SpectraPortal

ChatGPT Guide

A SpectraPortal series about understanding ChatGPT itself: prompting, settings, models, plans, safety, history, retention, images, analysis, and the choices that shape everyday use.

Who this is for: anyone who wants a clearer mental model of ChatGPT, whether they are just getting started or trying to use it more deliberately. Best way to read: start with Stage 1 and go in order for the full path. Wave 1 is live now: Wave 2 has begun with Interface, Settings, and Control, and the later stages remain mapped below as the series continues.

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A four-stage roadmap for ChatGPT Guide covering getting started, core settings and choices, images canvas analysis and study, and history and retention.

Guide stages

Stage 1

Getting started

Start with the basics: what ChatGPT is, how the exchange works, and how to ask for better results before the more advanced choices matter.

Current release state: Stage 1 is live now. Wave 2 has begun with Interface, Settings, and Control live, while Choosing a ChatGPT Model remains coming soon. Stages 3–4 remain visible as the roadmap for the rest of the guide and are still in progress.

Stage 2

Core settings and choices

Learn the decisions that shape everyday use: interface setup, model choice, account level, and the safety habits that keep the tool useful.

Stage 3

Images, canvas, analysis, and study

Explore the specialized modes where ChatGPT stops feeling like one conversation and starts acting like different tools for different kinds of work.

  • PlannedCreating and Editing Images in ChatGPTComing soon
  • PlannedImage Inputs in ChatGPTComing soon
  • PlannedCanvas in ChatGPTComing soon
  • PlannedData Analysis with ChatGPTComing soon
  • PlannedStudy Mode in ChatGPTComing soon

Stage 4

History and retention

Wrap the series by understanding what stays visible and what gets kept over time: chat history, retention, and the practical limits of what carries forward before the next track moves into sharing and persistent customization.

  • PlannedChat History in ChatGPTComing soon
  • PlannedHow Long ChatGPT Keeps ThingsComing soon