The three features that matter most
📂
Projects
Keep files, instructions, and conversations for a task in one place. Every conversation inside a project inherits its context.
⚙️
Custom Instructions
Set your preferences once (profession, tone, format, language) and every conversation follows them automatically.
⌨️
The "/" Shortcut
Type "/" in the message box to instantly access Search, Canvas, and other tools without navigating any menus.
🎯Give context first, then ask your question
📐Specify format and length in every prompt
🔄Always iterate: the third response beats the first
📎Upload files instead of copy pasting text
💬Use follow ups to refine, do not start over
🧪Compare models: o3 for reasoning, GPT-5.2 for creative
The most common mistake
Starting a new conversation for every question. When your questions are related, continue in the same chat. ChatGPT uses the full conversation history as context, so it gets smarter the more you talk. Only start a new chat when you are changing topics entirely.
Temporary chats for privacy
Toggle "Temporary Chat" in the sidebar when you want a one off conversation. These chats do not appear in your history, do not affect Memory, and are not used for training. Useful for sensitive questions or quick lookups you do not need to save.