Turn ChatGPT into a reliable work tool with 50 habits to keep and 50 mistakes to avoid
11 bite-sized sections
5 min read
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Short answer
One hundred ChatGPT do’s and don’ts for October 2026: prompting, models and usage, research and facts, writing, files and data, images and video, projects and memory, Codex and agents, privacy, and work and learning.
ChatGPT now offers 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 commit. Fix those first.
02
Write better prompts
Do
1 · Lead with your goal
2 · Put all the context in one message
3 · Name the audience for the output
4 · Request a specific format
5 · Show an example of good output
Don’t
6 · Send vague one-line prompts
7 · Send ten corrections instead of fixing the prompt
8 · Pack unrelated questions into one prompt
9 · Assume it already knows your situation
10 · Take the first answer on important work
03
Choose models and usage
Do
11 · Pick GPT-6 Luna for focused, simple tasks
12 · Pick GPT-6.1 Sol for complex work
13 · Keep GPT-6 Astra for the hardest problems
14 · Raise reasoning effort only when a task needs it
15 · Open a fresh chat for each new topic
Don’t
16 · Run the biggest model on everything
17 · Keep a single chat going for weeks
18 · Upgrade your plan before you hit real limits
19 · Lose track of which tools are on
20 · Assume limits stay fixed; check your plan
04
Check research and facts
Do
21 · Turn on web search for current information
22 · Request a source for every key claim
23 · Open and read the key sources yourself
24 · Have it split facts from assumptions
25 · Run deep research on big questions
Don’t
26 · Trust a statistic that has no source
27 · Publish quotes you have not verified
28 · Rely on it for breaking news unchecked
29 · Mistake a confident tone for accuracy
30 · Make it your only source on health, legal, or money decisions
05
Write with it
Do
31 · Share samples of your voice
32 · Request several options
33 · Have it cut the wordiness
34 · Rework the draft in your own words
35 · Get feedback on your own writing
Don’t
36 · Publish a draft without editing it
37 · Let it make up personal stories
38 · Use it to copy other people’s work
39 · Lean on the generic phrases everyone uses
40 · Hide AI use where honesty is expected
06
Work with files and data
Do
41 · Upload the relevant files, not all of them
42 · Have it explain its calculations
43 · Request charts with clear labels
44 · Check results against the source data
45 · Ask what the data cannot show
Don’t
46 · Upload data you have no right to share
47 · Trust totals without spot-checking a few by hand
48 · Upload huge files when one section will do
49 · Overlook missing or messy data
50 · Decide based on a chart you have not checked
07
Make images and video
Do
51 · Specify subject, style, lighting, and format
52 · Wrap exact text in quotes
53 · Edit images rather than regenerate them
54 · Check text and hands for errors
55 · Label AI images where the rules require it
Don’t
56 · Create misleading images of real people
57 · Copy trademarks or brand styles
58 · Pass off AI people as real customers
59 · Overlook commercial-use terms
60 · Burn usage on vague prompts
08
Use projects and memory
Do
61 · Give each ongoing area its own project
62 · Write project instructions
63 · Keep project files up to date
64 · Review what memory has saved about you
65 · State your preferences once
Don’t
66 · Mix unrelated work in a single project
67 · Leave wrong memories saved
68 · Keep sensitive personal data in memory
69 · Upload the same files again in every chat
70 · Leave finished projects unarchived
09
Run Codex and agents safely
Do
71 · Add an AGENTS.md to each repository
72 · Request a plan before any code changes
73 · Review every single diff
74 · Leave 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 a prompt
78 · Merge code you have not tested
79 · Grant agents more access than the task needs
80 · Follow website content as if it were instructions
10
Protect privacy and safety
Do
81 · Review your data and training settings
82 · Put company data on business plans
83 · Strip personal details before sharing documents
84 · Ask sensitive questions in temporary chats
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 · Log in through shared accounts
90 · Click links in outputs before checking them
11
Learn and work smarter
Do
91 · Use it to learn, not only to get answers
92 · Have it quiz you
93 · Request step-by-step explanations
94 · Prepare for meetings with it
95 · Make your own judgment the final step
Don’t
96 · Submit its work as yours where rules forbid it
97 · Skip the basics of your own field
98 · Hand it decisions you are responsible for
99 · Stop thinking critically
100 · Forget that it makes mistakes
Follow the golden rule
Do not use ChatGPT to think less. Use it to think better and faster, with more checks.
Prompt
Models
Facts
Writing
Data
Projects
Codex
Privacy
Choose five do’s and five don’ts from this list and practice them all week.
It has 11 sections, starting with “Use this list well”, “Write better prompts”, “Choose models and usage” and “Check research and facts”, plus 7 more sections.
How long does it take to read?
About 5 minutes. Every section is a short, self-contained card, so you can jump straight to the part you need.
Is this guide free?
Yes. The full guide is free to read on this page, with no sign-up.
For research and ideas only. Results vary and nothing here is a promise of income. See our Disclaimer.
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