Give ChatGPT a head start with a plugin

When you ask another reporter for help, they already understand a lot about your work. That shared understanding saves you some explaining.

A ready-made plugin can bring instructions for a particular task into your ChatGPT conversation. Those instructions guide what it pays attention to, what questions it asks, and how it presents the answer.

Think of tagging a helpful friend

You might tag someone on Facebook because they know the subject and understand why you're asking. Selecting a plugin is a way to call on a particular kind of help, too.

Someone has already put the directions together. You bring the details of what you need today.

Start with a plugin made for your task

1. Choose and install a plugin suited to the help you need.
2. In ChatGPT's message box, type @, start typing the plugin's name, and select it from the menu.
3. Explain what you need and answer any questions that help fill in the details.

The instructions are already there, so you don't have to memorize or type them each time. You can still ask for changes and check that the answer fits your task.

Want to save what worked in your own chat?

When a conversation gets you to “Yes! That's exactly what I needed,” you can ask Plugin Creator to help save those directions for next time.

Once Plugin Creator is available and installed:

1. Stay in the conversation where you got the helpful result.
2. Type @ in the message box, start typing Plugin Creator, and select it from the menu.
3. Copy and send this request:

Help me turn the way you've helped me in this conversation into a reusable plugin. Keep the instructions and preferences that led to the result I wanted. Ask me about anything unclear, and keep the details of this particular job separate from the directions I'll want to use again.

Answer its questions, then try the plugin with a task you know well. Check the result and ask for adjustments if needed. You can explain all of this in ordinary language.