How to Use ChatGPT: A Quick Tour for Beginners

ChatGPT does more than answer questions

Most people open ChatGPT, type a question, and never click anything else. The sidebar and the message box hold a handful of features that change how useful it is. The video above is a short tour of each one. Here is what it covers and when to use it.

Chat vs. work

Chat is the back-and-forth most people know: ask, read the answer, follow up. Work mode is for bigger jobs where you want ChatGPT to carry a task further on its own, like drafting a full document or working through several steps. Use chat to think something through. Use work when you know the result you want.

Scheduled tasks

A scheduled task runs a prompt for you at a set time. Think of a morning summary of a topic you follow, a weekly checklist, or a recurring reminder. You set it once and the result shows up on schedule, so you stop retyping the same request.

Plugins

Plugins connect ChatGPT to other tools you already use, so it can work with information that lives outside the chat window. If you want ChatGPT to use your files, calendar or business apps, this is where you set that up.

Projects

A project keeps related chats, files and instructions together. Make one for a client, a job search, a class, or a home renovation, and ChatGPT keeps that context every time you come back. It is the easiest way to stop starting from scratch.

Attaching files and photos

Use the attach button to add a document, spreadsheet or photo to your message. Then ask for what you need: a summary of a long PDF, the key numbers from a spreadsheet, or help with something you snapped a picture of.

The model picker

The model picker at the top of the chat lets you choose which model answers. Quicker models are fine for everyday questions and drafting. Stronger reasoning models take longer but handle harder problems. Start with the default and switch up when an answer falls short.

Frequently asked questions

What can you do in ChatGPT besides chat?

ChatGPT can also run work-style tasks, run scheduled tasks on a timer, connect to other apps through plugins, keep related chats and files together in projects, and read files and photos you attach to a message.

What is a ChatGPT project?

A project is a folder inside ChatGPT that keeps related chats, files and instructions in one place, so you don't have to re-explain the context every time you start a new conversation.

What are scheduled tasks in ChatGPT?

Scheduled tasks let ChatGPT run a prompt automatically at a time you choose, such as a daily summary or a weekly reminder, and deliver the result without you opening a new chat.

How do I choose a model in ChatGPT?

Use the model picker at the top of the chat. Faster models suit quick questions and drafting, and stronger reasoning models suit harder analysis. If you aren't sure, start with the default and switch when an answer isn't good enough.

Can I upload files and photos to ChatGPT?

Yes. Use the attach button in the message box to add documents, spreadsheets or photos, then ask ChatGPT to summarize, extract, rewrite or explain what's in them.

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