Free15 min

Set Up Your First ChatGPT Project

Go from one-off chats to using AI strategically by creating a dedicated space that holds your files, your past work, and how you want ChatGPT to respond.

Learn

The easiest way to get strategic with AI

Leveling up starts with one move: learning to use ChatGPT Projects.

Setting up a Project takes a few minutes up front and then keeps paying off, with less repeating yourself, better results, and a real feel for using AI strategically in your day-to-day.

In the next 15 minutes, you'll build one to help with something you're working on.

What's a ChatGPT Project?

A Project holds three things:

Instructions that tell ChatGPT how to respond every time you use the Project. (Think of this like a prompt automatically read at the start of each conversation.)
Sources you attach for AI to reference: files, Drive docs, Slack details, and text you paste in.
Chats that pull in your instructions and sources automatically, and add to project memories across conversations as you go.

Without a Project: you rebuild what ChatGPT knows and how it acts every chat.

With a project: the files and the standing instructions live with the project. Each new chat inside it starts with info already loaded (no re-pasting or re-framing).

Three ways to use Projects

Projects aren't just a way to get organized. Instructions make it so you can use them for different types of work:

Initiatives: Use them as a helper for conversations tied to related work like a launch, a campaign, a Q3 strategy, a presentation you are building, etc.
Tasks or workflows: Give them specific instructions that speed up reoccurring work like building a weekly status report, brainstorming your editorial calendar, helping prep your monthly board update.
Specialist feedback or perspective: Have your project act as a role like your CMO giving feedback, a business advisor for strategy questions, or a target customer reacting to content drafts.

Creating Projects for the latter two will get you to think about AI strategically, helping you:

Spot where AI can help with processes
Find ways to use AI for new and unique perspectives
Learn to design and edit instructions (prompts) so the project meets your needs repeatedly

How do Projects differ from other ChatGPT features?

If you're a dedicated ChatGPT user, you may be thinking Projects sound like other features you're familiar with. Here's how they compare:

Custom Instructions: Managed in Settings, can be used to define how you want ChatGPT to respond to every chat. This should be used broadly, where Projects should be used when instructions only apply to a portion of your conversations.
Memory: Also managed in Settings, is running bits of information ChatGPT keeps about you to make chats feel more personal. Bits like you're working on, preferences, and random things you've told it. Projects can pull in memories ChatGPT has stored across all conversations or can be set to Project only memories so responses aren't clouded.
Custom GPTs: These have the most overlap with Projects, but there is some nuance. Custom GPTs are similar in that they have saved instructions and can access source files, making them great for repeat tasks. The difference is there is no memory of past chats. GPTs are good for tasks with limited variation, where Projects are better for complexity and cross-conversation knowledge.

Key takeaways

01If you're repeating tasks or feeding ChatGPT the same details over and over, a Project is the better setup.
02A Project holds three things: Instructions, source files, and chats that inherit both automatically. Each new chat inside it starts already having background.
03Projects work for a specific initiative, a recurring task or workflow, or a perspective you want ChatGPT to play. The last two are where AI starts working strategically with you.

Your Turn

Now it's time to set one up. Follow the four steps below to create a project anchored to your work.

Step 01

Pick your project

If you're unsure where to start or evaluating some options, this prompt will help.

Try this prompt

Pick the area of work for your ChatGPT Project

Use this prompt to find the right topic to build your Project around, one where persistent knowledge and reference material will pay off.

Your AI platform may paste this prompt as an attachment instead of text. Once pasted, hit enter to get started.

Was this helpful?

Step 02

Create the Project and load sources

Now that you identified your topic, you're going to build your Project in ChatGPT and attach reference files.

Once you've logged into ChatGPT, click Projects in the ChatGPT sidebar, then New on the Projects page.

Name the Project after the area of work you locked in. Before click 'Create project', click the gear icon and pick Default to allow AI to feed in memories from outside chats, or Project-only to wall this work off.

Optional: Click the ... icon in the upper right of your Project page > Settings > click the :) next to your project name pick an icon and color it's easy to spot in your sidebar.

In the open Project, you'll see two tabs under the chat window (Chats and Sources), select Sources.

If available, load 3 to 5 sources via Upload, Text input, Google Drive, or Slack.

Click the ... icon in the upper right of your Project page > Settings > Instructions to add details that ChatGPT reads at the start of each Project conversation.

[OPTIONAL] To bring in past chats on this work, open the chat's overflow menu and choose Move to project.

Was this helpful?

0 of 7 done

Step 03

Draft your project instructions

Instructions tell ChatGPT how to respond inside every chat in this Project. Run this prompt to help your Project stay on task.

Try this prompt

Draft your project's instructions

This prompt helps you write Instructions grounded in your project's background, the sources you loaded, and the shape your Project takes (initiative, recurring task, or perspective). Paste it in a new chat within your Project to get started.

Your AI platform may paste this prompt as an attachment instead of text. Once pasted, hit enter to get started.

Was this helpful?

Step 04

Make Projects part of your work

You've built your first Project. From here, two things keep you leveling up: get comfortable using and refining this one, and learn to spot opportunities to create new ones.

Use and refine this Project

Open a new chat inside the Project whenever you work on this topic.
Edit the instructions or add and update files as the work evolves.

Create new Projects

Was this helpful?

0 of 2 done

Get Credit

Submission

Describe the Project you built. What will it help you with?

Heads up: the person who shared this link with you will be able to see what you submit.

Want more like this?

Get new module drops and weekly AI strategy.