pricing before assuming the migration is cost-neutral in either direction.

### Does this apply to gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07 too?

Yes. OpenAI GPT-5 mini is also published as `gpt-5-mini-2025-08-07`; that id shares the same lifecycle dates as `gpt-5-mini`.

## Sources

- [OpenAI API deprecations](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations) — accessed 2026-07-30

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Canonical page: https://modeldeprecations.dev/openai/gpt-5-mini
JSON: https://modeldeprecations.dev/api/v1/models/openai/gpt-5-mini.json