How to use ChatGPT: a complete guide for beginners

What is ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence assistant created by OpenAI, an American company that specializes in AI. It is a conversation tool: you write a question or a request in normal language (the way you would in a message to a friend), and ChatGPT responds with text. It can help you write an email, explain a difficult concept, summarize a document, translate text, generate ideas, or solve everyday problems.

ChatGPT became famous when it launched in November 2022 and quickly became one of the most used AI tools in the world. If you are just starting to explore artificial intelligence, it is a great entry point. Our AI guide for beginners gives you even more context on what these tools do and how they fit into your day-to-day.

How to access it and create an account

To start using ChatGPT, the process is simple:

• Go to chatgpt.com in your browser (it works in any browser, on computer or phone)
• Click "Sign up" to create a free account
• You can sign up with email, or use your Google or Microsoft account to sign in faster
• Once you create your account, you can start chatting

There is also an official ChatGPT app for iOS and Android if you prefer to use it on your phone. It is the same experience, optimized for a smaller screen.

Your first steps

When you log in to ChatGPT, you see a text box labeled "Message ChatGPT" or something similar. That is where you type. There are no special commands and no technical language: you type the way you talk.

To get started, try something simple:

• "Explain what artificial intelligence is in simple terms"
• "Write an email asking my boss for a day off"
• "Give me 5 ideas for an easy weeknight dinner"
• "Summarize this text in 3 sentences" (and paste the text after it)

ChatGPT responds immediately. If the answer is not exactly what you wanted, you can ask it to adjust: "Make it shorter", "Use a more formal tone", "Give more examples". The conversation is iterative: you don't need to start from scratch.

How to ask good questions

The quality of ChatGPT's answer depends a lot on the quality of your request. Here is a simple comparison:

The golden rule is to give context: who you are, what you need, who it is for, and what tone or format you want. The more information you give, the more useful the answer. You can learn more about this in our article on what a prompt is, and find ready-to-use prompts in the Doutor AI prompt library.

What you can use ChatGPT for

The most common everyday uses of ChatGPT include:

• Writing and reviewing text: emails, reports, social media posts, messages that are hard to word
• Learning and explaining: asking it to explain a concept in simple terms, as if you were a beginner
• Summarizing: pasting a long article and asking for a 5-point summary
• Translating: translating text between languages with good quality
• Generating ideas: brainstorming for product names, business ideas, and article topics
• Help with code: even if you are not a programmer, you can ask ChatGPT to write small scripts or explain error messages

What ChatGPT doesn't do well

It is important to know where ChatGPT has limitations so you don't end up disappointed:

• Real-time information: ChatGPT has a knowledge cutoff and may not know about recent events, unless web access is turned on
• Guaranteed accuracy: it can present incorrect facts with confidence. Always check critical information
• Tasks that require real-world actions: ChatGPT does not send emails, make reservations, or buy anything for you (unless you use specific plugins or integrations)
• Personal opinions: avoid asking for medical, legal, or financial advice without confirming it with a professional

With these basics, you are ready to get a lot out of ChatGPT. To keep learning, explore the prompt library, where you will find hundreds of ready-to-use requests.