These settings are buried in menus most users never open. Enabling them takes 2 minutes and improves every conversation.
SETTING 1: CUSTOM INSTRUCTIONS
Where: Click your profile picture → Customise ChatGPT
This is the most impactful setting most users ignore. You fill in two boxes:
- "What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?"
- "How would you like ChatGPT to respond?"
Example setup: What to know: "I'm a freelance marketing consultant. I work with small e-commerce businesses. I have 10 years of experience in direct response copywriting. I'm British — use British English spelling."
How to respond: "Be direct and practical. Skip disclaimers unless they're genuinely necessary. Don't use bullet points unless I ask — write in clear prose. If you're unsure what I want, ask before writing."
Result: Every conversation starts with Claude knowing who you are. No more repetitive context-setting.
SETTING 2: MEMORY
Where: Settings → Personalization → Memory
When enabled, ChatGPT remembers things across conversations:
- Your preferences and habits
- Context about your work and life
- Things you've told it to remember
How to use it: After any conversation, say "Remember that I prefer X" or "Remember I work in Y industry." ChatGPT stores this and uses it in future conversations.
To see what it's stored: Settings → Personalization → Manage Memory
SETTING 3: ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS (CODE INTERPRETER)
Where: In any conversation, click the + icon to attach a file, or use the model selector to ensure you're on GPT-4o.
This setting lets ChatGPT:
- Run Python code in a sandboxed environment
- Analyse spreadsheets, CSVs, and data files
- Create charts and visualisations
- Perform actual calculations (not just verbal maths)
How to use: Upload a spreadsheet and ask "Analyse this data and show me a chart of [PATTERN]." ChatGPT writes the code, runs it, and shows you the output.
SETTING 4: BROWSING
Where: GPT-4o has browsing enabled by default on Plus. Verify in model settings.
When enabled, ChatGPT can search the internet for current information. This removes the knowledge cutoff problem for research questions.
Best uses:
- "What's the current pricing for [PRODUCT]?"
- "What's been happening with [TOPIC] in the last week?"
- "Find me the 5 most recent studies on [TOPIC]"
SETTING 5: TEMPORARY CHAT
Where: Bottom of the sidebar → "New Temporary Chat"
Temporary chats are not saved to your history and not used to train the model. Use these for:
- Sensitive personal or business information
- Medical, legal, or financial questions you don't want stored
- Testing prompts you don't want in your history
The conversation disappears when you close the window.
BONUS: KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
- Enter → Send message (Shift+Enter for new line)
- Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + C → Copy code block
- Ctrl/Cmd + K → New chat
- Ctrl/Cmd + / → Show all shortcuts
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