Once you're comfortable with the basics, these features and techniques will take your ChatGPT usage to the next level.

Custom Instructions

Custom instructions let you set persistent preferences that apply to every conversation. Go to Settings → Personalization → Custom Instructions.

Example custom instructions:

• "I'm a marketing manager at a B2B SaaS company. Tailor examples to this context."
• "I prefer concise answers with bullet points unless I ask for detail."
• "When writing code, use TypeScript and include comments."

This saves you from repeating context in every new chat.

Memory

ChatGPT can now remember facts about you across conversations. It might remember your name, your job, your preferences, or projects you've mentioned. You can manage what it remembers in Settings → Personalization → Memory.

Custom GPTs

With a Plus subscription, you can create or use custom GPTs — specialized versions of ChatGPT tailored for specific tasks. Browse the GPT Store for thousands of community-created GPTs, or build your own:

• A writing assistant with your brand's style guide
• A code reviewer that follows your team's conventions
• A language tutor that practices a specific language with you

Web Browsing

When enabled, ChatGPT can search the internet to find current information. This is particularly useful for:

• Fact-checking recent events
• Finding current prices or availability
• Researching recent news or developments

Image Generation (DALL-E)

ChatGPT Plus users can generate images directly in the chat using DALL-E. Simply describe what you want:

"Generate a minimalist logo for a coffee shop called 'Morning Ritual' using earth tones"

You can iterate on the results, asking for modifications until you're satisfied.

Voice Conversations

The ChatGPT mobile app supports voice mode, allowing natural back-and-forth conversation. Advanced Voice Mode (GPT-4o) even understands tone and emotion, making it feel remarkably natural.

Canvas

Canvas is a collaborative workspace within ChatGPT for writing and coding. It opens a side panel where you can:

• Edit text directly alongside ChatGPT's suggestions
• Get inline comments and improvements
• Work on code with syntax highlighting and run capabilities

Pro Tips

• Use "Continue" if a response gets cut off
• Start prompts with "Step by step" for better reasoning
• Ask "What questions should I be asking about [topic]?" to discover angles you haven't considered
• Use "Respond in [language]" for multilingual output