// how to
How to use ChatGPT
Pick what you want to do. Each guide gives the steps, prompts you can copy into ChatGPT, an example of a good result, and the mistakes that waste your time.
ChatGPT how-tos
- 01
How to Use ChatGPT: A Beginner's Guide in 6 Steps
How to use ChatGPT for the first time: sign up, ask a clear question, add context, refine the answer, check the facts and keep your chats organized. With prompts to copy.
- 02
How to Write Better ChatGPT Prompts (8 Rules with Examples)
How to write ChatGPT prompts that get useful answers the first time: give a role, context, the task, the format and examples, and ask it to question you first. Before-and-after prompts to copy.
- 03
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Emails (With Prompts to Copy)
How to write emails with ChatGPT: give it the situation, the reader and the outcome you want, then edit for your own voice. Prompts for follow-ups, difficult replies, requests and saying no.
- 04
How to Use ChatGPT to Write or Improve Your Resume
How to use ChatGPT to write a resume: turn your duties into results, tailor it to each job ad, and check it reads well, without inventing anything. Prompts to copy.
- 05
How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Cover Letter That Doesn't Sound Generic
How to write a cover letter with ChatGPT that sounds like you: give it the job ad, your best two achievements and why you want this job, then cut the clichés. Prompts to copy.
- 06
How to Summarize a PDF or Long Document with ChatGPT
How to summarize a PDF, report or contract with ChatGPT: upload the file, say who the summary is for, ask for key points with page references, then check them against the document.
- 07
How to Use ChatGPT for Your Small Business: 10 Practical Jobs
How to use ChatGPT in a small business: customer emails, social posts, product descriptions, job ads, policies, meeting notes and planning, with a prompt for each and what to keep for yourself.
- 08
How to Write a Business Plan with ChatGPT (Without a Generic Template)
How to write a business plan with ChatGPT: let it interview you, draft each section from your answers, stress-test your numbers and assumptions, and write the summary last.
- 09
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Social Media Posts (a Week in 10 Minutes)
How to write social media posts with ChatGPT that sound like you: give it real news from your week, examples of past posts and each platform's style, then plan a week of posts at once.
- 10
How to Write Product Descriptions with ChatGPT That Actually Sell
How to write product descriptions with ChatGPT: give it the real facts, the buyer and their question, get benefit-first copy, and do a whole catalog consistently. Prompts to copy.
- 11
How to Respond to Customer Reviews with ChatGPT (Good and Bad)
How to reply to Google and Yelp reviews with ChatGPT: specific thank-yous for good reviews, calm and fair replies to bad ones, and the things you should never put in a public reply.
- 12
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Excel and Google Sheets Formulas
How to get working Excel and Google Sheets formulas from ChatGPT: describe your columns and the result you want, ask for an explanation, and test it on a few rows before trusting it.
- 13
How to Translate with ChatGPT (and When Not to Trust It)
How to translate with ChatGPT: give it the audience, the tone and a glossary of your terms, ask for a natural translation rather than word-for-word, and have important texts checked by a native speaker.
- 14
How to Study and Learn Anything Faster with ChatGPT
How to learn with ChatGPT instead of just copying answers: ask it to explain at your level, quiz you, find gaps in your understanding and build a study plan. Prompts for students and adults.
- 15
How to Keep Your Data Private in ChatGPT: Settings and Habits
How to keep your data private in ChatGPT: turn off model training in Data controls, use Temporary Chat for sensitive questions, delete old chats, and know what never to paste.
- 16
How to Fact-Check ChatGPT's Answers (and Spot Made-Up Facts)
How to fact-check ChatGPT: know which answers are risky, ask for sources and check they exist, cross-check numbers and quotes, and use web search for anything recent.
- 17
How to Set Custom Instructions in ChatGPT (with Examples)
How to set custom instructions in ChatGPT so every answer fits you: where the setting is, what to write about yourself and how you want answers, and examples for business owners and students.
- 18
How to Plan a Website with ChatGPT Before You Hire Anyone
How to plan a small business website with ChatGPT: list your customers' questions, choose your pages, draft the home page message and write a clear brief for a web designer.
- 19
How to Use ChatGPT to Write Code (Even as a Beginner)
How to write code with ChatGPT as a beginner: describe what you want in plain English, ask for small steps with explanations, run and test each piece, and paste errors back in.
- 20
How to Use Projects in ChatGPT to Keep Your Work Organized
How to use ChatGPT Projects: group related chats, add files and instructions once, and keep separate contexts for each client, course or business task. Setup steps and ideas.
Using AI to write code? See the AI coding guides and the AI glossary.