📚 Stop losing context in ChatGPT

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Hello AI Enthusiast,

When you’re working on projects that stretch over weeks or involve a team, it’s easy to lose track of context, files, and conversations in ChatGPT. Projects organizes all of this in one workspace, keeping context and resources connected. For short, one-off tasks, it may not make a difference, but for ongoing work, it can help things flow more smoothly.

The Problem

You're working on a product launch with marketing copy in one chat, competitor analysis in another, email sequences somewhere else, and social strategy in yet another conversation. Each time you start fresh, you're retyping the same background or getting generic answers because ChatGPT doesn't remember your setup. Meanwhile, your teammates are having separate conversations with different tones. Nobody knows where the "good version" is. You end up with disconnected conversations and no consistent way to work together.

How to Use ChatGPT’s Projects

Let's walk through setting up a ChatGPT Project using a product launch as our example - launching project management software for remote teams who struggle with timezone coordination and async communication.

Step 1: Create Your Project Workspace

Open ChatGPT and click "New project" in the sidebar. Give it a clear name like "Q4 Product Launch" and pick an icon and color so you can spot it quickly.

You'll choose how memory works: project-only keeps context contained to just this project (good for client work), while default lets ChatGPT reference your saved memories and other conversations. Once shared with a team, projects automatically switch to project-only memory.

Your workspace appears in the sidebar. Every chat you start here gets saved automatically, and you can access it from any device.

Step 2: Add Custom Instructions

Click the three dots on the upper right corner of your project and select "Add instructions". These project-specific instructions only apply to conversations in this workspace, separate from any custom instructions you use elsewhere in ChatGPT.

Template prompt:

You're helping [team/role] with [project goal]. Target audience: [who they are and main challenge]. Brand voice: [tone description].

When responding:
- Focus on [key value proposition]
- Keep [style preference]
- Avoid [what to skip]
- Address [main pain points]

Use uploaded files for [what context they provide].

Step 3: Add Files and Organize Chats

Click "Add files" to upload documents ChatGPT should reference - brand guidelines, product specs, competitor analysis, audience personas. These files become available in every chat within the project.

💡File limits: Free users get 5 files per project, Plus and Go get 25, Business/Enterprise/Edu get 40. You can upload 10 files at once.

Already have relevant conversations? From your chat list, drag any chat onto your project, or open the chat's menu (three dots) and choose "Move to project." The chat inherits your project's instructions and file access immediately. Remember, each chat can only belong to one project at a time.

Step 4: Start Working in Your Project

Open a new chat within your project workspace. ChatGPT automatically has access to your instructions and files. The project works with all the built-in tools - Canvas for drafting, image generation, web search, voice mode, and if you're on a paid plan, agent mode and deep research.

Example prompt:

Draft three email subject lines for our product launch. Focus on the async communication problem and keep them under 50 characters.

Step 5: Share and Collaborate

Business, Enterprise, and Edu users can share projects by clicking the "Share" button and inviting teammates via email, group, or workspace link. Shared projects let team members collaborate: those with Edit access can update instructions, manage files, and invite others, while Chat access lets users participate in conversations without changing project settings.

When shared, the project switches to project-only memory - ChatGPT only references conversations and files from this project and this can't be changed back. Team members can branch chats to test different ideas without changing the original - think of it like creating a copy you can edit separately. A writer might branch to try a different tone, a data scientist might branch to test a hypothesis. Branched chats appear alongside the original, and you can see who created them by the user profile icon.

When Projects Actually Makes Sense (And When It Doesn't)

Projects work for specific types of ongoing work where you're repeating the same context across multiple conversations:

• Client work spanning weeks or months - Agency teams coordinating on accounts need shared brand context

• Content operations with multiple contributors - Marketing teams producing consistent content across writers and platforms

• Complex launches with cross-functional teams - Product, marketing, and sales aligning on messaging over 6+ weeks

Projects don't make sense for quick one-off tasks, solo work without collaboration needs, or workflows relying on custom GPTs and specialized integrations.

💡Each chat can only live in one project, and shared projects cap at 100 members without real-time editing.

Your Turn

Pick one ongoing project where you're juggling multiple ChatGPT conversations. Create a project for it today:

1. Name it clearly (like "Q4 Launch" or "Client A Campaign")

2. Choose your memory setting based on how contained you want the work

3. Write concise instructions covering your goals, audience, and style

4. Upload 2-3 key documents

5. Move any related chats into the project

Use it for a week and notice how often you don't have to retype your context. Setup takes 10 minutes. The time saved adds up fast.

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We'll be back with more AI tips soon!