🚀 Give ChatGPT A Better Memory: A Look At The Projects Feature

If you have used ChatGPT for a while, you have probably seen "Projects" in the menu on the side. But the truth is, most of us usually ignore this feature. Many people don't realize this is one of the most powerful and helpful tools that ChatGPT has. It can totally change the way we work with AI.

The good news is that Projects is now open for everyone, even if you are using a free account. In this article, we will learn everything about ChatGPT Projects – what they are, how they are different from a normal chat, and most importantly, how to use them for real work.

After you finish reading, you will know exactly how to set up your own projects, organize your work better, and get much more consistent results from ChatGPT.

What Are ChatGPT Projects Really?

Think of Projects like your own "private workrooms" inside ChatGPT. Instead of starting a new chat every time and repeating the old requests, Projects help you keep everything about one topic in the same place.

Here is what makes Projects special:

• They remember everything: All your chats, files, and instructions for one topic are stored neatly in one single space.

• They are made for long-term work: Unlike chats that you use once, Projects get smarter and more helpful the more you use them.

• They always stay focused: Each Project has its own "memory" and "knowledge," so it doesn't get mixed up with other topics.

Imagine you have a personal assistant for each subject. One assistant only handles marketing, one only handles learning English, and another one only handles travel plans. Each person is an expert in their area and never confuses information from one subject with another. That is how Projects work.

How Are Projects Different from Custom GPTs?

If you have used Custom GPTs before, you might ask what the difference is. Here is the simplest explanation:

• Custom GPTs are like special tools made for one specific, repeated task. For example, a Custom GPT to check grammar mistakes, one to create cooking recipes, or one to write social media captions. You create it once and use it for the same purpose many times.

• Projects are like living documents, a workspace that you keep building, updating, and growing over time. It doesn't just do one task; it manages a whole area of work.

For example, you can create a Project to manage your YouTube channel. Every week, you go there to brainstorm ideas, write scripts, and check how well your videos are doing. This Project will build a full history of everything you have talked about for that YouTube channel, which helps make future suggestions more and more accurate.

The Most Important Setting You Need To Change First

Before you start your first Project, there is one very important setting you must know about. When you create a new Project, you will see an option for "Memory."

By default, the Project can access memories from your normal chats on ChatGPT. But here is what you should do:

Change the setting to "Project can only access its own memories."

Why is this so important? Because it helps your Project stay independent and focused. It will not take random information from your other chats, like the chat where you planned a trip to Da Lat or the one where you asked for a cooking recipe. This helps reduce mistakes and keeps your Project 100% focused on its job.

The Three Main Parts Of Every Project

Every Project has three main parts that you can customize to make it work the way you want.

1. Custom Instructions

This is where you "teach" ChatGPT how to act and reply inside this Project. Think of it like setting the rules and role for a virtual assistant.

Things you should include here:

• Goal: What do you want this Project to help you with? (Example: "Help me plan content for a Facebook fan page about pets.")

• Format: How do you want ChatGPT to answer? (Example: "Always answer with bullet points, do not write paragraphs longer than 5 sentences.")

• Tone: Do you want the tone to be friendly, professional, or funny? (Example: "Use a friendly, fun tone like you are talking to a friend.")

• Special requests: Other rules. (Example: "If my request is not clear, ask more questions to understand it before you answer.")

Example of a full instruction:

"You are a content manager assistant for a Facebook page about taking care of Poodle dogs.

Goal: Help me brainstorm ideas and write weekly posts.

Format: Each post idea needs: a catchy title, the main content (3-4 bullet points), and a call to action (CTA).

Tone: Friendly, loving animals, and easy to understand.

Special requests: Always suggest a picture or a video to go with each post."

2. Knowledge Base (Files)

This is where you upload documents, PDFs, images, chat transcripts - basically any file that you want ChatGPT to look at when working in this Project. This is the Project's own brain.

File limits for each plan:

• Free plan: 5 files per Project

• Plus/Education plan: 25 files per Project

• Pro/Enterprise plan: 40 files per Project

Good tip: Don't just throw in random files. Be selective. Five high-quality and relevant documents are much better than 40 random ones. You need quality knowledge, not just quantity. Make sure the files you upload are "clean," easy to read, and have the most important information.

3. Tools

Projects give you access to special tools to make your work easier:

• Canvas: To create documents, quizzes, and simple apps right in the chat.

• Deep Research: For deep research that can search and gather information from hundreds of websites.

• Image Generation: To create images, thumbnails, or illustrations.

• Web Search: Use this when you need the newest information or things that just happened, which your knowledge base doesn't have yet.

The smart thing here is that you don't have to turn on these tools. Most of the time, you will want your Project to focus on its own knowledge base to get consistent results. You should only turn them on when you really need them.

Real-World Example #1: Building An English Learning Plan Assistant

Let's create a real Project from the beginning. We will build an "English Learning Plan Assistant."

Step 1: Create And Name Your Project

Click the "New Project" button and name it "English Learning Plan." You can pick an icon or a color to find it easily.

Step 2: Set Up Custom Instructions

This is a good starting instruction:

"You are a personal English tutor.

Goal: Help me make a weekly study plan to improve my listening and speaking skills.

Format: Show the plan in a simple, clear table.

Tone: Encouraging, positive, and friendly.

Special request: Always ask me if I finished last week's goals before making a plan for the new week."

Step 3: Build Your Knowledge Base

For an English learning Project, you can upload:

• A PDF file with a list of 500 common vocabulary words you are learning.

• A text file with the grammar mistakes you often make.

• A transcript of an English podcast video that you like.

• Your score from a recent English level test.

Smart tip: Use ChatGPT in a normal chat, turn on Deep Research, and ask: "Create a detailed report on the most effective methods to improve English listening skills for an intermediate learner." This takes about 10 minutes. Then, download that report and add it to your Project's knowledge base.

Step 4: Start Using It

Now you can start making requests:

"Based on my grammar mistakes and the vocabulary list I uploaded, please create 5 small exercises for me to practice this week."

The Project will analyze your files and give you a suitable answer, for example, by creating sentences where you have to fill in the blank or find the mistake, all based on what it "knows" about you.

Step 5: Build On the Results

This is where the power of Projects shows. After you get the first result, you can ask for more:

"Great! Now, please make a detailed study plan for me for the next 7 days. Each day should have 3 activities: 1 for listening practice, 1 for speaking practice, and 1 for vocabulary review. Show it in a table format."

In just a few seconds, you will get a complete plan:

You can easily copy this table and paste it into your notes to follow.

Understanding Project "Memory"

This is what makes Projects really powerful. They remember your conversations, and this memory is only for that specific Project.

Real example: Let's say in your English learning Project, two months ago you asked about the difference between "affect" and "effect." Today, when you write a wrong sentence using the word "affect," the Project might correct you and remind you: "Remember, we talked about the difference between these two words before. 'Effect' is usually a noun, and 'affect' is a verb."

This information was not in the knowledge base or the first instructions. The Project remembered it from your past conversation.

Why is this important? This separate memory helps reduce mistakes a lot. ChatGPT will not search elsewhere and accidentally bring in wrong information. It stays focused on what you and it have discussed together in this private workspace.

Real-World Example #2: Creating Marketing Content For A New Product

Let's look at another real example: creating marketing content for a "smart thermos" product.

The Setup

Upload these files as the knowledge base:

• A PDF file describing the product's features (keeps drinks hot/cold for 24 hours, has an LED screen to show temperature, made of 316 stainless steel).

• A text file about the target customers (office workers, gym-goers, aged 22-35).

• A few pictures of the product.

Using Canvas To Create An Introduction Flyer

This is where the Canvas tool is very useful:

1. Ask ChatGPT: "Create an introduction document for my smart thermos product using Canvas."

   

2. After a few messages to give more ideas (like, "Add a section on benefits for gym-goers," or "Use blue as the main color"), you will have a complete document.

   

3. This document will take information directly from the files you uploaded.

4. You can easily edit the text and change the layout right on Canvas.

   

Sharing options:

• Create a public link to send to partners.

• Download it as a PDF to print.

All of this is done inside your Project, using the knowledge you have already provided.

Creating Ad Images

In the same chat, ask:

"Now, create an ad image for this product to post on Instagram. It should be a simple image with the product and the text 'Keep the taste, all day long'."

The Project will create a few image options. They might be good enough to use right away, or at least they can give you ideas to continue editing on more professional tools like Canva.

Real-World Example #3: Combining Internal Knowledge With Web Search

Projects don't have to be completely separate. Here is how you can smartly combine your knowledge base with online information.

Situation: You are working in the marketing Project from the example above, and you hear about a new trend in the home goods industry.

1. In the chat box, click the plus icon.

2. Turn on the Web Search tool.

   

3. Ask: "What are the latest marketing trends for smart home products this year?"

   

4. ChatGPT will search and give you updated information, for example, "focus on sustainability" or "collaborate with KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers)."

   

Now, this new information becomes a part of the Project's memory. You are updating your living document with fresh and relevant knowledge.

Important note: Web Search is not turned on by default in Projects. You only turn it on when you need it. Most of the time, you should let the Project use its internal knowledge to avoid random, unrelated information.

Advanced Features That Many People Miss

Moving A Chat into A Project

Let's say you are having a normal chat with ChatGPT and realize the content is very useful and should belong to a Project.

1. Click the three dots icon in that chat.

2. Choose "Add to Project."

3. Choose an existing Project or create a new one.

The entire conversation will be moved to the Project with all its context.

Using Voice Input

You can click the microphone icon and talk to ChatGPT instead of typing. This feature works very well on the mobile app, where you can have natural back-and-forth conversations like you're talking to a real person.

Creating A Project From An Existing Chat

Do you already have a long chat about market research? Don't start over. Just click the three dots icon and choose "Create Project from Chat." Everything will be moved to a new Project instantly.

Understanding Your Project Limits

• Number of Projects: Unlimited on all plans.

• File uploads per Project:

  • Free plan: 5 files

  • Plus/Education: 25 files

  • Pro/Enterprise: 40 files

If you reach your limit, think about removing old files that are not relevant anymore or splitting your work into smaller, more focused Projects.

Sharing Projects (Important Limitations)

When it comes to sharing your Projects with other people, it's important to know that this feature is not available for everyone. Currently, only users with a Business, Enterprise, or Teams plan can share their Projects. This means that if you are using a Free or a personal Plus plan, you will not be able to share them. For those who can share, you will find a "Share" button at the top of your Project. From there, you can invite your team members, decide if they can only view the project or also edit it, and start working together in the same workspace.

Note: You cannot make Projects public for everyone like you can with Custom GPTs. They are designed for personal or team use only.

Tips For Writing Better Prompts In Projects

The quality of your Project's results depends a lot on your prompts. Here is the difference:

Weak prompt: "Write a sales email about our new software."

Strong prompt: 

"You are a professional B2B email writer. Write an email to introduce our new inventory management tool for operations managers. Focus on the benefits of saving time, reducing errors, and easy setup. Use a professional but friendly tone. Keep it under 150 words."

Remember to give ChatGPT as much context as possible. The more specific you are, the better the result will be.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

To get the most out of ChatGPT Projects, it's important to avoid a few common mistakes. First, don't try to put everything into one single Project; it's much better to keep them focused on specific topics, like having one for YouTube content and a different one for language learning. Another big mistake is ignoring the custom instructions, as this setup step is the most important part that makes the Project work exactly the way you want. Similarly, be careful not to upload too many unrelated files, because five well-chosen documents are far more effective than 40 random ones. You should also remember to use the separate memory setting correctly to stop your Project from getting confused by information from your other chats. Finally, avoid starting a new chat every time you use a Project. They are designed to be living documents, so their real power comes from building on your past conversations and adding new information over time.

When Should You Use Projects vs. Regular Chats?

Putting It All Together

ChatGPT Projects is truly one of the best features available, and now that it is free for everyone, there is no reason not to use it.

Here is your action plan:

1. Create your first Project today: Start with something simple like "Content Ideas" or "Work Planning."

2. Set up custom instructions: Even very basic instructions can make a big difference.

3. Add one or two key files: Don't think too much - just start small.

4. Use it regularly for a week: Projects get better the more you use them.

5. Try the different tools: Try using Canvas, Deep Research, and image generation to see how they work.

The key is to think of Projects as your personal AI assistants for specific areas of your work. The more information you give them and the more you interact with them, the more valuable they become.

Instead of using ChatGPT for everything in random chats, try using Projects for the tasks you do again and again. You will save hours of time and get much better, more consistent results.

Start with one Project today. Pick something you are working on right now, set it up using the steps in this guide, and see how much faster you can work.

If you are interested in other topics and how AI is transforming different aspects of our lives or even in making money using AI with more detailed, step-by-step guidance, you can find our other articles here:

• Everyone Is Building The Wrong AI Products

• What’s Behind the $1.12M/Month AI App Built by a Teenager?*

• 16 AI Business Ideas to Explore with OpenAI’s Image Generation Technology

• 20 Innovative AI Lead Generation Systems Revolutionizing Outreach*

• Genspark + Gemini: Your Blueprint To Profit From The "AI Emergency"!

  *indicates a premium content, if any