ChatGPT Complete Guide: Shortcuts, Choosing a Model, Agents (Work) and Apps

Published November 5, 2026 · 15 min read

Most people use ChatGPT like a search box: type a question, read the answer. That's fine, but it leaves most of the tool unused. This tutorial walks you through the four things that make the biggest difference once you know them: keyboard shortcuts, choosing the right model, handing whole tasks to the Work agent, and connecting your own apps such as Google Drive, Slack or your calendar.

Chat or Work: which one should you use?

ChatGPT now has two ways of working, and choosing the right one is the first step:

A simple rule: if you'd answer it in a message, use Chat. If you'd hand it to an assistant and come back later, use Work.

Part 1: ChatGPT keyboard shortcuts

The fastest way to see every shortcut on your account is to press Ctrl + / (Cmd + / on a Mac) anywhere in ChatGPT on the web. A panel opens with the full, current list. These are the ones worth learning first:

Shortcuts sometimes change between versions, so if one of these doesn't work, check the Ctrl + / panel for its new key.

Mouse-free habits that save time

• Edit instead of re-asking. Hover over your last message and use the edit (pencil) button to fix the question. You get a fresh answer without cluttering the chat.
• Paste screenshots. Copy a screenshot and press Ctrl + V in the message box to attach it. ChatGPT can read error messages, charts and designs. If you want to share a screenshot with a teammate as well, you can turn it into a link with sshot.online.
• One topic per chat. Start a new chat (Ctrl + Shift + O) for each new topic. Long mixed chats make answers less focused.

Part 2: How to choose a model in ChatGPT

ChatGPT gives you a model menu with a choice of model and of how much thinking it does. Faster settings answer in seconds. Higher thinking settings take longer but handle hard problems much better.

Step by step

1. Open a chat. On the web and desktop the model menu is in the message box area. On iPhone and Android it's at the top of the conversation.
2. Click it to see the models your plan includes.
3. Pick a model, then choose the thinking level. Levels run from Instant (fastest) up to higher settings such as Extra High for the hardest problems.
4. Send your message. You can switch at any point in the same chat.

The model names and levels you see depend on your plan and on your company's settings if you use a work account. Free accounts get fewer choices and lower limits.

Which setting for which job

ChatGPT can also add thinking by itself when a question is harder than expected, even on Instant. You'll find that behaviour under Settings > General if you want to change it.

Make every chat better: personalisation and projects

• Personalisation: in Settings you can tell ChatGPT about yourself and how you like answers ("I'm a teacher", "keep answers short", "use British English"). It applies to every new chat.
• Projects: group related chats with shared files and instructions, for example one project per client or per course. Everything inside a project uses the same background, so you don't have to explain it again each time.

Part 3: Agents in ChatGPT: delegate tasks with Work

An agent is an AI that doesn't just answer but does things: opens files, searches, uses tools and produces a finished result. In ChatGPT that's Work. (If you used the older "agent mode", Work took over that role during 2026.)

How to start a Work task

1. Switch to Work in the ChatGPT app.
2. On the desktop app, choose local or cloud. Local Work can use files and apps on your computer. Cloud Work is for tasks that don't need anything from your machine.
3. Describe the outcome, not the steps. Say what you want at the end, what to use, and any limits.
4. Watch and steer. You can follow progress, answer questions, change direction and approve important actions while it works.
5. Review the result before you share or send it.

Example briefs that work well

Using the three sales reports in my Q3 folder, build a spreadsheet comparing
revenue by region and month, then add a one-page summary of the biggest changes.

Turn my meeting notes below into a 6-slide presentation for the team.
Keep each slide to 4 bullet points.

Every Monday at 9am, check the shared project tracker and send me a list
of tasks that are overdue. Stop before sending anything to other people.

Good Work tasks have three things: a clear outcome, the source material to use, and an output you can review. Adding a limit such as "stop before sending anything" keeps you in control.

Plugins: the tools Work can use

Work connects to services like Slack, Google Drive, email and calendars through plugins:

1. Open Customize in the left navigation.
2. Choose Plugins, browse, and install the ones you need.
3. In your task, type @ followed by the plugin name to tell Work exactly which tool to use, for example @Slack.

Agents for teams

On company plans, admins can also publish workspace agents: shared agents built for a team's process that can be started from the company's own systems. If your workplace uses them, you'll find them in your workspace. Your admin decides what they can access.

Part 4: Connect apps to ChatGPT (formerly "connectors")

Apps let ChatGPT read from and work with services you already use, such as cloud storage, calendars and team tools. OpenAI renamed connectors to apps in December 2025, so older guides use the old name.

How to connect an app

1. Open Settings and go to Apps. Some accounts show Plugins here instead.
2. Browse the directory and find the app you want.
3. Click Connect.
4. Sign in to that service and approve the access it asks for.
5. Go back to a chat. The app is now available, and you can ask ChatGPT to use it by name.

Example: after connecting your calendar, ask "What meetings do I have tomorrow, and which ones clash?"

Permissions and safety

• Control what needs approval. Under Settings > Apps you can set a default permission, and each app can have its own. Choosing Always allow for an action means ChatGPT won't ask again for that app, so only do it for apps you trust.
• Disconnect any time from Settings > Apps.
• Connect button greyed out? The app may not be available on your plan, in your country, or in your company workspace. On a work account, ask your admin.
• Be careful with sensitive data. Only connect accounts you're comfortable letting ChatGPT read, and double-check anything it drafts before it's sent.

Part 5: Slash commands, @-mentions, and making your own like /roadmap

ChatGPT has three quick "magic characters" you can type at the start of a word in the message box:

• / opens the command menu.
• @ picks a skill or plugin to use, for example @Slack.
• $ mentions a skill in Codex, OpenAI's coding agent.

Slash commands on chatgpt.com

In the web version, type / in the message box to see the actions available in the current chat. The list depends on your plan and on which tools are turned on for your account, so there's no single list that everyone sees. Start typing after the slash to filter it.

Slash commands in the ChatGPT desktop app

When you work in a project in the desktop app (with Work and Codex), the / menu has a fixed set of commands. The most useful:

Some commands only appear when the feature is available to you, such as cloud runs or memories. Your own skills show up in this list too.

Make your own command: a "roadmap" skill

ChatGPT doesn't let you invent new slash commands directly, but you get the same result with a skill: a saved set of instructions for a task you do often. Once it's made, you call it by name in one short message.

Option A: let ChatGPT build it for you

1. In the message box, type @skill-creator and pick it.
2. Describe the skill: what it's for, the steps, and what the result should look like:

   @skill-creator Make a skill called "roadmap". When I describe a feature or goal,
   read the project files, split the work into 3 to 5 phases (smallest useful release
   first), list the goal, tasks and a size (S/M/L) for each phase, and end with risks
   and open questions. Output it as a Markdown document.

3. Test the draft with a real request, adjust anything you don't like, then install it.
4. Use it any time by typing @roadmap followed by your idea:

   @roadmap user login with Google and email

In the desktop app, your installed skills are listed in the Skills sidebar, and enabled skills also appear in the / menu.

Option B: write the skill file yourself (Codex)

A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file in it. For Codex, put it here:

• .agents/skills/roadmap/SKILL.md inside your project, so it's shared with your team through Git.
• ~/.agents/skills/roadmap/SKILL.md in your home folder, for all your projects.

---
name: roadmap
description: Use when the user asks for a roadmap or project plan for a feature or goal. Do not use for small single-file changes.
---

Create a roadmap for the feature or goal the user describes.

1. Read AGENTS.md and look at the project structure to understand the codebase.
2. Split the work into 3 to 5 phases, with the smallest useful release first.
3. For each phase, list the goal, the tasks (with the files likely to change)
   and a rough size: S, M or L.
4. End with the risks and open questions.
5. Save the roadmap to docs/ROADMAP.md and show a short summary.

Then mention it in Codex with $, followed by your request:

$roadmap user login with Google and email

Or run /skills in the Codex CLI or IDE extension to pick it from a list.

What the two required lines do

• name: the skill's name, which you type after @ or $.
• description: when the skill should, and shouldn't, be used. ChatGPT and Codex read it to pick the skill automatically when your request matches, so be specific.

Everything below the second --- line is the instructions. A skill folder can also hold extra files, such as templates in assets/, reference notes in references/ or helper scripts/. Want to share a skill with your whole team? OpenAI recommends packaging it as a plugin, which also makes it work in ChatGPT Chat and Work.

More skill ideas

Quick start: your first 10 minutes

1. Press Ctrl + / and learn three shortcuts: new chat, focus the message box, copy the last response.
2. Add a short personalisation note about yourself in Settings.
3. Ask one hard question with a high thinking level and compare it with Instant.
4. Connect one app you use every day, such as your calendar or cloud storage.
5. Give Work a small task with a clear output, like turning notes into a table.
6. Type / to explore the command menu, then use @skill-creator to turn your most-used prompt into a skill like @roadmap.

Using Claude as well? Read the matching Claude guide: shortcuts, models, Cowork, agents and connectors.

This is an independent guide. sshot.online is not affiliated with OpenAI. ChatGPT is a trademark of OpenAI.

Frequently asked questions

Related articles

AI Tools17 min read

Claude Complete Guide: Shortcuts, Choosing a Model, Agents (Cowork and Claude Code) and Connectors

Shortcuts, slash commands and custom commands like /roadmap, setting the model and effort, Cowork and subagents, and adding connectors and MCP servers.

Read More →

Screenshot Sharing8 min read

How to Share a Screenshot With ChatGPT, Claude and Other AI Tools

How to give a screenshot to ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools: pasting and uploading, using image links with agents and APIs, prompts that get better answers, and what not to share.

Read More →

Code Sharing8 min read

How to Share Code With ChatGPT or Claude (and Get Better Answers)

Paste, upload or link code for ChatGPT and Claude the right way: keeping formatting, how much code to include, prompts that get useful answers, and what to remove before sharing.

Read More →

← All guides