How To Use ChatGPT

Getting Started (2 minutes)

Go to chatgpt.com and click Sign up in the top right. You can use your Google account, Apple ID, or email.
You'll land in a chat window with a text box at the bottom that says "Message ChatGPT." That's your starting point.
Type a question or request and hit Enter. You'll get a response in a few seconds.
Try the paperclip icon to attach a photo , ask ChatGPT to explain what's in it or pull out text from a receipt.
Click Explore GPTs in the sidebar to browse mini-apps built for specific tasks (writing coach, trip planner, coding helper, and hundreds more).

Copy and paste these , swap out the brackets with your info.

Summarize a meeting: "Summarize this meeting transcript into: key decisions, action items with owners, and open questions. Keep it under 200 words. [paste transcript]"
Rewrite an email: "Rewrite this email to sound more professional but still friendly. Keep the same meaning: [paste email]"
Explain something complex: "Explain [topic] in plain terms that a 10-year-old would understand. Use an analogy."
Help me decide: "I'm choosing between [option A] and [option B] for [your situation]. Give me a pros and cons table for each, then tell me which you'd pick and why."
Plan dinner for the week: "Create a 5-day dinner meal plan for 2 adults. Budget: $75 total. Style: Mediterranean. Include a grocery list organized by store section."

Set up Custom Instructions (Settings ? Personalization). Tell ChatGPT your job, how you like responses formatted, and anything it should always know about you. This carries into every new chat , no more repeating yourself.
Build a custom GPT for work you do often. If you write the same kind of content regularly (product descriptions, client proposals, social posts), create a GPT with your templates and tone baked in. It's like training a new hire.
Use Canvas mode for long writing. It opens a side-by-side editor where you can highlight specific sections to revise instead of regenerating the whole thing.

Math you'd stake money on. ChatGPT occasionally trips on multi-step calculations or logic puzzles. Always double-check numbers before sending them to anyone.
Breaking news without prompting a search. It can browse the web, but left to its own devices it sometimes pulls from older training data. For time-sensitive info, ask it to search first.