ChatGPT Projects Setup Guide 2026: Instructions & Settings

ChatGPT Projects is one of OpenAI's most underused features. It gives you persistent workspaces—conversations grouped by topic, with shared files and custom instructions that carry across every chat inside that project.

Most people either ignore it or set it up wrong. They create a project, name it, and start chatting. No instructions. No files. No structure.

That's like opening a new Google Doc and expecting it to format itself.

This guide shows you how to set up Projects properly, how to use the GPT Builder to create Custom GPTs with your style baked in, and how to combine both for AI that actually sounds like you.

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What Are ChatGPT Projects? (And Why They Matter)

Projects are persistent workspaces inside ChatGPT. Each project has its own:

• Conversations — Every chat you start in a project stays organized under it
• Instructions — Custom directives that apply to every conversation in the project
• Files — Documents, PDFs, code, or reference material the AI can access throughout

Think of Projects as folders with context. When you open a project and start a new conversation, ChatGPT already knows the instructions and has access to the files. You don't repeat yourself.

Example use cases:

• A "Client Proposals" project with your proposal template, brand guidelines, and instructions for tone
• A "Weekly Reports" project with past reports as reference and formatting rules
• A "Content Writing" project with your style guide and blog post structure
• A "Code Review" project with your codebase conventions and preferred patterns

If you're setting up ChatGPT for professional work, our ChatGPT for Work guide covers the broader strategy. The key advantage of Projects specifically is persistence. Instructions set once apply to every future conversation in that project. Files uploaded once are available across all chats. Context accumulates instead of resetting.

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Projects vs. Custom GPTs vs. Memory

These three features overlap—and most people confuse them. Here's the distinction:

Memory: Passive Learning

Memory stores facts about you across all conversations. Your name, your role, your preferences. It's automatic and global.

Scope: All conversations, all the time Control: Low — ChatGPT decides what to remember Best for: Personal context (who you are, what you do)

Custom Instructions: Global Rules

Custom instructions are directives you set once that apply to every conversation. They live in your settings, not in any specific project.

Scope: All conversations (unless overridden) Control: High — you write the rules Best for: Baseline voice and format preferences

Projects: Scoped Workspaces

Projects combine instructions + files + conversation history into a single workspace. Instructions in a project override or supplement your global custom instructions.

Scope: Only conversations inside that project Control: High — you set project-specific instructions and files Best for: Workflow-specific context and rules

Custom GPTs: Reusable Bots

Custom GPTs (built with GPT Builder) are standalone AI assistants with their own instructions, knowledge, and capabilities. They're shareable and can be published.

Scope: Standalone — works as its own "app" Control: High — full configuration via GPT Builder Best for: Repeatable tasks you want to package and share

The short version: Memory handles who you are. Custom instructions handle your defaults. Projects handle workflow context. Custom GPTs handle specialized tasks. For a full breakdown of all ChatGPT voice settings and how they interact, see our ChatGPT Voice Settings guide.

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Step-by-Step: Setting Up a ChatGPT Project

Step 1: Create the Project

1. Open ChatGPT
2. Click the Projects icon in the left sidebar (folder icon)
3. Click "New Project"
4. Name it something specific — "Q1 Marketing Copy" is better than "Marketing"

A vague name leads to vague usage. Specific names keep you organized.

Step 2: Set Project Instructions

This is where most people stop too early—or skip entirely.

Click into your project, then click "Project instructions" (or the gear icon). You'll see a text field for instructions that apply to every conversation in this project.

What to include:

• Context: What this project is about, who the audience is
• Format rules: How output should be structured
• Tone directives: How formal, how direct, what to avoid
• Reference points: Key terminology, brand names, conventions

Example for a "Client Emails" project:

This project is for drafting client-facing emails.

Audience: B2B SaaS executives and product managers.

Rules:
- Lead with the main point in the first sentence
- Keep emails under 150 words unless I specify otherwise
- Use bullet points for lists of 3+ items
- Sign off with "Best, [Name]" unless I say otherwise
- Never use "I hope this email finds you well" or "Just following up"
- Tone: Professional but not stiff. Direct. No hedging.

The more specific your instructions, the less you correct the AI later.

Step 3: Add Files

Click "Add files" to upload reference material. Projects support PDFs, documents, images, code files, and more.

High-value files to include:

• Brand guidelines or style guides
• Templates you want the AI to follow
• Past examples of work you've approved
• Technical documentation relevant to the project
• Data or research the AI should reference

ChatGPT will use these files as context when generating responses. You don't need to paste content into each conversation—the AI already has it.

Step 4: Start a Conversation

Now start chatting. Every conversation you open inside this project inherits the instructions and has access to the files.

Pro tip: Your first conversation in a project is a good test. Ask ChatGPT to draft something and check whether it follows your instructions. If it misses something, refine the instructions before you go further.

Step 5: Organize Ongoing Work

As you accumulate conversations in a project, they stay grouped and searchable. You can:

• Name conversations for easy reference
• Archive old ones to reduce clutter
• Update project instructions as your needs evolve

For advanced project workflows, templates, and common mistakes to avoid, see our ChatGPT Projects advanced guide.

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Adding Your Writing Style to a Project

Here's where Projects become powerful for style consistency.

Your project instructions field accepts up to several thousand characters. That's enough space to include a comprehensive set of style rules—what we call a Master Prompt.

What Is a Master Prompt?

A Master Prompt is a structured document that captures your writing patterns: sentence rhythm, punctuation habits, formality calibration, audience-specific shifts, anti-patterns, and more. It's the output of a Style Profile—a systematic analysis of how you actually write.

Think of it as custom instructions on steroids. Instead of "be concise and professional," a Master Prompt contains dozens of specific rules extracted from your real writing.

How to Add Your Master Prompt to a Project

1. Open your project
2. Go to Project instructions
3. Paste your Master Prompt into the instructions field
4. Add any project-specific context above or below it

Example structure:

[PROJECT CONTEXT]
This project is for drafting weekly team updates.
Audience: My direct reports (engineering team of 8).

[VOICE RULES — MASTER PROMPT]
(Paste your Master Prompt here)

[PROJECT-SPECIFIC OVERRIDES]
- Always include a "Wins this week" section
- Use casual register (Level 2 formality)
- Include at least one specific shout-out per update

Now every conversation in that project writes in your voice and follows the project-specific format. You don't paste your style rules into each chat. You set them once.

What If You Don't Have a Master Prompt?

You can build custom instructions manually using the framework in our Custom GPT Instructions guide. Or you can use our guide on how to build custom instructions that analyze your writing patterns for a deeper approach.

The manual route works. It's time-intensive—you're analyzing your own writing patterns, which is hard to do objectively. A Style Profile automates that analysis and generates the Master Prompt for you, ready to paste into any project.

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Custom GPT Builder Deep Dive

Projects organize your workflows. Custom GPTs let you build standalone AI assistants with specific capabilities. Both can carry your writing style—but they serve different purposes.

What Is the GPT Builder?

The GPT Builder is OpenAI's tool for creating Custom GPTs. You access it from your ChatGPT dashboard by clicking "Create a GPT" or by visiting the GPT editor directly.

A Custom GPT is a configured version of ChatGPT with its own:

• Instructions — System-level directives that define its behavior
• Knowledge — Files uploaded that the GPT can reference
• Capabilities — Web browsing, image generation, code execution (toggleable)
• Actions — API connections to external services

Step-by-Step: Building a Custom GPT With Your Style

1. Open the GPT Builder

Click "Explore GPTs" in the sidebar, then "Create" in the top right. You'll land in the GPT Builder interface with two tabs: Create and Configure.

The Create tab is a conversational setup—GPT Builder asks you questions and configures the GPT based on your answers. The Configure tab gives you direct access to all settings.

Use the Configure tab. It's faster and more precise.

2. Set the Name and Description

• Name: Something functional. "Email Drafter — My Voice" or "Content Writer — Brand Style"
• Description: One sentence explaining what this GPT does

3. Write the Instructions

This is the most important field. It defines how your Custom GPT behaves.

Structure your instructions like this:

ROLE:
You are a writing assistant that drafts content in my specific writing style.
Follow the style rules below exactly.

VOICE RULES:
(Paste your Master Prompt here)

BEHAVIOR:
- Always ask for the audience and context before drafting
- Offer 2 versions if the format isn't specified: concise and detailed
- Flag anything that deviates from the style rules above
- Never add disclaimers or hedging language unless I explicitly ask

OUTPUT FORMAT:
- Emails: Under 150 words, bulleted action items
- Reports: Headers, short paragraphs, data-first
- Slack messages: 1-3 sentences maximum

The Master Prompt goes in the VOICE RULES section. Everything else is behavioral configuration for this specific GPT.

4. Upload Knowledge Files

Add files your GPT should reference:

• Your Master Prompt as a separate document (so the GPT can reference it explicitly)
• Brand guidelines
• Writing samples you've approved
• Templates for common outputs

5. Configure Capabilities

Toggle on/off based on your needs:

• Web Browsing — Enable if your GPT needs to research or reference URLs
• DALL-E Image Generation — Usually off for writing GPTs
• Code Interpreter — Enable if your GPT processes data or analyzes documents

6. Test and Iterate

Use the preview panel on the right to test your GPT. Ask it to draft a few things. Check whether the output matches your voice and follows the instructions.

If something's off:

• Tighten the instructions with more specific rules
• Add examples of correct output
• Add explicit anti-patterns ("Never start an email with...")

7. Save and Share

Click Save and choose visibility:

• Only me — Private use
• Anyone with the link — Share with your team
• Public — Listed in the GPT Store

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ChatGPT Projects Decision Matrix: When to Use What

The most common combination: Custom instructions for your baseline voice + Projects for workflow-specific context + Memory running passively in the background.

The power-user combination: Custom GPTs for specialized tasks + Projects for ongoing work + a Master Prompt deployed across all of them.

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Power User Tips

Tip 1: Layer Your Instructions

Use custom instructions for your universal style baseline. Use project instructions for workflow-specific adjustments. This prevents duplication and keeps each layer focused.

Custom instructions: Your core style rules (sentence rhythm, anti-patterns, formality default) Project instructions: Audience-specific context, format requirements, project goals

Tip 2: Create a "Master Voice" Custom GPT

Build one Custom GPT dedicated to writing in your voice. Upload your Master Prompt as both instructions and a knowledge file. Use this GPT whenever you need polished output that sounds like you.

Then create Projects for specific workflows that reference the same style foundation.

Tip 3: Use Projects for Client Separation

If you manage multiple clients or brands, create a separate project for each. Each project gets its own instructions (with the appropriate voice calibration) and its own reference files.

This prevents context bleeding between clients while maintaining your personal voice across all of them.

Tip 4: Combine Memory + Projects Strategically

Let Memory handle the facts: your name, role, ongoing priorities, recent context. Let project instructions handle the rules: how to write, what format to use, what to avoid.

Memory is automatic. Instructions are deliberate. Use both. For a deeper comparison, read our breakdown of ChatGPT Memory vs. Style Profiles.

Tip 5: Keep Your Master Prompt Portable

The biggest limitation of Projects and Custom GPTs is that they're locked to ChatGPT. Your Master Prompt isn't.

Save your Master Prompt as a standalone document. Deploy it as a Claude Project system prompt, a Gemini Gem, or a Custom GPT's instructions. One style document, every AI platform.

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Making It All Work Together

Here's the setup that covers all your bases:

1. Memory — Running passively. Stores your facts and preferences. Zero maintenance.
2. Custom Instructions — Your baseline style rules. Applies globally unless overridden.
3. Projects — One per major workflow. Each has its own instructions and files.
4. Custom GPT — For specialized, repeatable tasks. Shareable with your team.
5. Master Prompt — The portable voice document that powers everything above.

The first four are ChatGPT features. The fifth—your Master Prompt—is the connective tissue. It's what makes your voice consistent across every project, every GPT, and every AI platform you use.

Without it, you have organized workspaces that still produce generic output. With it, every workspace writes like you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are ChatGPT Projects available on the free plan?

Yes. As of late 2025, ChatGPT Projects are available to all users, including free tier. Plus and Team subscribers get additional features like sharing and collaboration.

Can you share ChatGPT Projects with others?

Yes. You can share projects with team members and set access levels — "Can Chat" (use the project) or "Can Edit" (modify instructions and files). This makes Projects useful for team-wide style consistency.

What's the character limit for Project instructions?

Project instructions support several thousand characters — enough for a comprehensive set of style rules. For instructions that exceed the limit, upload them as a file in the project's knowledge base.

Can I use ChatGPT Projects with GPT-5?

Yes. Projects work with whatever model ChatGPT makes available. The instructions and files you configure apply regardless of the underlying model version.

What's the difference between Projects and Custom GPTs?

Projects are workspaces for your own ongoing work — conversations stay organized with shared context. Custom GPTs are standalone assistants you can configure and share with others. Use Projects for workflow organization, Custom GPTs for repeatable tasks. For a deeper look at Custom GPTs, see our Custom GPT Instructions guide.

Do Project instructions override Custom Instructions?

Project instructions supplement your global custom instructions. When there's a conflict, project-specific instructions take priority within that project's conversations.

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Get Your Free Writing DNA Snapshot

Curious about your unique writing style? Try our free Writing DNA Snapshot — it's free and no credit card is required. See how AI can learn to write exactly like you — for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI tool. Get started with My Writing Twin.