ChatGPT Projects are dedicated workspaces that group related chats, custom instructions, and Library file references inside a single project page. Click the Projects link in the sidebar to open the Projects page, click New to create one, then attach files from the Library, move existing chats in, and share with teammates by email. Personal memories are disabled for shared projects. Verified May 2026.

How to Use ChatGPT Projects: Complete Workspace Guide (2026)

ChatGPT Projects turn a long-running effort into a coherent workspace. Instead of hunting for the right chat in a 500-row sidebar list, you open the project once and every conversation, file, and project-level instruction is there. This guide walks through every Projects control with current screenshots, covers the new Library tab (where files actually live since the April 2026 redesign), and shows where AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox) complements Projects with folders, full-text search across every project chat, and a prompt library. With 20,000+ active users and a 4.5/5 Chrome Web Store rating, AI Toolbox is the most installed productivity layer for ChatGPT.

What Are ChatGPT Projects?

Projects are workspaces inside ChatGPT that hold a scoped set of chats, project-level instructions, and references to files in your Library. Each project has its own detail view with a Chats tab (every conversation that belongs to the project) and a Sources tab (every file attached to the project). Project-level instructions apply only to chats inside that project, so you can keep a "blog drafting" voice in one project and a "code review" voice in another without rewriting custom instructions every time.

Projects are available on Free, Plus, Go, Pro, and Team plans as of May 2026 (Free supports a smaller file cap, see the comparison table below). The Projects link sits in the ChatGPT sidebar and opens a dedicated Projects page as the main view, not a chat. The page lists every project as a row in a Name + Modified table with a coloured icon assigned automatically.

How to Create a ChatGPT Project

Click the Projects link in the sidebar to open the Projects page, then click the black New button in the top-right of the page header. A naming prompt appears. Type a project name (the name you pick is what shows in the Projects table and at the top of the project detail view) and confirm. The new project appears as a row with Today as its Modified date and an automatically assigned coloured icon.

You can repeat this for as many projects as you need. The Projects page supports three tabs at the top: All / Created by you / Shared with you. Use the search input next to the New button to filter the list once you have more than a handful of projects.

Set Project-Level Custom Instructions

Open the project from the Projects page and open its settings to paste project-level custom instructions. Project instructions apply only to chats inside this project; your account-wide custom instructions still apply on top. Use this for context that should not bleed into other projects, things like brand voice, output format, or domain constraints.

Good project instructions are specific and prescriptive: "Always return outlines as Markdown H2 lists. Never use em dashes as punctuation. Cite plain numbers, not vague qualifiers ('saves 90 seconds' not 'much faster'). Match a friendly, professional tone." If you find yourself rewriting the same instructions across many chats, that is the signal to promote them into a project.

Add Reference Files via the Library

Files are not uploaded into a Project's settings anymore. Since the April 2026 redesign, every file you upload in any chat (including Project chats) and every file ChatGPT generates lands in the Library, a separate sidebar tab. The Library page has its own title, a search input, an All / Images / Files tab row, a filter + view toggle, and a Name + Modified + Size table.

The easiest way to attach a file to a Project: drag the file into any Project chat once. It uploads into the Library and is then available to attach to any other chat in that Project (or any other Project). To see everything you have ever uploaded, click the Library link in the sidebar. Per-project caps still apply (Free: 5, Plus and Go: 25, Pro and Team: 40), but the Library itself is unlimited and persists until you manually delete a file.

Move Existing Chats Into a Project

Right-click any chat in the main sidebar list to open the context menu, then choose Move to Project and pick the destination project. The chat leaves the main sidebar list and appears under the Chats tab of the project detail view. All message history, attachments, and Memory references are preserved.

Use this when you start a chat as a one-off and only later realise it belongs to a long-running effort. Common patterns: pulling an exploratory chat into a Project once you commit to the topic, consolidating scattered chats on the same client into one Project, or moving a draft chat into a Project once you have set the project-level instructions. There is no bulk-move action in the native UI, so each chat moves one at a time.

Search across every Project chat in one query. Projects organise your work; AI Toolbox makes it findable. Full-text search across every conversation including the chats inside every Project, folders and subfolders for cross-Project grouping, prompt library with the // shortcut, and prompt chaining for multi-step workflows. Free plan covers 2 folders, 2 pins, 2 saved prompts. Unlock unlimited everything on Premium ($9.99 per month) or pay once for Premium Lifetime ($99). Working across ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude? All Access Lifetime ($149) covers all three modules and saves $148 versus three single-platform Lifetimes ($99 × 3 = $297). Add AI Toolbox to Chrome free →

Inside the Project Detail View: Chats and Sources

Open a project from the Projects page to load the project detail view: project header (icon + name), compose input, character counter, then a Chats and Sources tab row. The Chats tab is selected by default and lists every chat in the project with the first-message preview and the date. The Sources tab holds every file currently attached to the project (the files come from your Library).

The compose input at the top of the project detail view starts a new chat inside this project. If you have AI Toolbox installed, the placeholder reads Message ChatGPT Normally, // Prompts, .. Chains, @@ Context, which means you can drop into the prompt library with //, fire a multi-step chain with .., or pull saved context blocks with @@ directly inside the project context. This is the fastest way to apply a saved prompt to a project chat without leaving the project view.

Share a ChatGPT Project (and What Happens to Memory)

Open the project and click Share to open the Share modal. The modal contains an email-invite input ("Email, separated by commas"), a Who has access dropdown defaulting to "Only those invited" (lock icon), an Owner row, three social-share icons (LinkedIn, Reddit, X), and a black Copy link button. Enter teammate emails to invite by mail, or change the dropdown to a wider access mode and click Copy link.

The modal also displays a grey warning box: "This project may include personal information. All project contents are visible to collaborators. Personal memories are disabled for shared projects." This is the non-obvious gotcha. When a project is shared, ChatGPT stops using your Memory entries inside any chat in that project, for everyone including the owner. If your project workflow depends on Memory (writing voice, ongoing context, role-specific preferences), keep the project private and copy-paste relevant context manually instead. If you do share, expect every chat, every file in Sources, and the project-level instructions to be visible to every collaborator.

Projects vs Folders: When to Use Each

Projects are native workspaces with their own instructions and file scope. Folders are an AI Toolbox feature that organise the main sidebar chat list visually. Both reduce sidebar clutter, but they solve different problems and they compose well together.

• Use a Project when you want ChatGPT to apply project-level custom instructions automatically, pull from a scoped file set, and keep a coherent context across many sessions. Long-running blog post writing, a client engagement, a research thread.
• Use an AI Toolbox folder when you want lighter visual grouping across every chat without changing how ChatGPT responds. AI Toolbox folders use search-based adding: you search the conversation list and add matches to the folder, no drag-and-drop required. Free plan supports 2 folders, unlimited on Premium.
• Use both together when you run several Projects but want a meta-grouping. Example: keep three client Projects (with their own instructions and Sources), then drop the same Projects into an AI Toolbox folder named "Client Work" for one-click sidebar filtering across all three.

Get More From Projects with AI Toolbox

Projects are great at organizing the context inside a single workspace. What they do not do is search across every Project at once, save the prompts that produced your best Project chats, or carry organisation into your Gemini and Claude workflows. That is what AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox) adds.

• Full-text search across every conversation, including the chats inside every Project. Use Cmd+Shift+F (Ctrl+Shift+F on Windows) to search by message content, role, or date range with exact-match toggle.
• Folders and subfolders for cross-Project grouping. Group three client Projects into one Client Work folder, or split Projects by stage (Drafting / In Review / Shipped).
• Prompt library and prompt chaining. Save the prompts that produce your best Project chats with {{placeholder}} variables. Paste any prompt with the // shortcut inside any Project compose input. Chain up to 10 prompts into a multi-step workflow with the .. shortcut.
• Bulk export of Project chats as TXT, Markdown, JSON, or PDF for local backup. Bulk export is a Premium feature.

AI Toolbox is also available for Gemini and Claude as part of the same unified install. The Gemini module adds full-text search across every synced Gemini conversation with date, role, and exact-match filters. The Claude module adds full-text search with exact-match toggle and message-level bookmarks. Pricing details are on the AI Toolbox pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ChatGPT Projects?

Projects are dedicated workspaces inside ChatGPT that group related chats, custom instructions, and file references in one place. Open the Projects page from the sidebar Projects link to see every project as a row with Name and Modified columns. Opening a project loads its detail view with Chats and Sources tabs. Projects keep long-running work (writing, research, planning) coherent across many sessions.

How do I create a ChatGPT Project?

Click the Projects link in the ChatGPT sidebar to open the Projects page. Click the black New button in the top-right of the page header. Name the project and confirm. The new project appears as a row in the Projects table with Today as its Modified date and a coloured icon assigned automatically.

How do I add files to a ChatGPT Project?

Files are not uploaded into a Project's settings anymore. They live in the Library, a separate sidebar tab that auto-collects every file uploaded in any chat (including Project chats) and every file ChatGPT generates. Drag a file into a Project chat once to push it into the Library, then any Project chat in that workspace can reference it. Per-tier file caps still apply (Free 5, Plus and Go 25, Pro and Team 40).

How do I move an existing chat into a ChatGPT Project?

In the main sidebar chat list, right-click any chat to open its context menu, then choose Move to Project and pick the destination from the project picker. The chat leaves the main list and appears under the Chats tab of the project detail view. The original message history, attachments, and Memory references are preserved.

What is the difference between ChatGPT Projects and Folders?

Projects are native ChatGPT workspaces with their own instructions, Library-file references, and chat list. Folders are an AI Toolbox feature that organize the main sidebar chat list using search-based adding. Use Projects when you want ChatGPT to apply project-level instructions and pull from a scoped file set automatically. Use AI Toolbox folders when you want lighter visual grouping across every chat without changing how ChatGPT responds.

Does sharing a ChatGPT Project disable Memory?

Yes. The Share project modal shows a warning stating Personal memories are disabled for shared projects. When you invite a teammate by email and they accept, ChatGPT stops using your saved Memory entries inside that project's chats. Shared projects also expose all chats, files, and instructions to every collaborator. To keep Memory active, do not share the project.

How many files can I attach to a ChatGPT Project?

ChatGPT Free supports 5 files per project. Plus and Go support 25 per project. Pro and Team support 40 per project. Files are pulled from the Library, so the per-project cap counts attached files, not your total Library size. Library itself is unlimited and persists until you manually delete files. To swap a referenced file for a different one, detach inside the project and attach the new file from the Library.

Can I share a ChatGPT Project with anyone?

Sharing happens via email invite or a Copy link. Open the project, click Share, and either enter emails separated by commas or change the Who has access dropdown from Only those invited to a wider option, then click Copy link. Collaborators see every chat, file, and instruction in the project. Personal memories are disabled for the shared project for everyone, including the owner.

Conclusion

Projects make ChatGPT usable for long-running work. Open the Projects page from the sidebar. Create a project with the New button. Paste project-level instructions in settings. Attach files from your Library (drag into any Project chat once and they land in the Library automatically). Move existing chats in with right-click → Move to Project. Open the project to see Chats and Sources side by side. Share only when you can accept that personal Memory turns off for everyone in the project. To search across every Project chat in one query, organise multiple Projects into folders, and save the prompts that produced your best Project chats, install AI Toolbox for Chrome: free plan covers 2 folders, 2 pins, 2 saved prompts, and full-text search with up to 5 results per query. Premium ($9.99 per month) or Premium Lifetime ($99 one-time) unlocks unlimited everything plus bulk export.

References and Further Reading

• OpenAI Help Center: Projects in ChatGPT (Retrieved May 2026)
• OpenAI ChatGPT Release Notes (Retrieved May 2026) — Library launch and Projects redesign timeline
• How to Manage ChatGPT Memory (2026) — why personal memories turn off in shared projects
• How to Use ChatGPT Canvas: Complete Guide (2026) — the other persistent surface inside ChatGPT
• ChatGPT Models Explained (2026) — which GPT-5.x models run inside Projects
• ChatGPT Limits: Messages, Tokens, Rate — per-plan caps that apply inside Projects
• How to Search ChatGPT History — full-text search across every Project chat
• How to Export ChatGPT Conversations — bulk export of Project chats

Last updated: May 30, 2026