ChatGPT now includes GPT-6 models, projects, memory, image and video generation, Codex for coding, and always-on Dots on higher plans. These 100 do’s and don’ts cover the habits that matter most.
Pick five do’s you skip and five don’ts you do. Fix those first.
02
Prompting
Do
1 · Start with your goal
2 · Give context in one message
3 · Say who the output is for
4 · Ask for a specific format
5 · Give an example of good output
Don’t
6 · Write one-line vague prompts
7 · Send ten corrections instead of editing your prompt
8 · Ask several unrelated things in one prompt
9 · Assume it knows your situation
10 · Accept the first answer for important work
03
Models and usage
Do
11 · Use GPT-6 Luna for focused, simple tasks
12 · Use GPT-6.1 Sol for complex work
13 · Save GPT-6 Astra for the hardest problems
14 · Raise reasoning effort only when needed
15 · Start fresh chats for new topics
Don’t
16 · Use the biggest model for everything
17 · Keep one chat going for weeks
18 · Pay for a higher plan before hitting real limits
19 · Ignore which tools are turned on
20 · Forget limits change, so check your plan
04
Research and facts
Do
21 · Turn on web search for current information
22 · Ask for sources for every important claim
23 · Open and check the key sources
24 · Ask it to separate facts from assumptions
25 · Use deep research for big questions
Don’t
26 · Trust statistics without a source
27 · Publish quotes you have not verified
28 · Rely on it for breaking news without checking
29 · Treat confident tone as accuracy
30 · Use it as your only source for health, legal, or money decisions
05
Writing
Do
31 · Give it examples of your voice
32 · Ask for several options
33 · Ask it to cut wordiness
34 · Edit the draft in your own words
35 · Ask for feedback on your own writing
Don’t
36 · Publish drafts without editing
37 · Let it invent personal stories
38 · Copy other people’s work through it
39 · Use the same generic phrases everyone uses
40 · Hide AI use where honesty is expected
06
Files and data
Do
41 · Upload the relevant files, not everything
42 · Ask it to explain its calculations
43 · Ask for charts with clear labels
44 · Check results against the original data
45 · Ask what the data cannot tell you
Don’t
46 · Upload data you are not allowed to share
47 · Trust totals without checking a few by hand
48 · Upload huge files when a section will do
49 · Ignore missing or messy data
50 · Make decisions from a chart you have not checked
07
Images and video
Do
51 · Describe subject, style, lighting, and format
52 · Put exact text in quotes
53 · Edit images instead of regenerating
54 · Check text and hands for errors
55 · Disclose AI images where required
Don’t
56 · Create misleading images of real people
57 · Copy trademarks or brand styles
58 · Use AI people as fake customers
59 · Ignore commercial-use terms
60 · Waste usage on vague prompts
08
Projects and memory
Do
61 · Use a project for each ongoing area
62 · Add project instructions
63 · Keep project files current
64 · Review what memory saved about you
65 · Tell it your preferences once
Don’t
66 · Mix unrelated work in one project
67 · Let wrong memories stay saved
68 · Store sensitive personal data in memory
69 · Re-upload the same files every chat
70 · Forget to archive finished projects
09
Codex and agents
Do
71 · Write an AGENTS.md for each repository
72 · Ask for a plan before code changes
73 · Review every diff
74 · Keep the sandbox and approvals on
75 · Give agents and Dots narrow, clear tasks
Don’t
76 · Let agents send, buy, or delete without approval
77 · Paste API keys into prompts
78 · Merge code you have not tested
79 · Give agents broader access than the task needs
80 · Treat website content as instructions
10
Privacy and safety
Do
81 · Check your data and training settings
82 · Use business plans for company data
83 · Remove personal details before sharing documents
84 · Use temporary chats for sensitive questions
85 · Report harmful or wrong answers
Don’t
86 · Share passwords, ID numbers, or card details
87 · Paste confidential client information
88 · Share other people’s private data
89 · Use shared accounts
90 · Click links in outputs without checking them
11
Work and learning
Do
91 · Use it to learn, not just to get answers
92 · Ask it to quiz you
93 · Ask for step-by-step explanations
94 · Use it to prepare for meetings
95 · Keep your own judgment as the final step
Don’t
96 · Submit its work as your own where rules forbid it
97 · Skip learning the basics of your field
98 · Let it make decisions you are responsible for
99 · Stop thinking critically
100 · Forget that it can make mistakes
The golden rule
Do not use ChatGPT to think less. Use it to think better, faster, and with more checks.
Prompt
Models
Facts
Writing
Data
Projects
Codex
Privacy
Pick five do’s and five don’ts from this list and apply them all week.
