Learn ChatGPT

Master ChatGPT

The most widely used AI assistant. Learn how to get the most out of ChatGPT for writing, coding, analysis, and everyday productivity.

Free tier available; Plus at $20/moGeneral productivity, fast answers, coding, image generation

Getting Started

Go to chat.openai.com and click "Sign up" with your email, Google, or Apple account.

Verify your email address and complete the onboarding prompts.

Start chatting immediately on the free tier, or upgrade to Plus for GPT-4o and advanced features.

Explore the sidebar to find Custom GPTs, image generation, and file upload tools.

Key Features

Image Generation with DALL-E

Generate and edit images directly in the chat. Describe what you want, iterate on results, and download high-quality images for presentations, social media, or creative projects.

Custom GPTs

Build specialized AI assistants tailored to specific tasks. Set custom instructions, upload reference files, and share your GPT with others. Great for creating tools your whole team can use.

Advanced Voice Mode

Have natural voice conversations with ChatGPT. It can understand tone, speak in different styles, and handle real-time back-and-forth dialogue. Available on mobile and desktop.

Code Interpreter & File Analysis

Upload spreadsheets, PDFs, or code files and let ChatGPT analyze them. It can run Python code, create charts, clean data, and export results as downloadable files.

Web Browsing

ChatGPT can search the web in real time to answer questions about current events, look up recent information, and provide up-to-date answers with source links.

Microsoft 365 Integration

ChatGPT integrates with Microsoft Copilot across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. If your workplace uses Microsoft 365, this is the most seamless AI experience.

Prompting Tips for ChatGPT

Use Custom Instructions

Set your preferences once in Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions. Tell ChatGPT your role, communication style, and what kind of responses you prefer. This saves you from repeating context in every conversation.

Custom instruction: "I'm a marketing manager. Keep responses concise and actionable. Use bullet points. Avoid jargon unless I use it first."

Be Specific About Format

ChatGPT responds well to explicit formatting instructions. Tell it exactly how you want the output structured.

Instead of: "Give me ideas for a blog post"
Try: "Give me 5 blog post ideas about remote work productivity. For each, include: a headline (under 60 chars), a one-sentence hook, and 3 key points to cover."

Iterate and Refine

Your first prompt rarely gives the perfect result. Treat the conversation as a collaboration. Ask ChatGPT to adjust tone, add detail, shorten, or try a different angle.

"Make it more casual"
"Add specific numbers and statistics"
"Rewrite this as if explaining to a 10-year-old"

Upload Files for Context

Instead of pasting long text into the chat, upload the actual file. ChatGPT handles PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and code files. It can analyze, summarize, extract data, or answer questions about the content.

Use GPTs for Repeated Tasks

If you find yourself writing similar prompts repeatedly, create a Custom GPT with those instructions baked in. For example, a "Meeting Notes Summarizer" GPT that always formats notes the same way.

Example Prompts

Copy these prompts to try in ChatGPT. Each one is designed to showcase a specific strength.

Writing

I need to write a professional email declining a meeting invitation. The meeting is about Q3 budget review, scheduled for Thursday. I have a conflict with a client presentation. Keep it polite but firm, under 100 words.

Why this works: Specific context, clear constraints (word count, tone), and a defined output format help ChatGPT produce a usable first draft.

Analysis

I'm uploading a CSV of our website traffic for the last 6 months. Identify the top 3 trends, any anomalies, and create a bar chart showing monthly unique visitors. Summarize findings in 3 bullet points.

Why this works: Combines file analysis with Code Interpreter. ChatGPT runs actual Python code to analyze your data and generate charts.

Coding

Write a Python function that takes a list of dictionaries with "name" and "score" keys, and returns the top 3 entries sorted by score descending. Include type hints and a docstring.

Why this works: Clear input/output specification, mention of code quality requirements (type hints, docstring) gives structured, professional results.

Creative

Generate a minimalist logo concept for a coffee shop called "Morning Ritual." Style: clean lines, warm earth tones, no text in the image. Show the concept from two different angles.

Why this works: Leverages DALL-E integration. Specific style direction prevents generic outputs.

Research

Search the web for the latest developments in solid-state batteries as of 2026. Focus on which companies are closest to mass production, estimated timelines, and key technical breakthroughs. Cite your sources.

Why this works: Activates web browsing for current information. Asking for citations encourages sourced, verifiable answers.