OpenAI · Zero to confident

ChatGPT

The friendly all-rounder

ChatGPT is the AI most people meet first. It's forgiving, chatty, and tries hard to be useful. The free version is genuinely powerful, and you can go a long way before you ever need to pay. This guide takes you from your very first message to building your own custom assistants.

Everyday writingBrainstormingImage generationVoice modeCustom GPTs

Start here

4 lessons · about 10 min

Moderate

4 lessons · about 12 min

Advanced

4 lessons · about 29 min

Start here

If you've never opened it before. Do these in order.

Moderate

Once the basics feel natural, level up with these.

Advanced

The power-user stuff. Optional, but this is where it gets fun.

Watch out for

It will confidently invent facts (called 'hallucinating'). Always sanity-check numbers, names, dates and quotes.
The free tier has message limits, you'll be nudged toward Plus after heavy use.
By default it doesn't know today's news, click the globe icon (or say 'search the web').
Memory means it retains what you tell it. Don't paste anything you wouldn't email to yourself.

Put it to work

Browse Folii leaves for real tasks you can drop into ChatGPT today.

Browse leaves Back to Learn

ChatGPT

Start here

1Make your first account2 min · Sign in and see the chat screen

2Send your first message3 min · There's no syntax. Talk like a person.

3Attach a file or photo3 min · Drop stuff in and ask about it

4Keep chats organised2 min · One topic per chat

Moderate

1Use voice mode4 min · Talk instead of typing

2Generate an image3 min · Describe a picture, get a picture

3Turn on memory (or don't)3 min · Let it remember you across chats

4Search the live web2 min · Get up-to-date answers

Advanced

1Build your own Custom GPT10 min · A mini-assistant tuned to one job

2Canvas for long documents & code6 min · Edit side-by-side, not in chat bubbles

3Projects (folders with context)5 min · Group chats and files that share a topic

4Advanced Data Analysis8 min · Drop in a CSV, get charts and answers

Watch out for

Put it to work