Essential Knowledge on Shared Link Mechanisms in AI

ChatGPT’s flow of new features continues as the world’s most popular AI chatbot now comes with unique shareable URLs for your conversations.

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But how do ChatGPT shared links work, and when should you use them?

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What Are ChatGPT Shared Links?

One of the issues facing ChatGPT users is sharing. You have a great idea or use ChatGPT to crack a piece of a puzzle or create something unique, but the only way to share is through a screenshot. In fairness, there are apps you can use to share your ChatGPT history , but not everyone wants to use or can install an extra app to extend functionality.

OpenAI has clearly heard this message, and an OpenAI blog published on May 26, 2023, revealed that sharing functionality would begin rolling out to ChatGPT Plus users, with some subscribers gaining access to the new feature immediately.

As they sound, ChatGPT shared links enable users to create a unique link address for their ChatGPT conversation. The unique ChatGPT URL can be shared just as any other URL, effectively replacing the cumbersome method of sharing a screenshot and a specific prompt.

How Do ChatGPT Shared Links Work?

At the time of writing, ChatGPT shared links are still rolling out. But when they appear on your ChatGPT account, you’ll want to know how to use them.

ChatGPT shared links are similar to any other shared URL you’ve used. You share the link, and the person with the URL can see what you’ve shared.

In the ChatGPT web browser (there is currently no iOS support for shared links), you’ll note a new icon in your chat history. Select the ChatGPT conversation you wish to share, then hit the share icon.

The ChatGPT shared link dialog will open, showing you the conversation you’re about the share. Now, before you share, you can choose to share with your name or to share anonymously. Switching between the two is useful, as anyone with the ChatGPT shared link URL can gain access. However, “shared links are not designed to show up in public search results on the internet,” which is also good to know.

Other Users Can Continue Your ChatGPT Conversation

Furthermore, anyone with the URL can continue the shared ChatGPT conversation. As per OpenAI, “think of a shared link as a snapshot of a conversation up to the point at which you generate the shared link.” From the moment it is shared, anyone with the link can take on the conversation as if it was their own.

The updated conversation won’t appear in your ChatGPT history. It’s a snapshot and is separate from your chat. But you should consider the information in any ChatGPT conversation you share, as the entire conversation history is viewable.

How to Manage and Delete Your ChatGPT Shared Links

Currently, there are no granular permissions for ChatGPT shared links. However, you can keep tabs on the shared links you’ve already published using the ChatGPT Settings.

In the bottom left corner, select your user profile, then Settings.
Head to Data Controls > Shared Links.
Your list of shared URLs will appear here.
To delete a single shared conversation, select the bin icon.
To delete all of your shared conversations, select the three-dot icon, then Delete all shared links.

Sharing ChatGPT conversations and data was an issue raised by countless ChatGPT users. ChatGPT developers, OpenAI, have taken this onboard, and the shared links make it much easier to share ChatGPT conversations.

At the time of writing, ChatGPT shared functionality is somewhat limited. Future updates are likely to bring additional controls, specifically with regards to limiting permissions. We could also see other changes, like timed links that expire after a certain period or ways to work collaboratively through a single URL. But this is all speculation!

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But how do ChatGPT shared links work, and when should you use them?

Tech Savvy

Essential Knowledge on Shared Link Mechanisms in AI