01 / At a glance
ChatGPT in one page
The most used assistant in the world. Personal plans train on your chats unless you turn it off. Business plans do not.
| Plans | Free, Go, Plus, Pro. Business and Enterprise for firms. |
|---|---|
| Trains on your chats? | Free, Go, Plus, Pro: yes, by default. Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare: no, by default. |
| Your instructions live in | Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions |
| Instruction limit | 1,500 characters on Free and Go. 5,000 on Plus and above. |
| Memory | Settings > Personalization > Memory |
| Workspaces | Projects: files, instructions, and project-only memory |
| Custom assistants | Plugins. Custom GPTs are being retired. |
| Turn off training | Settings > Data controls > Improve the model for everyone |
The setup path
2026 change: GPTs are being retired
Custom GPTs retire on 11 December 2026 and move to plugins. Personal accounts can no longer create new GPTs.
If your team relies on a GPT, plan its move to a plugin now. OpenAI publishes a migration FAQ (see sources).
02 / Set it up
Five steps, in order
Do them in this order. Data controls come before anything personal goes in.
chatgpt.com/pricing
Use Business or Enterprise for firm work. Those plans do not train on your content by default, and add SSO, retention, and admin controls.
Settings > Data controls
On a personal plan, turn off Improve the model for everyone. Note: thumbs up or down feedback can make that whole chat trainable, even after you opt out.
Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions
Turn on Enable customization, then paste your instructions. On mobile the path is Settings > Customize ChatGPT. Use the master prompt in section 03 to draft them.
Sidebar > New project
One project per recurring task. Add files and project instructions under ••• > Project settings. Set memory to Project-only to keep that work separate.
Settings > Personalization > Memory
Read what it remembers and delete anything stale. Check Settings > Plugins and remove apps you no longer use.
03 / The master prompt
Let ChatGPT set itself up
Paste this into a new chat. It interviews you, then writes your setup for you.
You are my setup chief of staff for ChatGPT. Your job: set ChatGPT up so it works the way I work, safely. Work in three stages. Ask one question at a time. Wait for my answer. STAGE 1. INTERVIEW (no more than 10 questions) Ask about: my role and organization, the work I want help with, the five tasks I repeat most, the tools I use every day, how I like answers written (length, tone, format), and what I must never share with an AI tool. STAGE 2. WRITE MY SETUP a) My Custom Instructions text. Keep it under 1,500 characters so it fits on every plan. Write it in plain sentences. Put the most important rules first. b) Three Projects I should create. For each one: a name, its purpose, its instructions, and the files I should add. c) Two plugins for my most repeated tasks. For each: a name, the instructions, and the files it needs. (Plugins replace custom GPTs.) d) A checklist of the privacy settings I should confirm, with where to find each one in ChatGPT. STAGE 3. TEST Give me three test prompts that prove the setup works, and describe what a good answer looks like for each. RULES - Do not invent features. If you are not sure a setting exists in ChatGPT today, say so and tell me where to check. - Never ask me for passwords, account numbers, client names, or personal data. If I start to share them, stop me. - Plain language. Short sentences. Tables where they help.
04 / Govern first
Best practices
- Turn off model training before your first real prompt
- Use an approved business tier for firm work, or nothing
- Keep one workspace per recurring task
- Check every number and citation it gives you
- A person signs off before anything leaves the building
- Passwords, API keys, or access tokens
- Client names, account numbers, or holdings
- Material non-public information
- Personal data about staff or members
- Anything under a confidentiality agreement
Specific to ChatGPT
- Set each connected app to Always ask or Allow read actions in Settings > Plugins until you trust it.
- Use Temporary chat for one-off sensitive questions. It skips history and training, and is kept up to 30 days.
- Use Project-only memory for client or deal work, so it never bleeds into other chats.
- Free and Go show ads. Do not use them for firm work.
Starter instructions
Prefer to write them yourself? Fill in the brackets, then paste into Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions.
About me: I am a [role] at a [type of organization]. I use you for [three main jobs]. How to answer: - Lead with the answer, then the reason. - Keep it short. Use tables for comparisons. - Say plainly when you are unsure, and how I can check. - Cite a source for every number or factual claim. Never: - Invent figures, quotes, or sources. - Give a final legal, tax, or investment decision. Flag it for a person. - Ask me for client names, account numbers, or passwords.
05 / Data and controls
What to check, and where
| Training opt-out | Settings > Data controls > Improve the model for everyone (personal plans) |
|---|---|
| Temporary chat | New chat > Temporary. Not trained on, not in history, kept up to 30 days. |
| Memory reset | Memory summary ••• menu > Delete and turn off memory |
| Export and delete | Self-service on personal plans. On Business and Enterprise, the workspace owner controls it. |
| SSO | Business: SAML or OIDC. Enterprise: Admin Console with SCIM. |
| Audit and retention | Enterprise: Compliance API audit log and admin-set retention. Business admins can set retention. |
| Data residency | Enterprise and Edu: Canada, US, EEA, UK and others, for new workspaces. Rolling out on Business. |
06 / Sources
Where every fact comes from
- ChatGPT pricing and plans
https://chatgpt.com/pricing/ - Data controls in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-in-chatgpt - Enterprise privacy at OpenAI
https://openai.com/enterprise-privacy/ - ChatGPT custom instructions
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8096356-chatgpt-custom-instructions - Memory in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8590148-memory-in-chatgpt - Projects in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10169521-projects-in-chatgpt - Custom GPT retirement and migration FAQ
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001519-custom-gpt-retirement-and-migration-faq - Plugins in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001256-plugins-in-chatgpt - Connected apps in ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11487775-connected-apps-in-chatgpt - Temporary chat
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8914046-temporary-chat-in-chatgpt - SSO for ChatGPT Business
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11489188-setting-up-single-sign-on-sso-for-chatgpt-business - Data residency for ChatGPT
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9903489-data-residency-and-inference-residency-for-chatgpt - ChatGPT release notes
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes - Virtualization Review: OpenAI to retire custom GPTs (28 Sep 2026)
https://virtualizationreview.com/articles/2026/09/28/openai-to-retire-custom-gpts-replace-them-with-plugins.aspx
Settings checked on 29 October 2026. Platforms change their menus often. Follow the source links before relying on a path. This guide is general information. It is not legal, compliance, or investment advice.