How to Use ChatGPT: Everything You Need to Know

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A user-friendly guide to working with ChatGPT's AI chatbot

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: September 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Creating an Account
|
• Entering a Prompt
|
• Deleting Your Chat History
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

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Are you curious about ChatGPT? As a popular AI tool, ChatGPT can be used to generate answers to prompts and requests, engage in conversation, and more. You don't need to create an account to access ChatGPT, though some features like GPT-5 are only for ChatGPT Premium users. This guide will show you how to get started with ChatGPT by creating an account, entering prompts, and managing your chat history. We've also included expert tips from technologist Tyrone Showers on maximizing the benefits of ChatGPT.

Using ChatGPT: Quick Steps

1. Go to ChatGPT's website or open the ChatGPT mobile app.
2. Sign up for a free ChatGPT account.
3. Subscribe to a premium ChatGPT option (if desired) if you want the latest model.
4. Send ChatGPT a prompt, such as asking it to write an email, debug code, or conduct research.
5. Continue the conversation with ChatGPT to get more information.
6. Start a new chat when you have a new prompt for ChatGPT.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Creating an Account

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1. 
   1
   Go to ChatGPT in a web browser. You can get there by going to chatgpt.com/auth/login. You can use a desktop or mobile browser. If you aren't logged into an existing account, you'll see Log in or Sign up for free.

   • You must have an email address to sign up for an account.
   • You can also sign up for ChatGPT on the mobile app (on the App Store and Google Play Store).
2. 
   2
   Click Sign up for free . If you'd rather try ChatGPT before you sign up, click the Try it first button.
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3. 
   3
   Enter your email address and click Continue. You can also sign up using your Google, Microsoft, or Apple account, as well as your phone number. To do so, click the corresponding button.

   • If you register with a Google, Microsoft, or Apple account, skip to Step 6 once you're signed in.
4. 
   4
   Create a password and click Continue. Your password must be at least 8 characters long. Be sure to create a secure password.
5. 
   5
   Verify your email. OpenAI will send an email to your inbox that contains a verification number. Open the message from OpenAI, then copy the number into the field to verify your email address. If you don't see it, check your spam or junk folder.

   • If you didn't receive the email, click Resend email.
6. 
   6
   Enter your full name and date of birth, and click Continue. You can use a nickname if desired.

   • Once you sign up for a free ChatGPT account, you can choose to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus or ChatGPT Pro. According to Showers, both options will give you access to premium ChatGPT features.
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Section 2 of 3:

Entering a Prompt

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1. 
   1
   Understand the limitations and risks. ChatGPT can be used to create resumes and cover letters, solve formulas, and more. While it learns and updates frequently, the system isn't perfect. It's possible to receive false information or answers that seem right but don't make sense. Be sure to fact-check if you're using the answers as a reference.

   • If you want to use ChatGPT to write an essay for school, be aware that there are many ways to detect AI influence in written works. If you simply copy and paste from ChatGPT, it's very likely you'll be caught.
   • Always follow ChatGPT's usage policies; if you don't, your account may be suspended or terminated.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Tyrone Showers

   Technologist

   Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

   

   Tyrone Showers
   Technologist

   Pay close attention to the content ChatGPT generates. If you use ChatGPT often, you'll start noticing patterns, like its tendency to begin articles with phrases like "in today's digital world." Once you spot patterns, you can refine your prompts to steer ChatGPT in a better direction and avoid repetitive content.
2. 
   2
   Open ChatGPT in a web browser. If this is your first prompt, you'll see the prompt field on the home page. Otherwise, click the new chat icon in the top-left of sidebar.
3. 
   3
   Enter a prompt or question. The AI relies on well-written prompts to answer appropriately and correctly. Be as clear and informative as possible; broad prompts usually lead to irrelevant answers. Better prompts will lead to better answers. Here are some popular examples—edit them as needed:

   • Write an outline:
     • "Write an outline for an essay about positive uses of AI chatbots in schools."
     • "Create an outline for a short 2-page essay on disinformation in the 2016 election."
   • Write an essay:
     • "Write a 2000-word college essay that covers different approaches to gun violence prevention in the United States. Include facts about gun laws and give ideas on how to improve them."
     • "Write a 4-page personal high school essay about the Israel-Palestine conflict, showing that I feel conflicted and want a peaceful solution."
   • Write code:
     • "Write a Python function that reverses a string using a slice."
     • Paste a code and enter "What's wrong with this code?"
   • Write a resume or cover letter:
     • "Create a professional resume template for a lawyer."
     • "Write me a cover letter that includes [your job experience]."
   • Research topics:
     • "Give me some more information about [topic]."
     • "Can you summarize some academic articles about [topic]?"
       • Showers says that one of his favorite applications for ChatGPT is research. You can either be very general and get a lot of information, or you can ask ChatGPT to be more specific and granular.
4. 
   4
   Click the arrow icon to send your prompt. You can also press Enter on your keyboard. The AI will begin generating your response immediately. If the prompt is too complex, you may need to break it into parts to avoid hitting the word limit. This can cause the AI to stop mid-sentence.
5. 
   5
   Enter additional information if needed. If ChatGPT needs more information, you'll be asked to provide it. This may happen on prompts with extensive requests, such as essays or cover letters. Input any other details for your prompt to help ChatGPT generate a proper response.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Tyrone Showers

   Technologist

   Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

   

   Tyrone Showers
   Technologist

   Create clear prompts for ChatGPT. ChatGPT might stop mid-sentence due to temporary server overload from high traffic, or if your request requires extra analysis. If that happens, wait a few moments, then try again with more specific language. ChatGPT is constantly learning, and these pauses are becoming less frequent.
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Section 3 of 3:

Deleting Your Chat History

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1. 
   1
   Hover a chat. You can see a list of all active or past chats in the left panel.
2. 2
   Click the three-dot button. This button will be on the right side, opposite the name of the conversation.
3. 
   3
   Click the Delete button. This will be the bottom of the dropdown menu.
4. 
   4
   Click the Delete button in the pop-up. This will confirm your action to delete the chat. If you want to cancel the action, click the Cancel button instead.

   • The chat will be removed from your history.
5. 
   5
   Clear all history (optional). If you have a lot of chats you want to clear all at once, you'll need to do so from your settings.

   • Click the profile avatar at the bottom-left corner.
   • Click Settings.
   • Click Data controls.
   • Click Delete all next to Delete all chats.
   • Click Confirm deletion to confirm.
     • If you want to turn off chat history completely, click the Data controls tab and toggle off Improve the model for everyone.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  Is GPT-4 connected to the internet so that it's up to date on current events?

  

  Community Answer

  Yes, if you toggle the "Search" button, it searches the web for current events.

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• Question

  Can ChatGPT generate images?

  

  Community Answer

  Yes, if you enter /image followed by a prompt into the textarea, this will generate images.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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