How to Use ChatGPT Deep Research: A Clear Walkthrough

Most of us use ChatGPT for quick answers. Deep research is the other gear: you hand it a bigger question, it goes away and reads a lot of sources, and it comes back with a report you can check. For a freelancer sizing up a market, or a small business owner comparing suppliers, that can save an afternoon of tabs.

I've set out how to start it, how to steer it, what comes back and the limits OpenAI documents. Everything here comes from OpenAI's own help page, so menus and availability can differ for your account.

What ChatGPT deep research is

OpenAI describes deep research as a way to tackle complex online tasks by reasoning, researching and pulling information together into a documented report. It can use files you upload, search the public web or particular sites you choose, and draw on ChatGPT apps you've enabled.

It's built for questions with several steps, where you need to combine and compare information from different places. For a quick lookup or a short back-and-forth, OpenAI says standard chat is likely to be faster.

How to start a ChatGPT deep research task

OpenAI lists three ways in. Use whichever is easiest:

• Type /Deepresearch at the start of your prompt.
• Choose Deep research from the tools menu (the + button) in the prompt window.
• Choose Deep research from the sidebar menu.

Then follow this order, which mirrors the steps in OpenAI's help page:

1. Describe the outcome you need, including the question, the result you want and any limits.
2. Pick the sources you want it to use: uploaded files, specific websites, or enabled apps.
3. Read the research plan ChatGPT proposes. You can edit it before anything starts.
4. Let it run. You can watch progress and interrupt at any time to change the focus.
5. Open the finished report and check the sources.

Choosing sources for ChatGPT deep research

By default, deep research can reach the public web and any files you upload. You can narrow that down.

• Specific websites: open Sites, then Manage sites, in the prompt window. You can restrict the research to only the sites you enter, or pick the option that prioritises them while still allowing a wider web search.
• Uploaded files: attach documents such as a brief, notes or a spreadsheet, so the research starts from your material.
• Connected apps: depending on your account, region and workspace, sources can include document stores such as Google Drive or SharePoint.

OpenAI notes that app connections don't override the permissions set by the provider or your workspace, and that deep research only uses read actions from connected apps. It doesn't use write actions. Not every app supports deep research, so if one you expect is missing, check OpenAI's troubleshooting page for apps.

Writing a good ChatGPT deep research prompt

OpenAI's advice is that a good prompt clearly describes the question, the result you want and any relevant limits. ChatGPT may ask clarifying questions before it begins, so answer them in some detail, since it's far easier to fix the plan than the finished report. Here's how I'd frame a small-business request:

• Say who the report is for and what decision it should help with.
• Name the place or market, and the type of business, so it doesn't wander.
• Ask for the format you want, for example a short comparison table followed by a summary.
• Ask it to separate facts it found from anything it's inferring.
• Say which sources you trust, and which you'd like it to leave out.

If you want a sense of how ChatGPT answers differ from searching, my explainer on where ChatGPT gets its information is a useful companion.

What a ChatGPT deep research report gives you

OpenAI says every deep research output includes citations or source links so you can verify it. The finished work opens in a fullscreen report view with a table of contents for long reports, a sources used section for checking references, and an activity history showing how the research progressed.

You can download the report in several formats, including Markdown, Word and PDF, which is handy when you want to share it with a colleague or turn it into a client document.

Part of the report	What it's for
Table of contents	Jump around a long report
Sources used	Check each reference yourself
Activity history	See how the research progressed
Download options	Markdown, Word or PDF for reuse and sharing

Search or ChatGPT deep research: which to choose

OpenAI's own rule of thumb is that search is for quick facts and deep research is for depth and thoroughness. Search pulls recent information from the web and gives a short summary with links. Deep research takes longer, reads and analyses many sources, and produces a detailed report. If an answer is urgent, use search or standard chat and save deep research for work that can wait.

The limits of ChatGPT deep research

It's worth knowing these before you build a routine around it:

• Availability: OpenAI says deep research doesn't work in all countries, and availability depends on your account and your country or territory.
• Usage allowance: usage varies by account type. A counter in the product shows your remaining tasks, and where there's a fixed monthly allowance it resets every 30 days from your first use.
• Sources: only apps that support deep research, and that your workspace and role allow, can be used.
• Accuracy: the citations are there so you can check the work. A cited report can still contain mistakes, so open the sources behind anything important.

Privacy and your ChatGPT deep research data

OpenAI says deep research conversations follow the same data handling and privacy settings as regular ChatGPT conversations, and you can manage retention and training preferences in your data controls. Deleting the chat also deletes its associated deep research outputs under the retention policy. Be thoughtful about uploading client files, and check your data controls first.

How a small business can use ChatGPT deep research

• Comparing software options before you commit to a tool, with the sources listed.
• Getting up to speed on a new market or customer group before a pitch.
• Pulling together the background for a proposal or a blog post.
• Summarising a pile of uploaded documents against one question.
• Checking what's changed in a regulation or standard that affects your trade, then confirming it with the official body.

If you're deciding where AI belongs in your business and where it doesn't, I can help you work that out as an AI consultant.

Common mix-ups with ChatGPT deep research

• Deep research versus normal ChatGPT search: search gives a quick summary with links, while deep research gives a longer documented report.
• A source list versus proof: citations show where information came from, not that it's right.
• Deep research versus an agent that acts: deep research reads from connected apps, and OpenAI says it doesn't use their write actions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start deep research in ChatGPT?

Type /Deepresearch in a prompt, choose Deep research from the + tools menu in the prompt window, or choose it from the sidebar menu. Then describe your question and review the plan.

Can I edit the research plan?

Yes. OpenAI says ChatGPT proposes a research plan that you can review and modify before the research begins, and you can interrupt while it runs.

What does a deep research report include?

OpenAI says reports include citations or source links, a table of contents, a sources used section and an activity history. You can download them as Markdown, Word or PDF.

Does deep research work in every country?

No. OpenAI says availability depends on your account and your country or territory.

Can deep research use my own files and sites?

Yes. By default it can use the public web and files you upload, and you can choose specific websites or enabled apps as sources.

Is my deep research data private?

OpenAI says deep research follows the same data handling and privacy settings as regular ChatGPT conversations, and deleting the chat removes its research outputs under the retention policy.