ChatGPT changed a lot in 2026. It now has two modes, Chat for quick help and Work for longer jobs, and Work replaced the old agent mode. Custom GPTs are being retired in favor of plugins. Names and menus below are as of October 2026, checked against the OpenAI Help Center. If a label has moved, search the help center for the feature name.
1Pick the plan that fits
| Plan | Price (US) | What it adds that matters |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited everyday chats, limited uploads, images, voice, deep research and memory. 5 files per project |
| Go | $8/month | More uploads, images and memory. 25 files per project. OpenAI says it may include ads |
| Plus | $20/month | Medium and High thinking on GPT-6, Work on web and mobile, more deep research, event-triggered tasks, Codex in the terminal and editor |
| Pro | $100, $200 or $500/month | GPT-6 Pro, the highest limits, 40 files per project |
| Business | $20/user/month yearly, $25 monthly, 2+ users | Shared workspace, admin controls, no training on your data by default |
Free and Go get only limited Work access in the desktop app. Go, Plus and Pro bill monthly. Full comparison: chatgpt.com/pricing.
2Tell ChatGPT how you work
Open your account menu, then Settings > Personalization:
- Base style and tone: Default, Professional, Friendly, Candid, Quirky, Efficient or Cynical. Efficient or Candid suit business work.
- Characteristics: nudge Warm, Enthusiastic, Headers & Lists and Emojis up or down.
- Custom instructions: turn on Enable customization, then say who you are and how to answer. Free and Go allow 1,500 characters, Plus and above 5,000.
Changes apply to every chat. Inside a project, project instructions override your custom instructions.
Interview me one question at a time to write custom instructions for ChatGPT, under 1,500 characters. Ask about my role and business, my customers, the voice I want, the format I prefer, what I never want (filler, hype, guessed numbers), and how to handle uncertainty. Then write two sections: "About me" and "How to respond". Never include passwords, account numbers or customer data.
3Decide what memory keeps and what OpenAI can train on
Memory draws on past chats, saved memories, custom instructions, files and, on some plans, connected apps such as Gmail. Go to Settings > Personalization > Memory, where you'll see options such as Reference saved memories, Reference chat history and a Memory summary you can correct.
- A Sources line can appear under an answer, showing which memory, chat or file shaped it.
- Don't mention this again only reduces future mentions; it deletes nothing. Deleting a chat doesn't delete a memory saved from it, so delete both.
- Temporary chat: in a new chat, select Temporary, then Personalized or Unpersonalized. It stays out of history, creates no memories and isn't used for training, though OpenAI may keep it up to 30 days for safety.
Then open Settings > Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone if you don't want your chats used for training. On personal plans it covers Codex tasks too. Business and Enterprise content isn't used for training by default. See Data controls in ChatGPT.
4Build one Project for your business
A Project keeps chats, files and instructions together, so every chat in it starts with your context.
- Select New project in the sidebar, name it ("Acme brain"), and pick an icon and color.
- Add your facts file, deck, pricing and latest metrics. Free allows 5 files per project, Go and Plus 25, Pro and Business 40.
- Open the project's ••• menu, select Project settings, and paste the instructions below.
- Under Memory, pick Default memory or Project-only memory. Project-only seals the project off from your other chats, but turns off Work inside it.
- Optional: paste a Google Drive or Slack channel link into the project's sources so it reads the latest version.
Drag old chats onto the project, or choose Move to project. If you Share it, keep Only those invited: "Anyone with a link" lets any signed-in ChatGPT user with the link join. More in Projects in ChatGPT.
You are the operating partner for [Company], which [one-line description]. Treat facts.md as the source of truth. Use only numbers from the project files. If a number is missing, write "Missing: ..." instead of guessing. When files disagree, trust the newest date in the file name and flag the conflict. Audience: [who]. Voice: [three words]. Plain English, short sentences.
5Skip new custom GPTs and use plugins
Personal accounts (Free, Go, Plus and Pro) can no longer create or publish GPTs, and OpenAI's retirement FAQ schedules custom GPTs to retire on December 11, 2026. Existing GPTs work until then, and past conversations stay accessible.
Plugins replace them: a plugin bundles skills (reusable instructions and reference files) with connected apps. Open Plugins in the sidebar to browse. An OpenAI Verified badge means OpenAI reviewed its quality, not that it meets your security bar.
- Built GPTs before? When migration reaches your account, go to My GPTs and select Migrate to plugin. Custom actions and the chosen model don't carry over, so retest.
- Build one: install Plugin Creator from the directory, then chat with
@plugin-creator. Availability depends on your plan. - Use one: mention it with
@, pick it from +, or let ChatGPT pick an installed plugin when it fits.
@plugin-creator Create a private "Weekly update" plugin. Add a skill that turns my notes into a weekly update: wins, numbers (only ones I give you), blockers, asks. Follow the attached template. Never send, post or share anything on my behalf.
6Connect Gmail, Calendar and Drive with approvals on
Apps connect ChatGPT to Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Outlook, Slack, GitHub, Notion, Box and more. Go to Settings > Plugins (older apps say Apps), select the app, choose Install plugin or Connect, and sign in on the provider's own page. Then call it with @: "Find my board deck in Google Drive and list the open questions."
Set when ChatGPT asks first: Always ask, Allow read actions, Allow low-risk actions or, for some apps, Allow all actions. Start with Always ask or read actions. Allow all actions runs supported actions with no confirmation. See Connected apps in ChatGPT.
OpenAI says it doesn't train its general models on data pulled directly from connected Google apps, except feedback, pasted data or what appears in a response. For other apps on personal plans, app data may be used for training if Improve the model for everyone is on. Apps can also see relevant chat context and memories.
7Match the tool to the job
| Tool | Use it for | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Search | Quick facts with links | Just ask |
| Deep research | A cited report from many sources, your files and apps | + then Deep research, or type /Deepresearch |
| Work | Multi-step jobs that end in a document, spreadsheet, deck or Site | Switch from Chat to Work |
| ChatGPT Images | Creating and editing images | Ask, or More then Images |
| Voice | Thinking out loud, hands-free | The Voice icon in the prompt bar |
Deep research shows a plan you can edit first. Use Sites > Manage sites to restrict or prioritize trusted domains. Reports cite sources and download as Markdown, Word or PDF. Open a citation before reusing any number.
Work succeeded agent mode. On paid plans except Free and Go it can use a cloud browser that clicks, fills forms and keeps going after you close your laptop. In Settings > Cloud browser, keep Always ask for new websites. Logins go through a secure sign-in form the model can't read, and it asks before bookings or payments. Work shares its usage allowance with Codex.
Voice: in Settings > Voice pick Live (natural back-and-forth with search, memory and apps), Advanced (for video or screen sharing on mobile) or Standard. Plus includes 3 hours of Live per rolling 24 hours. Approvals happen on screen, never by voice. Every image you create is saved under Images; deleting its conversation deletes it.
8Run a 10-minute weekly workflow
Scheduled tasks run a prompt on a schedule and notify you. Ask in any chat ("Every Monday at 8 AM, ...") and manage them under Scheduled. Active tasks are capped at 3 on Free and Go, 5 on Plus and 15 on Pro, and Free tasks run at most once a day. A task created inside a project can't read the project's files, so put the context in the prompt.
Every Monday at 8 AM: search the last 7 days for news about [my market], [two competitors] and [one customer segment]. Give me 5 items, each with a link and date, one line on why it matters to a [business type], and one question for the week. No item without a dated source.
Read facts.md and this week's notes. In under 200 words: what changed, which numbers in facts.md are now out of date, and the three priorities for next week. Use only facts from the files. List anything missing as "Missing: ...".
What's next
Writing code? Set up OpenAI Codex on the same plan. Compare Claude's take on a company brain in Claude Projects, and hand off recurring work with Automate your week.