How to set up a ChatGPT Dot and set its rules

A ChatGPT Dot is an always-on agent that can keep making progress between conversations. OpenAI’s help article says it is powered by GPT-6 Astra, has its own cloud computer, works across the apps you choose to connect, and remembers context for ongoing work. You give it a goal and define what it can do on its own. It can work through complex problems, figure out what needs to happen next, and bring results back for review. It turns to you for decisions that need your judgment.

Because a Dot stays on and can act on connected apps — and, if you turn it on, a local computer — the creation surface and the approval rules are the practical controls.

Check whether your plan includes a Dot

The help page says Dots are rolling out gradually, and access may take several days to reach your account.

• Pro users can get a Dot in markets excluding the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the UK.
• Business Premium users can get one across all supported ChatGPT regions.
• Enterprise users, including Edu and Healthcare, can try the beta only when a workspace admin enables it. It is initially turned off by default.

Your first Dot is included in a Pro or Business Premium plan at no extra cost. The page says it is available 24/7 to talk, help you think, and stay on top of what matters to you. The plan also includes an allowance for deeper work, with extended limits for the first month after launch. Later, the page says, you will be able to add more Dots and scale each one by speed or by how much work it can take on per month. Those later options are not part of the current setup.

Create it on desktop, then name it

Create your Dot in the ChatGPT desktop app or in ChatGPT on desktop web, and follow the onboarding prompts. The desktop app is also available on Windows.

You cannot currently create a Dot on mobile, and Dots are not supported on mobile web. After you create one, you can talk to it in the ChatGPT mobile app when mobile access is available. Use desktop to connect messaging channels, such as Slack or texting.

You can give your Dot a name during setup. The help page gives the default handle as your name with -dot, written as a mention, and says that after you name it the handle uses your name and the agent name in that same mention pattern. To change its name or avatar later, select its name or avatar to open the profile, then select the pencil icon. You can choose from the available characters or select a pet. Your Dot may also generate a pet for you.

Give it a task and watch activity

Describe what you want your Dot to do and share the details it needs. The help page’s examples are reviewing your calendar, researching a topic, or reminding you about something later. Reply in the conversation to provide more information or change the request. To attach a file or photo, select + in the conversation.

Open your Dot’s profile on the desktop app to review activity under In progress, Scheduled, and Completed. You can also open your Dot’s computer from the profile to view and interact with it. On mobile, the computer opens in your control.

A Dot can research in the background and suggest ways to help. It can review connected information and form memories from it even when you have not asked a new question. It can also run reminders or recurring tasks you have scheduled. Review that scheduled work in the profile, or pause the Dot when you do not want it to continue.

Ask it to set a reminder or run a recurring check. One example on the page is a morning calendar review that tells you what is coming up. Scheduled runs and proactive updates appear in the conversation. To manage a scheduled task, select it in Recent activity in the profile, or open the Scheduled section in ChatGPT. You can review active, paused, and completed tasks. Open a task to change its repeat schedule, time, or completion notifications.

Connect apps, messaging, and an optional local computer

Connected apps give your Dot information it can use for tasks. It can also review that information on its own and form memories from it, even when you have not asked a specific question.

To review or connect an app on mobile, open your Dot’s profile and go to Customize → Plugins. Select a supported app and review its permissions before connecting it. The Plugins screen uses shared ChatGPT settings, and available apps may differ. You can disconnect a connected app. Disconnecting does not delete information the Dot has already obtained. Deleting that information requires deleting the Dot, which Reset covers below.

You can connect your Dot to Slack. Set up messaging channels from desktop. You can also connect a personal email account so the Dot can use it for your tasks. The page states that, at launch, you cannot give the Dot its own standalone email address, and it cannot initiate calls to you.

Where available, texting uses a third-party provider and is a limited beta. Be cautious about sensitive information in text messages. The beta is limited to Pro users in the US and is not available in Business or Enterprise workspaces. Access is limited and may not reach every Pro user. If texting is available, use the desktop app to connect your phone and follow the setup prompts. After setup, you can message your Dot from your phone. Reply STOP to stop outgoing text messages. That does not delete conversations or saved memories. Message and data rates may apply; review the notice when you enable texting, along with OpenAI’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Your Dot already has a cloud computer. Access to your local computer is optional and starts turned off. To connect a computer, use the ChatGPT desktop app on that computer. Local work runs in separate tasks that appear in the sidebar. When you connect a computer and confirm Allow access, the Dot can access files and work on that computer from any of its messaging channels. Confirm Revoke access to stop that. With local access on, it can create Work or Codex tasks, use local skills, and use your local browser when its cloud browser is blocked.

It can also create cloud tasks in Codex cloud environments. Create the environment in Codex before you ask the Dot to use it. The help page does not explain how to create that environment.

Set the four custom-rule behaviors

For some actions, you can set rules for what your Dot can share, purchase, or access. On mobile, open Customize → Custom rules to review the default rules or add a rule. Describe the action the rule covers, then choose one behavior:

• Take action without asking
• Take action if pre-approved
• Ask before taking action
• Hand off to you

Pre-approved means you explicitly requested the action in your prompt. Save the rule with the checkmark, then review it in Custom rules.

These rules do not remove review. The page says a Dot can make mistakes, including when it follows your rules. Check important details before you rely on the result.

Memory is the related control. The Dot receives memories from ChatGPT and can create its own, including from connected apps. On mobile, Customize → Memory shows what ChatGPT remembers and uses shared ChatGPT memory settings. Deleting the Dot’s own saved memories requires deleting the Dot.

Pause it, or reset and start over

To stop your Dot until you are ready to resume, open the ••• menu in its profile and select Pause. To start it again, select Paused • Tap to resume.

Reset deletes the Dot, including its conversations, saved memories, and scheduled tasks. Review the deletion notice before you confirm.

1. Open your Dot’s profile and select the ••• menu.
2. Select Reset.
3. Review what will be deleted, then select Reset to confirm or Cancel to keep your Dot.

After a reset, you return to a new ChatGPT chat. Create a new Dot in the ChatGPT desktop app or on desktop web.

What to do next

If a Dot is already on your account, create it from the desktop app or desktop web, leave local-computer access off until you have a reason to confirm Allow access, and add a custom rule before you connect an app that can share, purchase, or open something you want to approve. If it is not there yet, wait out the gradual rollout and check desktop again rather than trying to create it on mobile. Recheck the help page if a workspace admin has not enabled the Enterprise beta, since that beta starts off.

Sources

• Getting started with your dot