Note: Projects are currently available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise and Edu plans worldwide.

Overview

Projects are smart workspaces that keep everything related to a long‑running effort in one place. Group together chats, upload reference files, and add custom instructions so ChatGPT remembers what matters and stays on‑topic. With memory, context, and flexible tools, they’re ideal for repeated and evolving work such as writing, research, planning, and more.

What’s new (June 2025)

Deep research – Run in-depth, multi-step research that blends your project context (chats, files, instructions) with public web sources.
Voice mode – Talk through ideas hands‑free or ask questions about an uploaded file by tapping the microphone in any project chat.
Share individual chats – Create a unique URL to share a chat from a project.
Mobile upgrades – Upload files and switch models directly from the ChatGPT app.
- Mobile users will need to update their app to the latest version.
Improved project memory – Memory can reference past chats in a project to keep responses focused and on-topic. (Available for Plus/Pro users)
Seamless project creation – Turn any chat into a project from the sidebar menu or just drag a chat into the project folder.

Getting started

Creating a project

Click New project in the sidebar and give it a clear, goal‑oriented name like “Wedding Planning” or “Mobile‑App Redesign.”

Add context or files

Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, or images in Files, and add project instructions to guide tone or role (e.g., “Act like my marketing mentor”). Instructions set in your project will not interact with any chats outside of your project, and will supersede custom instructions set in your ChatGPT account. Learn more about Custom Instructions on ChatGPT.

Moving existing chats into a project

From the chat list in the left sidebar, drag any chat onto your desired project, or onto New project to create a new project. You can also click on the chat’s menu and select Move to project or Create New Project.

Once you move the chat into the project, the chat can now continue in the context of the project. This means that any Custom Instructions and files in your project will impact responses from ChatGPT for that chat.

You can remove a chat from your project by clicking on the chat’s menu and selecting Remove, or by dragging it out of the project.

Chat, research, iterate

Use your favorite ChatGPT tools right inside of a project:

Deep research - construct comprehensive reports
Image generation - for visuals that jump-start design thinking
Voice mode - for quick back‑and‑forth or hands-free Q&A
Canvas - Draft docs, code, or layouts when you need more than chat
Share - Create a unique URL to share a chat from a project
- Note that this link grants access solely to the respective chat; no other project chat, files, custom instructions, and history are shared.

Deleting projects

You can delete your project by selecting the dots next to your project name and selecting Delete project. This will delete your files, chats, and custom instructions in the project. Once they are deleted, they cannot be recovered.

Plans & limits

Users can create unlimited projects, each supporting up to 20 files, subject to rate limits.

Admin controls, data, and compliance API

Workspace-level feature controls

Projects inherit all toggles and restrictions that apply to your Team, Enterprise, or Edu workspace:

Tool availability – If Deep Research, Voice Mode, or any other feature is disabled at the workspace level, it is automatically disabled inside every Project.
Data controls – Retention windows, data-residency locations, and memory settings continue to apply without extra configuration.
Security – Projects use the same encryption, access controls, and audit logging as standard chats; no new surface area is introduced.

Note: That there is currently no way to disable projects at the workspace level.

Compliance API

The current Compliance API endpoints and behavior for chats in projects remain unchanged. For details, see the Compliance API reference.

Data Retention & Residency

All messages created in a project inherit the retention duration and residency region configured for your workspace. No separate retention policy is required, and deleted projects and their chats, files, and custom instructions are removed from our systems within 30 days unless we’re required to retain them for legal or security reasons.

For additional information on the data retention policy, please refer to our help article: Chat and File Retention Policies in ChatGPT

FAQ

Does using projects change how my data is handled?

For ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and Edu customers, we do not use information accessed from projects to train our modes by default. Please see our Enterprise Privacy page for information on how we use business data.

For ChatGPT Free, Plus, and Pro users, we may use information accessed from projects to train our models if your “Improve the model for everyone” setting is on. You can read more about how your data is stored and used in this article in our help center: Data Controls FAQ

How does memory work in projects?

If memory for your account is enabled, it remains active across all chats, including chats in your projects.

For Plus and Pro users: In addition to saved memories, ChatGPT can reference previous chats within a project to deliver more relevant, focused responses. When you ask a question in a project, ChatGPT prioritizes the project chats and files.

Note: Both settings Reference saved memories and Reference chat history must be enabled in settings in order to reference past chats in projects. Reference chat history is available for Plus and Pro users.

Do projects cost extra?

No, access to projects is included with every qualifying ChatGPT plan. Any credits or usage charges—such as those for models or tools—apply to project chats the same as they do to regular chats.

What happens if I hit my file limit?

Remove older or unnecessary uploads, combine file data, or split work into multiple projects.

Are connectors supported in projects?

Connectors are currently not supported.

How can I search for a chat I had within a project?

Use the search chats feature to locate past chats within a project. It lets you quickly find and revisit discussions you've had in that project, and others.