To use ChatGPT, go to chatgpt.com or download the app, sign up for a free account, type what you need in the message box, and refine the answer with follow-up instructions until it fits. You don't have to pay to start: the official ChatGPT pricing page lists unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna on the Free plan (subject to abuse guardrails), plus limited file uploads, image creation, voice chats and deep research.
This ChatGPT tutorial covers setup, prompts that get useful answers and 10 practical uses with example prompts. Every plan detail below was checked against OpenAI's pricing page and help center on September 30, 2026.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI assistant built by OpenAI that you talk to in plain language. OpenAI describes it as a tool for everyday tasks like brainstorming, writing, studying, planning, math, coding and analyzing images or files.
Behind the chat window there is a large language model, or LLM.
An LLM is an AI model trained on huge amounts of text. It generates responses from patterns learned in training, so better input usually means better output.
The models change often. Right now, according to OpenAI's help center, GPT-5.6 Luna is the default model for Free and Go users, while GPT-5.6 Sol and a Thinking slider for harder problems are rolling out to eligible paid plans. For the bigger picture, our guide on how to use AI covers habits that work with any assistant.
How to use ChatGPT step by step
These five steps cover how to use ChatGPT for beginners, from your first login to a conversation that actually saves you time.
1. Open ChatGPT and create a free account
Go to chatgpt.com in any browser. In supported regions you can try it without an account, but signing up for free is worth it: you keep your chat history and can use projects, which are only available to signed-in users. You must be at least 13 years old, and anyone under 18 needs a parent's or legal guardian's permission, according to OpenAI's Terms of Use.
2. Choose where to use it: web, desktop or mobile
- Web: chatgpt.com in any browser, with nothing to install.
- Desktop: the new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows brings Chat, Work and Codex together. Work is an agent for longer, multi-step tasks that produces finished deliverables, while Codex is for software development.
- Mobile: the iOS and Android apps let you chat and talk to ChatGPT on the go. Get them from the official ChatGPT download page to avoid copycat apps; that page notes ChatGPT Work on mobile requires Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise.
3. Write your first prompt
A prompt is the message you send. It can be a question ("Explain compound interest with a simple example") or a task ("Write a short message asking my manager for Friday off"). For more, read what is a prompt, our breakdown of prompt parts, types and examples.
4. Read the answer, then ask for changes
ChatGPT remembers context within the same chat, so you can reply "make it shorter," "put that in a table" or "give me three more formal versions" without repeating yourself. Check every answer for accuracy and tone, and verify anything about health, money, law or dates with a reliable source.
5. Organize your work with projects
Start a new chat when you change topics. For recurring work, like a class or a weekly report, create a project: projects keep related chats, files and instructions together, and you can start on one device and continue on another.
ChatGPT plans in 2026: what you get for free
This table summarizes the official ChatGPT pricing page as of September 30, 2026. Prices are monthly, in US dollars, and can vary by country.
| Plan | Best for | What it includes (summary) | US price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Trying ChatGPT and daily use | Unlimited text chats with GPT-5.6 Luna; limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research, memory and Codex | $0 |
| Go | Longer conversations | More tool messages, uploads, images, voice chats and memory than Free; may include ads | $8/month |
| Plus | Advanced work and productivity | Advanced reasoning models with GPT-6, expanded deep research, scheduled tasks, more Codex and ChatGPT Work on desktop, web and mobile | $20/month |
| Pro | Heavy research and coding | Three usage tiers, Pro reasoning powered by GPT-6 Astra and unlimited image creation | From $100/month |
| Business and Enterprise | Teams and companies | Shared workspaces and admin controls; Business starts at two users | Per user |
Plus costs $20 a month, billed monthly, and Pro comes in three tiers at $100, $200 and $500 a month. Free plan limits worth knowing:
- Free users can upload 3 files per day, and each file can be up to 512 MB, with images capped at 20 MB.
- Image creation, voice and data analysis have their own caps, and ChatGPT tells you when you reach one, as the Free tier FAQ explains.
- Free and Go users can select Think for harder questions. It runs on GPT-5.6 Luna and sits in the + menu on mobile, with web access rolling out.
- In Instant mode, one message can hold about 12 pages of text on Free, compared with about 40 on Go and Plus, according to the plan comparison table.
Our advice: stay on Free until you hit its limits every week. Go suits people who need more uploads and images; Plus fits once you rely on reasoning models or deep research.
How to write a good ChatGPT prompt (with examples)
OpenAI's prompting advice comes down to being clear and specific, giving enough context, naming the tone you want and refining the prompt based on each answer. In practice, a strong prompt has five parts:
- Role: who ChatGPT should act as ("Act as a hiring manager at a software company").
- Task: what to do, with a clear verb (summarize, compare, draft, explain).
- Context: who it's for, what you already know and any constraints.
- Format: a table, bullet list, email or word count.
- Tone: formal, friendly, direct or playful.
See the difference:
- Weak prompt: "Make me a plan to learn Excel."
- Better prompt: "Act as an Excel trainer. I work in operations, I have 4 hours a week, and I want to build pivot tables confidently in two months. Give me a weekly plan in a table with a goal, a practice exercise and a way to check my progress. Keep the tone direct."
Three habits help: ask ChatGPT to ask clarifying questions first, show it an example of the output you want, and split big tasks into steps. If you repeat the same preferences in every chat, save them as custom instructions in Settings > Personalization on the web. Free and Go users can save up to 1,500 characters, and Plus and higher plans up to 5,000.
Want ready-made templates? Our playbook of ChatGPT prompts for work has copy-and-paste prompts for email, meetings, planning and research.
10 practical ways to use ChatGPT (with example prompts)
Copy a prompt, replace the part in brackets and refine from there.
| Use | Example prompt |
|---|---|
| Summarize a document | "Summarize this PDF in 5 key points and list any decisions it asks me to make." |
| Write an email | "Write a short, friendly email to [client] moving Thursday's meeting to Monday. Keep it under 100 words." |
| Learn a new topic | "Explain [topic] as if I'm a complete beginner, then ask me 3 questions to check that I understood." |
| Prepare for a job interview | "Act as a recruiter hiring a [job title]. Ask me 5 interview questions one at a time and rate each answer." |
| Plan your week | "Here are my tasks: [list]. Rank them by urgency and impact and spread them across Monday to Friday." |
| Analyze data | "I've attached a sales spreadsheet. Which product grew fastest? Make a chart by month." |
| Understand code | "Explain what this Python code does line by line and suggest one improvement: [code]." |
| Rewrite for an audience | "Rewrite this paragraph for readers with no technical background, in plain language: [text]." |
| Brainstorm ideas | "Give me 10 name ideas for a book-themed coffee shop and explain each one in a sentence." |
| Research current news | "Search the web for this month's updates on [topic] and cite each source with a link." |
ChatGPT features worth knowing
Availability of each feature depends on your plan and region.
- Web search: ChatGPT searches the internet when a question needs current information, or when you type / and select Search. It's available on every plan, even signed out, and answers can include citations.
- Voice: talk to ChatGPT and hear the reply. Free users get limited access to GPT-Live-1 mini, Go includes 3 hours with GPT-Live-1 mini and Plus 3 hours with GPT-Live-1, measured over a rolling 24-hour period, per the ChatGPT Voice help page.
- Files and data analysis: attach PDFs, spreadsheets, presentations or photos to summarize, compare or extract data. File uploads work on Free and paid plans, with plan-specific limits.
- Image creation: describe an image and ChatGPT creates it in the chat, or upload a photo and describe the edits you want. ChatGPT Images is available on all tiers on web, iOS and Android, and OpenAI notes that ChatGPT images include C2PA provenance metadata.
- Deep research: for multi-step questions, ChatGPT proposes an editable research plan, works through many sources and delivers a structured report with citations, as the deep research guide describes. On Free, access is limited.
- Study mode: instead of handing you the answer, ChatGPT asks questions and checks your understanding. It's available on all plans on web, iOS and Android; type @study or choose Study from the + menu.
- Memory: ChatGPT can remember your preferences across chats; review, correct or delete them in Settings > Personalization > Memory, as the memory help page explains.
Tip for images: ask ChatGPT to write a detailed description first, tweak it until it matches what you picture, and only then ask it to generate the image.
What happened to GPTs?
GPTs are versions of ChatGPT configured for a specific purpose. You can still use them from Explore GPTs once you're signed in, but personal accounts, including Free, Go, Plus and Pro, can no longer create new GPTs. OpenAI has scheduled custom GPTs to retire on December 11, 2026 and recommends moving to plugins, which bundle reusable instructions with connected apps. You'll find them under Plugins in the sidebar.
Privacy and data controls
- Model training: if you don't want your new conversations used to train OpenAI's models, go to Settings > Data controls and turn off "Improve the model for everyone," as the data controls page explains.
- Temporary Chat: these chats don't appear in your history and aren't used for training, although OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes.
- Sensitive data: don't paste passwords, bank details, medical records or client information. For company work, a managed workspace is safer, because OpenAI doesn't train on Business, Enterprise or Edu content by default.
- Ads: ad testing started in the United States on February 9, 2026, and ads may appear on Free and Go. They're labeled as sponsored, OpenAI says they don't influence answers, and Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts don't see them.
- Your data: export it from Settings > Data Controls > Export or delete your account from Settings, per OpenAI's ChatGPT FAQ.
Limits and common mistakes to avoid
ChatGPT is fast, but it isn't always right. OpenAI itself warns that search results and citations can be incomplete, outdated or incorrect. Watch out for these beginner mistakes:
- Treating it as an infallible source. It can state made-up facts with total confidence (a hallucination). Ask for sources on numbers and dates, then open them.
- Writing one-line prompts. "Write my resume" gets you something generic. Your experience, the target job and the format you want get you something usable.
- Mixing topics in one chat. The context gets muddled. Start a new chat or move the work into a project.
- Copying without reviewing. You're responsible for what you send or submit, and for graded schoolwork OpenAI asks you to follow your school's AI-use policies.
- Giving up after the first answer. The value is in iterating with specific requests, like "cut this by half" or "add a real example from retail."
To see which other tools fit your work, browse our map of AI tools.
Your next step: practice for a week, then build real skills
Pick three uses from the table and practice them for a week. Create a project for each one, save the prompts that work best, and note which tasks actually save you time.
To get better at prompting for free, take our prompt engineering course, an interactive exercise of about 5 hours.
To use AI at work with guidance, 4Geeks Academy offers two options. AI Fluency is a 4-week program for using AI on the job without coding, with 1:1 mentorship, a 24/7 AI tutor (Rigobot) and a certificate. Our Applied AI Course runs 6 weeks for working professionals and includes a certificate recognized by the Florida Department of Education. See how they differ in our program comparison.