Taming the ChatGPT Sidebar With Projects

AI for Advisors newsletter

You’re using ChatGPT more and more—for brainstorming, research, drafting, client prep. But now your left sidebar is a mess.

Dozens of scattered threads from different days, weeks, and projects. Finding the conversation you know you had last Thursday? Slows you down. Working across multiple related threads? Even worse.

It’s a common productivity killer. And for financial advisors managing marketing ideas, client prep, and internal workflows in ChatGPT, this chaos can erode the very efficiency AI promised to deliver.

The solution: ChatGPT’s Projects feature.

Projects let you create a dedicated workspace for any topic, client, or initiative—and store every related chat, file, and note in one place. Your left sidebar becomes neat, with clear, easy-to-spot Project folders you can click into anytime. You can even move old threads into the right folder, so nothing gets lost.

What Projects are and why they matter

A Project is more than just a folder. It’s a goal-oriented workspace where ChatGPT remembers your context, stores your files, and keeps instructions persistent across every conversation inside that Project.

For advisors, that means:

• One-click access to all chats and materials for a specific client or marketing campaign.
• Built-in instructions so ChatGPT knows the background without you re-explaining each time.
• Centralized files—from PDFs to spreadsheets—all linked to the work you’re doing.

It’s the difference between rummaging through a messy desk drawer and pulling open a clearly labeled file folder with exactly what you need inside.

For financial advisors, that means:

• No more digging through scattered threads.
• No need to re-explain the purpose of your work.
• Faster, more consistent output from your AI assistant.

Setting up your first project

Follow these steps to start using Projects right away:

1. Start a new Project

• In the left sidebar, click New project.
• Name your Project (e.g., “Q4 Marketing Plan” or “Client Review–Martinez”).
• Optionally, add a description.
• You can also create a Project from any open chat: click the chat’s menu and select Add to project.

2. Add old threads into your Project

• In the sidebar, locate the chat you want to move.
• Click the three-dot menu next to its name.
• Choose Add to project and pick your destination folder.

3. Upload files and add instructions

• Inside the Project, click the paperclip icon to upload PDFs, spreadsheets, or images.
• In the right-hand panel, add Project Instructions—a short description of the purpose, audience, and tone for your work.
• ChatGPT will use this information in every conversation within the Project.

Pro tip: Select GPT-4o for best results

By default, ChatGPT may use the newer GPT-5 model—but for now, GPT-4o tends to perform better inside Projects.

Here’s how to switch:

1. Go to Settings → General
2. Toggle on Show additional models
3. In your Project chat window, open the Model dropdown and select GPT‑4o

While ChatGPT-5 is the default, GPT-4o is currently delivering more consistent results in Projects. This could change over time, but for now, 4o is the safer choice.

Advisor-specific ways to use projects

Here are a few examples of how financial advisors can use Projects to keep AI work organized and productive:

1. AI-Powered Advisors Project

   In our AI-Powered Financial Advisor program, we recommend creating a Project specifically for the course. This “AI-Powered Project” becomes your home base:

   • Store PDFs of class slides and transcripts.
   • Keep prompt files and homework assignments in one place.
   • Save your drafts and brainstorming notes directly in related chats.
   • Return here for reviews and refreshers.
2. Prospecting strategy files

   Create a Project for a new opportunity—like when a major company opens nearby. Gather public info on the firm, its leaders, and industry trends, plus outreach ideas and event concepts. Keep all your research and plans in one place to move quickly from insight to connection.

3. Marketing campaigns

   Launch a Project for each campaign (e.g., “Retirement Webinar Series”). Include your email drafts, ad copy, landing page text, and post-event follow-up messages.

4. Seasonal task hubs

   Tax season, Medicare open enrollment, RMD outreach—each gets its own Project so you can focus your energy without mixing workflows.

5. Compliance research

   When working on a complex compliance question, use a Project to store the regulations you’ve uploaded, your Q&A chats, and draft responses for review.

Advanced features worth using

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, explore these time-saving capabilities:

Add instructions to your Project

Once your Project is up and running, you can add permanent instructions to make ChatGPT even more helpful. Use a framework like RTF-CQE (Role, Task, Format, Context, Questions, Examples) to guide the AI’s behavior. For example:

• Role: Act as a financial advisor
• Task: Analyze client questions
• Format: Respond in clear bullet points
• Context: Working with bilingual U.S.-Mexico clients
• Questions: Ask clarifying questions before giving advice
• Examples: “Input: ‘What are the best stocks?’ → Output: ‘Let’s clarify your risk tolerance first.’”

You can also give ChatGPT behind-the-scenes instructions like: “Before responding, check recent market data, consider user preferences, and keep a log of key points.”

This turns your Project into a more personalized, context-aware workspace—no need to repeat yourself every time you start a new chat.

Remember the ChatGPT toolkit

Inside any Project, you can tap into ChatGPT’s newest tools—Deep Research, Create Image, Web Search, and more—to expand what you can produce without leaving your workspace. Layer in smart instructions, and your Project becomes a command center for everything from research and content creation to visual assets.

Other Project features

Beyond the core toolkit, Projects include built-in capabilities that make your workflow faster, smoother, and more organized:

• Persistent instructions: Tell ChatGPT once, and it remembers for all chats in the Project.
• File integration: Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, and images so they’re ready to reference in any chat.
• Voice Mode: Speak ideas, refine strategies, or walk through documents hands-free.
• Sharing options: Share select chats with colleagues or clients—without opening the entire Project.
• Mobile access: Continue working on your Project from your phone or tablet.

Together, these tools turn Projects into a flexible, focused workspace designed for financial professionals using AI in real workflows.

A few limits to know

Projects are powerful—but not without boundaries. Here are a few limitations to be aware of as you build your workspace:

• File uploads: If you’re on the Plus plan, you can upload up to 20 files per Project. Pro and Team plans allow up to 40 files.
• Custom GPTs: You can’t move chats from a Custom GPT into a Project (at least not yet), so keep that work separate for now.
• Permanent deletion: Once you delete a Project, everything in it—chats, files, instructions—is gone for good. There’s no undo, so double-check before you remove anything.

Your first Project win

To see the power of Projects in action, start with something you’re already planning—like your upcoming client appreciation event.

You’re probably juggling ideas for venues, guest lists, invitations, follow-up emails, and a short presentation. Instead of keeping all that in your head (or across five different chats), give it a dedicated workspace.

Here’s how:

1. Create a Project called “Client Appreciation Event – October 2025.”
2. Move over any brainstorms or drafts you’ve already done—venue research, invite copy, client lists.
3. Upload reference files like last year’s agenda, RSVP spreadsheet, or client feedback notes.
4. Add Project instructions:

   “Act as a marketing and event planning assistant for a financial advisor. Tone should be upbeat, professional, and client centered. Help with event logistics, reminder emails, and scripting a brief welcome message.”

5. Switch to GPT-4o, and start drafting your event timeline, email sequence, or talking points.

In just a few minutes, you’ll have a central hub for your entire event—making collaboration with ChatGPT faster, clearer, and more strategic.

Bring order to your workflows

ChatGPT Projects are one of the simplest ways to bring order to your AI workflows. They give you a central home for each major topic, client, or campaign—complete with your files, instructions, and related chats—so you can work faster, stay organized, and avoid the endless scroll of a cluttered sidebar.

Ready to make the leap? Horsesmouth’s AI for Advisors Pro training programs provide the structured, advisor-specific approach that transforms occasional users into confident practitioners. Learn more at www.horsesmouth.com/aipro.