ChatGPT Guidelines for Everyone
Simple Rules for Safe & Effective Use



What You Should NEVER Share
Think of ChatGPT like talking to a stranger on the internet - because essentially, you are!


Personal Information
  • Government related IDs, Drivers Licence information.
  • Credit card or bank account numbers
  • Passwords (yours or anyone else's)
  • Home addresses or personal phone numbers
  • Medical records or health information
 
Work Information That Could Hurt Our Company
  • Customer details - names, emails, phone numbers, purchase history
  • Employee information - salaries, performance reviews, personal details
  • Company finances - budgets, revenue numbers, profit margins
  • Contracts or legal documents - anything with signatures or confidential terms
  • Login credentials - usernames, passwords, or access codes
  • Internal communications - emails, messages, or meeting notes with sensitive content
  • Proprietary information - trade secrets, formulas, or competitive strategies
 
Company-Specific Details - Don't Share:
  • Real employee names or email addresses
  • Actual customer names or account information
  • Specific project names or internal code names
  • Real website URLs or system names
  • Vendor contracts or pricing details
 
Why this matters: Everything you type into ChatGPT gets stored permanently and could potentially be accessed by others.


✅ What's Safe to Use
Good Examples:
  • "Help me write a professional email template"
  • "Create a checklist for planning events"
  • "Explain how to improve team communication"
  • "Write a job description for a marketing role"
  • "Create a budget template with sample categories"
The Golden Rule:
Replace real details with generic examples. Instead of typing "John Smith from ABC Corp", use "Employee Name from Sample Company"
 
How to Get Better Results from ChatGPT


1. Give ChatGPT a Role to Play
Bad: "Help with a presentation" Good: "You're a business consultant. Help me create a presentation outline for quarterly results."
2. Be Specific About What You Want
Bad: "Write something about productivity" Good: "Write a 5-minute presentation about productivity tips for remote workers, including 3 main points and examples."
3. Provide Context and Examples
"Write 3 professional email signatures. Here's the style I like: Simple, includes title and contact info, no fancy graphics."
4. Set Clear Boundaries
"Keep responses under 150 words" or "Write in a friendly but professional tone" or "Focus on practical, actionable advice"
 
Ready-to-Use Prompt Examples
For Business Communication:
"Act as a communications expert. Write an email template
to announce a policy change to staff. Make it clear,
positive, and under 200 words."
For Project Management:
"You're a project manager. Create a simple project
timeline template for a 3-month initiative with
weekly milestones and deliverables."
For Training and Development:
"Create a 30-minute training outline on effective
meeting management. Include learning objectives,
key topics, and interactive activities."
For Problem Solving:
"I need to improve our customer response time.
Give me 5 practical strategies that don't require
expensive technology. Explain each in simple terms."
For Content Creation:
"Write 3 different social media post templates
for announcing company achievements. Keep them
professional but engaging, under 280 characters each."
 
Safe Examples for Common Work Tasks
For Policy Development:
"Create a remote work policy template covering
work hours, communication expectations, and
equipment guidelines. Use placeholder company names."
For Customer Service:
"Write response templates for common customer
complaints about delayed orders. Include 3 different
scenarios with professional, empathetic language."
For HR and Recruiting:
"Create interview questions for a sales position
focusing on communication skills, problem-solving,
and customer relationship building."
For Marketing:
"Develop a content calendar template for social media
with post types, themes, and frequency recommendations
for a small business."
 
Privacy Settings You Should Know
Protect Your Information:
  1. Turn off chat history - Go to ChatGPT Settings → Data Controls → Turn OFF
  2. Consider Using temporary chats for anything work-related (this may not be effective in all situations)
  3. Delete conversations regularly 
  4. Never save or share chat links that contain company information
  5. Opt out of training - Your conversations won't be used to improve ChatGPT 
Pro Tips for Better Results
Start Broad, Then Get Specific:
  1. First ask: "Help me create a training program"
  2. Then add details: "For new employees in customer service"
  3. Then refine: "Include role-playing exercises and evaluation criteria"
Ask for Multiple Options:
"Give me 5 different approaches to handling difficult customers"
Use Follow-Up Questions:
  • "Make that more detailed"
  • "Simplify this for non-technical people"
  • "Add real-world examples"
  • "Make it sound more professional"
Request Different Formats:
  • "Put this in bullet points"
  • "Create a checklist version"
  • "Make it into a step-by-step guide"
  • "Turn this into an email format"
 
❌ Red Flags - Stop and Think
Before sharing information, ask yourself:
  • Would I be comfortable if this appeared in the newspaper?
  • Does this contain real names, numbers, or confidential details?
  • Could this information harm our company or customers if it became public?
  • Am I sharing something that was told to me in confidence?
If you answered "yes" to any of these - don't share it!
 
Examples of What NOT to Share
Instead of This:
❌ "Our client Microsoft is unhappy with the $50K project delay"
Try This:
✅ "A major client is concerned about project delays. Help me draft a professional response addressing timeline concerns"
Instead of This:
❌ "John Smith's performance review shows he's struggling with sales targets"
Try This:
✅ "Create a performance improvement plan template for an employee missing sales goals"
 
When in Doubt
Contact your manager or HR team before sharing anything you're unsure about.
Remember: It's always better to ask first than to accidentally share something confidential.
 
Advanced Features to Explore
Custom Instructions:
Set up ChatGPT to remember your preferences for tone, format, and style
File Uploads:
You can upload documents, but remember - never upload anything with confidential information
Voice Conversations:
ChatGPT can have voice conversations, but the same privacy rules apply
Plugins and Integrations:
Be extra careful with third-party plugins - they may have different privacy policies
 
Measuring Your Success
Signs You're Using ChatGPT Effectively:
  • You're getting useful responses on the first try
  • You're saving time on routine writing tasks
  • Your communications are clearer and more professional
  • You're learning new approaches to common problems
Red Flags You Need to Improve:
  • Responses are too generic or unhelpful
  • You're having to ask the same question multiple ways
  • The tone doesn't match what you need
  • You're not finding practical, actionable advice
 
Getting Started Checklist
✅ Configure privacy settings (turn off history and training)
✅ Practice with a few simple, non-sensitive requests
✅ Try different prompt styles to see what works best
✅ Save effective prompt templates for future use
✅ Set up custom instructions for your preferences
✅ Learn to refine responses with follow-up questions
 
Questions about company-specific guidelines? Contact your supervisor or IT Support | Updated August 2025.