A few settings turn ChatGPT from a basic chatbot into something that knows you and actually gets work done. This guide walks you through the five that matter most, plus the hidden settings most people never touch, with the exact place to find each one. Then you put the whole setup to work on a real task.
Your Five-Part Setup
The plan · 5 steps
- 1Choose Work for tasks with a finished deliverable.
- 2Install and connect the plugins you actually need.
- 3Turn off Improve the model for everyone.
- 4Add your custom instructions and turn on memory.
- 5Enable the built-in browser and try a small task.
Before you start
Your account
Any ChatGPT plan, signed in. Some features depend on your plan, region and workspace settings.
Your devices
The desktop app for the browser step, the web for data controls, and an iPhone 15 Pro or newer if you want ChatGPT in Siri.
Your time
About 15 to 20 minutes, once. You don't need to connect every account today.
If you came from the SETUP video, this is the full checklist. Do the five steps in order, flip the bonus settings while you're in there, then try one of the starter prompts at the end.
- Work handles tasks with several steps and gives you a finished file.
- Plugins connect the tools and services you already use.
- Data controls decide whether your chats help train the model.
- Personalization holds your custom instructions and memory, so ChatGPT knows who you are.
- The built-in browser lets it work on websites for you.
These are separate switches. Connecting Gmail doesn't write your custom instructions. Adding instructions doesn't turn off training. Turning on the browser doesn't sign you in to every website.
Start with one thing you want done
Pick a result you can judge: a project tracker, a one-page document, a shortlist or a weekly plan. It's way easier to tell whether the setup works when you give it a real job. The project-tracker prompt in Step 1 needs no connected accounts, so it's a good first test.
Maverick's tip
Menu names shift a little between the web, iPhone and Android apps, and between plans. If a setting isn't exactly where this guide says, look one level up or down in the same menu.
Your Setup Helper
Paste this into a ChatGPT chat if you want help choosing what to connect, what to put in your instructions and what it should remember. It asks its questions together, then turns your answers into a short setup plan.
Help me set up ChatGPT for the way I actually work. Ask up to eight useful questions together about what I do, who I work with or create for, my recurring tasks, the apps I use, the outputs I want, my preferred writing style, my comfort with technical explanations, and actions I want to approve myself. After I answer, give me: 1. A concise custom-instructions draft I can review and paste into Personalization. Use only facts I supplied and keep it under 1,500 characters. 2. Up to five facts worth saving to memory, each written as an "Add this to memory:" line I can paste into a chat. 3. Up to three plugins worth connecting first, with one practical use for each. Check current availability where you can and label anything you cannot verify. 4. One first task that takes advantage of Work and produces a useful file or document. 5. A short checklist covering Work, plugins, data controls, custom instructions, memory and the browser. Do not claim you changed a setting, connected an account or saved a memory unless the action actually happened and can be verified. Do not ask for passwords or other login secrets. If you cannot inspect my interface, say which instruction is based on my description or documentation.
Make the answers specific
Instead of "I want help with work," try "I coordinate three client projects and spend too much time turning meeting notes into action lists." Instead of "write better," try "keep it warm, direct and short, with an obvious next action."
You can also skip the interview and use the ready-to-edit template in Step 4. Both routes give you a great starting point.
Choose ChatGPT Work
Open ChatGPT. At the top, use the Chat / Work switch and select Work. In the desktop app, select ChatGPT first if the app is showing Codex, then choose Work.
Use Work when you want a finished result like a spreadsheet, document, presentation or researched shortlist. Give it the outcome, the material to use and a way to check the result. Keep using Chat for quick questions.
Work is on every paid plan. Free and Go get a limited version in the desktop app only, so if you don't see the switch on the web, use the desktop app or try the first prompt in Chat. Want the full tour? My ChatGPT Work guide covers it.
Try a task that needs no extra accounts
Build me a simple, editable project-tracking spreadsheet. Include columns for task, project, owner, priority, status, due date and next action. Add five clearly labeled fictional sample tasks so I can see how to use it. Include a summary showing total tasks, completed tasks and overdue unfinished tasks. Use formulas where appropriate. Make it easy to read, check that the summary works, and give me the spreadsheet itself with a short explanation of how to update it. Do not just describe how I could build it. If you cannot create a file in this chat, say so and offer a copyable table instead.
Check the result
Open the actual file. Change one sample task to completed and check that the summary updates. Then swap the sample rows for your own tasks. A reply that says "done" doesn't replace opening the file and looking.
Maverick's tip
Name the deliverable: "Give me the spreadsheet" or "Create the document." Then say what makes it useful to you.
Connect the Plugins You Use
Click Plugins in the left sidebar to open the Plugin Directory. Search for a plugin, open it and click Install plugin. If it uses an outside account, finish the Connect sign-in and review what it can access. You manage everything you've installed in Settings > Plugins.
OpenAI used to call these Apps or Connectors. Since July 2026 they're all Plugins.
Pick a plugin for a real job
| Plugin | A useful starting request |
|---|---|
| Gmail | Summarize a named email thread and list the decisions. |
| Google Calendar | Review tomorrow's events and list preparation tasks. |
| Indeed | Find relevant roles using a specific title, location and criteria. |
| Canva | Make three Instagram post designs for a promotion. |
| Spotify | Build a focus playlist and save it to your library. |
Installing a plugin and connecting your account are separate steps. Pick the account you actually want ChatGPT to use, especially if you have both a personal and a work account.
Verify one connection
Use my connected [APP] for this small read-only task: [SPECIFIC THREAD, DATE, ITEM OR SEARCH]. First tell me if the connection is available in this chat. Use the actual source and give me a short result with enough detail or a link for me to check it. If you cannot access it, tell me exactly what is missing rather than inventing the contents. Do not send, edit, delete or schedule anything. I am checking the connection.
Heads up: Connecting a plugin gives ChatGPT permission to act in that app. Connect the two or three you'll actually use, read what each one asks for, and disconnect anything you stop using in Settings > Plugins. Not sure where to start? See the four plugins I'd install first.
Turn Off Training on Your Chats
By default, ChatGPT can use your conversations to help train its models. This switch keeps your chats out of that. Do it on ChatGPT on the web, signed in to the same account.
- Open your profile menu in the bottom-left corner.
2. Select Settings, then Data controls.
3. Open Improve the model for everyone and turn it off. If a confirmation or save button shows up, finish that step.
4. Reopen the setting and check it's still off.
What this does and doesn't do
Off means your new chats aren't used for training. It doesn't delete your history, and your answers are exactly as good. It's tied to your account, so it applies on your phone too. Memory and connected plugins have their own separate controls.
While you're in Data controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Improve the model for everyone | Off keeps your chats out of training |
| Shared links | Manage any chat links you've shared |
| Archived chats | Hide chats from the sidebar without deleting them |
| Export data | Download a copy of everything you have |
| Delete account | Permanently remove your account and data |
If your company manages your account, its policies may be different, and a missing switch doesn't tell you what they are. Want to go further? The ChatGPT privacy checklist walks through every privacy setting.
Custom Instructions and Memory
Both live in Settings > Personalization.
Custom instructions
Open Custom instructions, paste the template below, fill in the brackets and delete what doesn't apply. If your screen has two boxes, split it between them.
About me: My name is [NAME]. I am [ROLE OR WHAT YOU DO]. I help or work with [PEOPLE]. My main priorities are [TWO OR THREE PRIORITIES]. I regularly use [TOOLS]. Assume I have [BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED] knowledge of [TOPIC]. How to help: Use clear, direct language. Start with the useful answer, then add the detail I need. Use [PREFERRED SPELLING, UNITS AND DATE FORMAT]. For writing, use a [TONE] voice. For complex work, ask the questions that would materially change the result together, then work toward a usable finished output. Accuracy: Do not invent facts, sources, personal experiences or completed actions. Check current information when it matters. Tell me what is uncertain. If my idea has a problem, explain it and suggest a better option. Actions: Draft and prepare freely within my request. Ask for my approval before sending messages, publishing, buying anything, deleting important material or changing account access. Show me the exact proposed action first.
Save it, then start a new chat and check the reply follows it. The box takes up to 5,000 characters, but a few clear sentences beat a wall of text. If replies drift back to generic, trim, don't pile on.
Memory
Open Memory and make sure it's on. If you see Reference chat history, turn that on too, so ChatGPT can pull from past chats, not just facts it saved on purpose. To save something, just say so:
Add this to memory: I run [WHAT YOU DO], I prefer [HOW YOU LIKE ANSWERS], and I write all my content in a [TONE] tone.
| Setting | What it is | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Custom instructions | Directions you write once, applied to every new chat | Stable preferences that should never drift |
| Saved memories | An editable list of facts it chose to keep | Say "add this to memory" or let it save on its own |
| Reference chat history | Recalls patterns from your past chats | Turn it on and forget about it |
Maverick's tip
Ask "What do you remember about me?" to check, and clean out Memory summary > Manage every month or so. More in my ChatGPT memory guide.
Enable the Built-In Browser
Use the ChatGPT desktop app for this step.
- Open Settings from the bottom-left menu.
2. Select Browser.
3. Turn on Let ChatGPT control the built-in browser if it isn't already on.
4. Start a Work chat. Type @Browser, select the browser mention, then give it a specific website and task.
If your version sets up the browser through the bundled Browser plugin, finish that setup. In Settings > Browser > Agent permissions, you can review the default website, download and upload permissions.
Test it on a public page
@Browser open https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/browser and read the section about the desktop built-in browser. Explain in three bullets how it differs from my regular browser. Tell me if the page could not be opened. Do not change any settings or sign in to anything.
What happens with sign-ins?
The built-in browser has its own profile. It doesn't share the tabs or logins from your regular Chrome, so sign in directly when a task needs a website account. Sessions can expire, and some sites will ask you to sign in again.
Maverick's tip
Use the browser when the job depends on a website. When a plugin already does the job, the plugin is usually simpler.
Optional: Use Your Existing Chrome Session
This is an alternative to the built-in browser, not a sixth step. Use it when you want ChatGPT to work in the browser where you're already signed in. The extension works in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi.
Connect the browser extension
- In the desktop app, open Settings > Computer Use.
2. Select Google Chrome. If Chrome isn't shown, expand More browsers. Follow a plugin-install prompt if one appears.
3. Select Install beside the browser to open the extension store page. Install the ChatGPT extension and review its permissions.
4. Go back to Settings > Computer Use and check Chrome shows Manage. Use the Chrome profile where you installed the extension.
5. In a new Work chat, select @Chrome from the mention menu and name the tab or site you want to use.
Try one small task
Use @Chrome to read the page I have selected: [NAME OR MENTION THE TAB]. Summarize its main point and list three useful details. Use only what you can actually read on that page. Do not click a purchase button, submit a form or change anything.
@Browser means ChatGPT's built-in browser. @Chrome means your connected Chrome. Naming the right one saves you from being signed in on one screen while ChatGPT looks at another.
Bonus: The Hidden Settings Most People Never Touch
The five steps above are the headliners. These live in the same menus, so flip them while you're in there.
ChatGPT in Siri
On an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or newer), Siri can hand its harder questions straight to ChatGPT and drop the answer on your screen.
- Open your iPhone's Settings app (not ChatGPT's settings).
2. Tap Apple Intelligence & Siri. On some iOS versions it just says Siri.
3. Under Extensions, tap ChatGPT, then Set Up, and sign in to your ChatGPT account so it uses your plan.
Siri only hands off when it decides the question needs ChatGPT. To use it every time, start with "Ask ChatGPT to..."
Temporary Chat
A chat that saves nothing to your history or memory. Start a new chat and select Temporary chat at the top right. Before your first message, choose Unpersonalized if you don't want it using your memory or instructions either. Use it for anything private or one-off.
Projects
Projects group chats with their own instructions and files, so each client or topic keeps its own context. Look for Projects in the sidebar. If you built Custom GPTs, Projects is a good new home for that work, because Custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026.
Voice
In Settings > Voice, pick a voice and choose Live, Advanced or Standard. It's really useful for thinking out loud on a walk or in the car. Use Advanced if you want to share your camera or screen.
Put the Setup to Work
Pick a task you already do regularly. Name the result, the source material and what you want to review.
Turn your notes into a finished document
Turn the notes below into a clear one-page project brief I can share after reviewing it. Include the goal, audience, deliverables, timeline, responsibilities, open questions and next actions. Keep the writing direct. Use only the facts in my notes and mark anything missing as "To confirm." Create an editable document if available and show me the finished content. Do not send or publish it. My notes: [PASTE NOTES]
Prepare for tomorrow
Using my connected Google Calendar, review tomorrow's events in [TIMEZONE]. Create a short preparation plan with each event's time, purpose when stated, and anything I should bring or prepare. If I also have Gmail connected, read only the relevant threads I identify here: [THREAD NAMES OR LINKS]. Add supported decisions and open questions. Do not assume access to either app. Tell me if a connection or source is missing. Keep uncertain details labeled, and do not change events or send messages.
Try a plugin
With Canva installed:
Use Canva to make me 3 Instagram post designs for [YOUR PROMOTION], bright colors, bold text.
With Spotify connected:
Use Spotify to build a 30-minute focus playlist with no lyrics and add it to my library.
Maverick's tip
Once a prompt works for you, save it with the context it needs. A reusable prompt plus the right inputs beats a vague "do the usual."
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
| If this happens | Try this |
|---|---|
| You get advice instead of a finished file | Choose Work and name the actual output you want. |
| A plugin is installed but can't read your account | Open its connection setup and finish the account sign-in. |
| A plugin uses the wrong account | Check which account you authorized before asking for more work. |
| You can't find the data controls switch on desktop | Use the web: profile menu > Settings > Data controls. |
| Answers feel generic | Add your real role, recurring tasks, audience and preferred output style. |
| Your custom instructions are a novel | Ask for a shorter version that keeps the important facts. |
| Memory is full of junk | Save on purpose, and clean up Memory summary > Manage every month or so. |
| You pasted something private into a normal chat | Use Temporary Chat next time, and delete what memory saved. |
| A site asks you to log in again | Check whether you picked @Browser or @Chrome. Their logins are separate. |
| Chrome is missing from the mention menu | Check Settings > Computer Use, its toggle and the extension's Chrome profile. |
| Siri never hands off to ChatGPT | Start with "Ask ChatGPT to..." and check the extension is set up. |
| A setting isn't where the guide says | Look one tab over in the same Settings menu. |
Ask for help with the exact screen
I am trying to complete [SETUP STEP]. I am using [WEB/DESKTOP] on [DEVICE], and this is what I see: [DESCRIBE THE SCREEN OR ATTACH A SCREENSHOT WITH PRIVATE DETAILS REMOVED]. Help me identify the next control using the labels actually visible. If you need current documentation, check it. Do not guess a button or claim you can see my screen when you cannot. Tell me if this looks like a different version, missing connection or account restriction.
Quick Reference: Every Setting in One Place
| Setting | Where to find it | Done looks like |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Work | Chat / Work switch at the top > Work | You opened one finished output |
| 2. Plugins | Left sidebar > Plugins (manage in Settings > Plugins) | A small read-only test works |
| 3. Data controls | Web: profile menu > Settings > Data controls | Improve the model for everyone is off |
| 4. Custom instructions | Settings > Personalization > Custom instructions | A new chat follows them |
| 4. Memory | Settings > Personalization > Memory | Memory is on and has the facts you want |
| 5. Built-in browser | Desktop: Settings > Browser | @Browser opens the page you asked for |
| Chrome extension | Desktop: Settings > Computer Use | @Chrome reads your tab |
| ChatGPT in Siri | iPhone Settings > Apple Intelligence & Siri > Extensions | Siri hands hard questions to ChatGPT |
| Temporary Chat | New chat > Temporary chat (top right) | Nothing gets saved |
| Projects | Left sidebar > Projects | One project per client or topic |
| Voice | Settings > Voice | Your voice and mode picked |
DO THIS TODAY
Do the five steps, save a short set of custom instructions, turn on memory and ask Work to make one useful output. Open it, check it and make one improvement. You'll finish with a setup you've actually used, not just a list of switches you flipped.
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