Overriding Character Constraints in ChatGPT

Millions of people use ChatGPT, but the chatbot’s character input limit can be frustrating, limiting what you can do with the chatbot. So, what exactly is ChatGPT’s character input limit, and how can you get around it?

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What Is ChatGPT’s Character Input Limit?

At the time of writing, the free version of ChatGPT (i.e., ChatGPT-3.5) has a total character limit of 4,096. This is shared evenly between your input and ChatGPT’s output. Therefore, the character input limit of ChatGPT is 2,048.

Over 2,000 characters may seem like a lot, but this will only fetch you around 300 to 500 words in total (depending on the length of each word). If you’re looking to use ChatGPT for in-depth analysis or extensive, detailed processes, this can be very restricting.

OpenAI isn’t too forthcoming about its character limit, but various user tests have confirmed it exists. Many AI chatbots have total character limits of 4,000 or below, so ChatGPT is by no means below average here.

Regardless of this, character limits can be very restrictive. So, how do you still get what you need from ChatGPT despite its character input limit?

How to Work Around ChatGPT’s Character Input Limit

1. Create Effective Prompts

While it would be ideal to use whatever wording we want in our ChatGPT prompts, this can result in many wasted words. This can eat away at your character input cap and limit your experience.

To get around this, try using highly concise and effective prompts.

For instance, instead of typing “Can you tell me how many species of plants there are in the world?”, try “number of plant species globally.” The screenshot above shows that this will still get you a fleshed-out response.

You may find this language bland, but it will help you save on characters.

Additionally, if you’re having trouble with the output limit, you can always use a simple prompt to ask ChatGPT to continue with its response if it suddenly stops. You can type “continue” or try an alternative, like “explain further.”

We have a guide on ChatGPT prompt mistakes to avoid if you’d like to learn how to communicate with the chatbot effectively and efficiently.

2. Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus (GPT-4)

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It’s important to remember that two kinds of GPT models are used in ChatGPT’s current services: GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 .

ChatGPT Plus uses GPT-4, OpenAI’s newest large language model, while the free ChatGPT tool uses GPT-3.5. With GPT-4, the character limit increases to 8,192, double that of GPT-3.5. Again, this is halved between the input and output, leaving the total input limit at 4,096.

This gives you much more to work with, and if you still use efficient prompts, you can get more out of ChatGPT.

At the time of writing, ChatGPT Plus costs $20 monthly. This isn’t extortionate, but it is by no means chump change, either. If you use ChatGPT a lot and see it as a vital tool, consider upgrading to ChatGPT Plus . If you only use ChatGPT now and then, or you’re trying to stick to a tight budget, consider one of the other tips listed here.

3. Type in a Different Language

This may seem a little silly, but some languages use far fewer characters to get the same point across, such as Mandarin and Korean. So, if you’re struggling with ChatGPT’s input limit, you might want to consider switching up the language.

ChatGPT’s Character Limit Doesn’t Have to Be a Dealbreaker

Though ChatGPT’s character input limit can be irritating, especially if there’s a lot you want to request, there are workarounds. So, next time you struggle with the ChatGPT character cap, consider trying some of the methods listed above.

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