ChatGPT Projects Guide: Files, Memory and Sharing (2026)

ChatGPT Projects keep your chats, files and instructions for one topic in one place. They work on every plan, including Free, and you can now share them with up to 100 people.

Projects matter more than ever because custom GPTs retire on December 11, 2026. This guide shows how to set one up, the file limits, memory, sharing and how Projects compare with GPTs.

TLDR

What it is: a workspace inside ChatGPT that groups related chats, files and custom instructions.
Who gets it: all free and paid plans, as long as you are logged in.
Files per project: 5 on Free, 25 on Go and Plus, 40 on Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. Up to 10 files upload at once.
Memory: pick Default or Project-only. Shared projects are always Project-only.
Sharing: up to 5 people on Free, 10 on Go and Plus, 100 on Pro and workspace plans.
Custom GPTs: scheduled to retire on December 11, 2026, with plugins as the replacement for reusable tools.

What ChatGPT Projects are

A project is like a smart folder. Every chat inside it can see the same files and follows the same instructions. ChatGPT can also refer back to other chats in that project.

That makes Projects a good fit for work that lasts weeks, not minutes. Here are some common uses:

Writing: a book, a blog series or a thesis, with your outline and style guide loaded once.
Client work: one project per client, so details never mix.
Study: lecture notes and past papers in one place for exam prep.
Coding: specs, API docs and decisions kept next to your chats.
Team work: a shared project where everyone chats over the same files.

Most normal ChatGPT tools work inside a project. That includes canvas, image generation, study mode, voice mode and web search. Paid plans may also get agent mode and deep research.

How to create a project

You can set up a project in under a minute. These steps work on the ChatGPT website and desktop app:

Click New project. You will find it in the left sidebar of ChatGPT.
Name it. Type a clear name, then pick an icon and a color so it stands out.
Choose a memory mode. Pick Default or Project-only. The memory section below explains the difference.
Add files. Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, docs, images or pasted text. You can also paste Slack channel or Google Drive links.
Write instructions. Open the three-dot menu at the top right, choose Project settings, and add your instructions.
Start a chat. Type in the project’s chat box. The chat is saved inside the project automatically.

Tip: Got a great answer in a chat? Use the message menu to save that response as a project source. Future chats can then build on it.

Project files and their limits

Files are the heart of a project. The limit is per project, and it depends on your plan.

Plan	Files per project	Collaborators per shared project
Free	5	5
Go	25	10
Plus	25	10
Pro	40	100
Business, Enterprise, Edu	40	100 people in total

Other file rules to know

Batch size: only 10 files can upload at the same time. Add more in a second batch.
Duplicate names: if a file shares a name with an existing one, ChatGPT asks you to Upload anyway or Skip.
Upload rate: paid plans can upload 80 files per rolling 3 hours. Free gets 3 uploads per day.
Google Drive links: Drive content is not synced ahead of time, so ChatGPT reads it when needed.
Scanned PDFs: ChatGPT reads the digital text. Run OCR on scans first so the text is usable.

OpenAI’s Projects page does not list a separate maximum file size. General ChatGPT upload size limits still apply to each file.

Project instructions

Project instructions tell ChatGPT how to behave in that project only. They override your global custom instructions while you are inside it.

Good instructions are short and specific. A simple structure works well:

Role: “You are my editor for a cozy mystery novel.”
Goal: “Help me finish chapters 8 to 20 by December.”
Rules: “UK spelling. Short sentences. Never reveal the killer before chapter 18.”
Files: “Use outline.pdf for plot and characters.docx for names.”
Output: “Reply with a draft first, then three bullet points of notes.”

To edit them later, open the three-dot menu and choose Project settings again. Changes apply to new messages straight away.

Project memory: Default vs Project-only

Each project has one of two memory modes. This decides what ChatGPT can remember inside the project.

Mode	What ChatGPT can use	Best for
Default	Your saved memories, plus other chats in the project. On non-Enterprise plans it can also reference chats outside the project.	Personal projects where your general preferences help
Project-only	Only chats and files inside this project. Your saved memories are not referenced.	Client work, team projects, anything you want kept separate

Rules for memory modes

Settings needed: on non-Enterprise plans, turn on Reference saved memories and Reference chat history.
Enterprise and Edu: chats stay contained in the project, and admins must enable Memory for the workspace.
Shared projects: they switch to Project-only when shared and cannot go back to Default.
Switching later: since an August 2026 update, eligible unshared projects can switch modes in Project settings. Changes can take several hours to take effect.
ChatGPT Work: Work features are not available in a project set to Project-only.

Note: Some users have reported the memory switch showing “This cannot be changed” after a September 2026 redesign. OpenAI support said on November 3 that this does not match the documented behavior. For a full look at memory, see my ChatGPT memory guide.

Project sharing opened to Free, Go, Plus and Pro users worldwide on October 22, 2025. It works on the web, iOS and Android. Business, Enterprise and Edu users can also invite groups and whole workspaces.

How to share a project

Open the project. Then click the Share button at the top right.
Pick who can join. Choose “Only those invited” or “Anyone with a link”.
Invite people. Add them by email. Workspace users can also add groups.
Set each role. Give people Chat or Edit access.
Send the link. People who join later through a group must open the shared URL themselves.

Project roles

Owner: does everything, including managing members, renaming and deleting the project.
Edit: updates instructions, uploads or removes files, and invites others. Cannot remove existing members.
Chat: views and uses chats, files and instructions. Cannot invite others. Workspace links join with this role by default.

Shared project data is used for training only if every owner and contributor has “Improve the model for everyone” turned on. One person opting out keeps the whole project out.

Warning: If a group has edit access, everyone in that group can edit, even people you set to Chat on their own. Check group roles before you share sensitive files.

Moving chats in and out

You can bring old chats into a project at any time. There are two ways:

Drag and drop: drag the chat from the sidebar onto the project name.
Chat menu: open the chat’s menu and choose Move to project.

A moved chat picks up the project’s instructions and files. To take it out, open its menu inside the project and choose Remove.

A few limits apply. Chats created with a GPT cannot be moved into a project. In a shared project, a moved chat disappears from outside the project.

Leaving or deleting a project

Leaving: leave a shared project from the sidebar. You can copy your chats first, into a new project named “Copy” plus the original name.
Deleting: open the menu next to the project name and pick Delete project. This permanently removes all its chats, files and instructions, even if it is shared.
Data removal: deleted projects leave OpenAI’s systems within 30 days, unless legal or security rules require longer.

Projects vs Custom GPTs

Projects and custom GPTs both hold instructions and files, but they do different jobs. A project holds ongoing work. A GPT packaged one repeatable task for other people to use.

Feature	Projects	Custom GPTs
Main purpose	Ongoing work with chats, files and notes	A reusable assistant for one job
Who can create	Every plan, including Free	New creation now limited to workspace plans, and ending
Files	5, 25 or 40 per project	Up to 20 knowledge files
Memory	Default or Project-only	No access to your project chats
Collaboration	Members chat over shared files and see each other’s chats	Builders cannot see users’ conversations
Future	Active and growing	Scheduled to retire December 11, 2026

What the custom GPT retirement means

OpenAI plans to retire custom GPTs on December 11, 2026. Enterprise workspaces with an approved deferral can push this to February 11, 2027.

The replacement for reusable tools is plugins. In My GPTs, creators can choose Migrate to plugin once it is available. Instructions become a skill, connected apps carry over, and knowledge files are copied as reference files.

Some things do not transfer. Conversations stay with the old GPT, custom actions are not migrated, and sharing settings start fresh. For your own ongoing work, moving the instructions and files into a project is often the simplest path.

Tips to get more out of Projects

One topic per project: narrow projects give sharper answers than one giant “Work” project.
Use Project-only for clients: it stops details from one job leaking into another.
Merge small files: on Free, five files go fast, so combine notes into one document.
Keep a summary file: ask ChatGPT for a running summary, then save it as a project source.
Prune old files: remove outdated drafts so ChatGPT does not quote stale facts.

Plan limits still apply inside projects, so heavy reasoning chats use your normal allowance. See my ChatGPT plans comparison for what each plan includes.

Troubleshooting common Projects problems

I cannot add more files

You have probably hit your plan’s per-project cap of 5, 25 or 40 files. Delete old files, merge small ones, or upgrade. If uploads fail mid-way, you may have hit the 3-hour upload limit, so wait and try again.

I cannot move a chat into my project

Chats made with a custom GPT cannot be moved into a project. Start a new chat in the project and paste in the key parts instead.

ChatGPT ignores my project files

Name the file: say “Using outline.pdf, answer…” in your prompt.
Check the format: scanned PDFs may have no readable text, so run OCR first.
Trim the project: too many overlapping files can blur the answer.

The memory setting is greyed out

Shared projects are locked to Project-only. For an unshared project, update the app and check that memory is turned on in Settings. If it still says “This cannot be changed”, contact OpenAI support.

My collaborator cannot see the project

Check the link setting and their role. People added to a group after sharing do not get a notice, so send them the project URL. If ChatGPT is down for everyone, see my ChatGPT not working fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are ChatGPT Projects free?

Yes. Projects are available on all free and paid plans, as long as you are logged in. Free users get 5 files per project and up to 5 collaborators.

How many files can I add to a ChatGPT project?

Free allows 5 files, Go and Plus allow 25, and Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu allow 40. You can upload up to 10 files at a time.

Can I share a ChatGPT project with others?

Yes. Click Share in the project and invite people with Chat or Edit access. Free allows 5 collaborators, Go and Plus 10, and Pro 100.

Do project instructions replace my custom instructions?

Yes, inside that project only. Project instructions override your global custom instructions while you chat there.

What is project-only memory?

It limits ChatGPT to the chats and files in that project, without your saved memories. Shared projects always use it.

Should I use a Project or a Custom GPT?

Use a project for ongoing work and team collaboration. Custom GPTs are scheduled to retire on December 11, 2026, with plugins replacing them for reusable tools.

What happens when I delete a project?

All its chats, files and instructions are deleted permanently, even if it is shared. OpenAI removes the data within 30 days unless the law requires otherwise.

ChatGPT Projects Guide: Files, Memory, Sharing and Limits (2026)

What ChatGPT Projects are

How to create a project