ChatGPT’s free version now includes one of the most practical features previously available only to paid users — Projects. This addition seems to be a result of the growing competition in the AI landscape, but for users, it’s a welcome change. Projects make ChatGPT far more organized and context-aware, especially for people managing complex or multi-layered work.
A Project is essentially a workspace built around a specific context or theme. It allows you to conduct multiple chat conversations under the same framework, maintaining continuity and relevance across all discussions. Each project can have its own system prompt — a detailed description that defines the purpose, tone, or background of that workspace — and its own reference files. These files, which can include PDFs, Word documents, or images, help ChatGPT provide more accurate and informed responses within that specific project.
Projects are particularly useful for those juggling different roles or topics. For example, a doctor could create separate projects for hospital administration, academic research, and business strategy. Similarly, an author could create a project dedicated to a book, defining the theme and writing style in the system prompt while uploading reference materials such as research papers or other books.
Creating a project is simple. You just click on “New Project,” name it based on your use case (say, My Book), and set its memory to “Project only.” This ensures that ChatGPT draws information only from within that specific project, avoiding unrelated data from other chats. Once the project is created, you can customize it by adding instructions in the Add Instruction section. This is where you can describe your background, specify the writing tone, structure, or objectives — essentially training ChatGPT for the work you want it to do.
The Add Files section is another powerful component. Here you can upload any number of reference materials, such as your research data, source documents, or even inspirational texts by other authors. ChatGPT uses these files to better understand your goals and generate responses aligned with your project’s context.
Once your setup is complete, you can start chatting within the project — for instance, by typing Introduction to begin writing your book or Strategy Plan for your business. Almost all standard ChatGPT features are available inside projects, making them versatile and efficient for focused, ongoing work.
In short, the Projects feature turns ChatGPT from a simple chat tool into an intelligent, memory-driven workspace. Whether you’re managing a research study, writing a book, or running a clinic, Projects help keep your conversations organized, your context intact, and your creativity flowing without distractions.
