- Step 1: Sign up and find your way around
- Step 2: Write prompts that get useful answers
- Step 3: Add files, images and web searches
- Step 4: Set up memory so you repeat yourself less
- Step 5: Use projects for work you come back to
- Free or paid: which plan you need
- Privacy settings to check on day one
- My advice for your first week
- Frequently asked questions
To use ChatGPT, go to chatgpt.com or download the app, sign up for a free account and type what you need into the message box. Say what you want, who it's for and what format you'd like back, then reply with follow-up instructions until the answer is right.
ChatGPT is free to use, and OpenAI's own help page says free users get unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse-prevention safeguards. That's enough to learn everything in this guide. The paid plans mostly raise limits on the heavier tools, so there's no need to pay before you know how you'll use it. Here's the process from your first message to a setup that saves you time every week.
Step 1: Sign up and find your way around
- Go to chatgpt.com in any browser, or install the ChatGPT app on your phone or computer.
- Click Sign up and use an email address, or continue with a Google, Microsoft or Apple account.
- Once you're in, you'll see a message box at the bottom of the screen and a sidebar on the left with your past chats.
- Type a message, press Enter and wait for the reply. Every new topic is best started in a new chat, so the conversation stays focused.
If you already have an account on OpenAI's developer platform, you can log in to ChatGPT with the same details. OpenAI confirms that on its help centre, which saves you making a second account.
Step 2: Write prompts that get useful answers
A prompt is simply the message you send. Vague prompts get vague answers, so give ChatGPT the same detail you'd give a new assistant. I use four parts:
- The task: what you want written, explained, planned or checked.
- The context: who it's for and anything ChatGPT can't guess about your situation.
- The format: a list, a table, an email, a short paragraph, a set number of words.
- The tone: friendly, formal, plain English, British spelling.
So instead of asking for a social post, ask for three short LinkedIn posts for a bookkeeper who works with cafe owners, each under 80 words, friendly and with no hashtags. Then keep going. Reply with things like make the second one shorter, or that's too formal, try again. Most of the value comes from the second and third reply, not the first.
If you'd like ready-made starting points, my list of ChatGPT prompt examples for beginners has simple prompts you can copy and adapt.
Step 3: Add files, images and web searches
ChatGPT can do far more than chat. OpenAI's free tier page lists what free users can do as of October 2026:
| What you can do | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Search the web for current information | Ask about something recent and ChatGPT searches for it |
| Upload images or files | Click the + in the message box and attach a PDF, spreadsheet or photo |
| Analyse data | Upload a spreadsheet and ask for totals, trends or a chart |
| Create images | Describe the picture you want in plain words |
| Use GPTs | Open GPTs in the sidebar and pick one made for a task |
| Store files in Library | Free accounts get 500 MB of Library storage |
The catch is that these tools have their own limits, separate from the main chat limit. OpenAI says file uploads, image creation, data analysis and voice each have usage limits on the free tier, and ChatGPT tells you when you reach one. When that happens you wait until the limit resets, or upgrade.
Step 4: Set up memory so you repeat yourself less
Memory lets ChatGPT remember your preferences and details between chats. When it's switched on, it can draw on past chats, saved memories, custom instructions and files in your Library, depending on your plan and region. To check what's switched on:
- Open Settings.
- Select Personalization.
- Select Memory and review the controls you see.
You can also just ask ChatGPT what it remembers about you. A detail worth knowing: turning Memory off doesn't delete your past chats. If you want a one-off conversation that leaves no trace in your memories, use a temporary chat. OpenAI says temporary chats don't create or update memories. My guide to ChatGPT memory covers every setting in more depth.
Step 5: Use projects for work you come back to
Projects keep related chats, files and instructions together, so ChatGPT uses the same background every time. They're ideal for a weekly newsletter, a client account or a course you're writing.
- Select New project in the sidebar.
- Give it a name, then choose an icon and colour.
- Add files such as PDFs, spreadsheets or docs, or paste text in.
- Open the more options menu, choose Project settings and add instructions, for example be concise, use bullet points and ask me questions first.
Project instructions only apply inside that project, and they override your general custom instructions. That means you can have a formal voice for one client and a chatty one for your own social posts.
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Free or paid: which plan you need
Here's how the individual plans compare on OpenAI's pricing page, as of October 2026, in US dollars:
| Plan | Monthly | Best for, in OpenAI's words |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Trying out ChatGPT |
| Go | $8 | Longer conversations, with more uploads and image creation |
| Plus | $20 | Advanced work, with projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs |
| Pro | From $100 | Research and coding, with a choice of usage tiers |
OpenAI notes that the Go plan may include ads, and that ads may also appear on the free tier in certain countries. One more thing that surprises people: you can no longer create or publish new GPTs on a personal account, including Plus and Pro. You can still use existing GPTs, and creation is only available in Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces.
Privacy settings to check on day one
On personal accounts, OpenAI may use your chats to improve its models while Improve the model for everyone is switched on. You can turn that off under Data controls in Settings. By default, OpenAI doesn't train on content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or Edu workspaces. Whatever plan you're on, don't paste in passwords, client contracts or anything you'd be upset to see shared.
My advice for your first week
Pick one job you do every week, such as replying to enquiries or planning social posts, and do it with ChatGPT for seven days. Save the prompts that work in a note. By the end of the week you'll have a small library of your own prompts, and you'll know whether the free plan covers you. Always check facts, figures and names before you publish anything ChatGPT writes, because it can still get things wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes. OpenAI says ChatGPT is free to use, with unlimited everyday text chats for free users subject to abuse-prevention safeguards. Tools like file uploads, image creation and voice have separate limits.
Do I need to download an app to use ChatGPT?
No. You can use it in any browser at chatgpt.com. The apps for phones and computers are optional and use the same account.
Can ChatGPT search the internet?
Yes. Free users can search the web and get up-to-date information, according to OpenAI's free tier FAQ.
Can I make my own GPT on the free plan?
No. OpenAI says new GPT creation and publishing isn't available on personal accounts, including Free, Go, Plus and Pro. You can still use existing GPTs.
Does ChatGPT remember my previous chats?
It can, when Memory is switched on. You can review and change this under Settings, Personalization, Memory, and temporary chats don't create or update memories.
Can I use what ChatGPT writes for my business?
OpenAI's help centre says that, subject to its terms and policies, you own the output you create, whether you're on a free or paid plan. Check the facts before you publish it.
