PYTHON FOR SEO

Advanced ChatGPT Features and How to Use Them

Ten advanced ChatGPT features, and for each one: when to use it, which plan it needs, the steps to try it on an SEO task, and a prompt to copy.

By Islam Ahmed

Published Sources checked: 14 min read

There are 3 different places you can work from in ChatGPT:

  • A regular chat.
  • Work mode, for tasks with many steps.
  • The ChatGPT desktop app, when it needs to reach files and programs on your computer.

And one more difference to get clear from the start:

The browser on your computer is not the cloud browser, which runs on a remote computer.

On the free plan, you can start without paying.

Projects and Codex are available with limits, and Deep Research and Tasks depending on what your account shows.

Work and the cloud browser need a paid plan.

Start with the mind map ↓See what your plan supports ↓

Which ChatGPT feature fits your task?

Start from the work you want done, then pick the feature to see how to use it.

What do you want to do?

ChatGPT features on free and paid plans

Not every feature needs a subscription, and not every one needs a program installed. This table tells you where to start; what your account shows is what settles it.

FeaturePlanWhere it runs
ChatGPT Computer UseAn eligible account + permissionsThe ChatGPT desktop app on Windows or Mac, from Codex or Work
ChatGPT cloud browserEligible paid plans, not Free or GoWork on the web or your phone, nothing to install
Codex and Codex CloudCodex on the free plan with limits; Codex Cloud on paid plansCodex in the desktop app or on the web
ChatGPT Deep ResearchOn the free plan with limits; more on paid plansThe (+) button in ChatGPT, then Deep Research
ChatGPT scheduled tasksOn the free plan with limits; hourly times on paid plansThe Scheduled page, or ask for it in a chat
ChatGPT SkillsMostly Business, Enterprise, Edu and HealthcarePlugins, then Skills, if your account has them
ChatGPT plugins and connected appsThe list is on every plan; each plugin depends on yoursPlugins in the sidebar, then Install and Connect
ChatGPT ProjectsOn free and paid plans, with different file limitsProjects in the sidebar
ChatGPT Work modeEligible paid plans, not Free or GoWork in ChatGPT on the web, your phone or the desktop app
Site tools and WebMCPA supported account and app + a site that offers the toolsThe built-in browser in the ChatGPT desktop app

How to use advanced ChatGPT features, step by step

Each feature comes with an SEO example, the steps to try it, and a prompt to copy. Try it on something small first, and once you trust the result, give it the bigger task.

ChatGPT Computer Use

01
The ChatGPT desktop app on Windows or Mac, from Codex or WorkAn eligible account + permissions

Say you have Screaming Frog open and a list of URLs to crawl.

Instead of asking ChatGPT about the crawl, you can have it run the program: pick the list, start the crawl, export the report.

That's Computer Use.

The program here is on your own computer, not on a computer in the cloud.

Before you start

Screaming Frog installed on your computer, the list of URLs on it, and control of apps turned on in your account.

Installing the ChatGPT app alone isn't enough.

Try it step by step

  1. Install the latest ChatGPT desktop app, sign in, and open Codex or Work.
  2. In Plugins, look for Computer Use if your account has it, turn it on, and review the app permissions.
  3. Start small: 10 URLs. Allow access to Screaming Frog only when it asks.
  4. Ask it to crawl the URLs and export Title, Canonical and Status Code to a CSV, then open the file and check the results yourself.

The prompt

I have a file, urls.csv, with 10 test URLs. If you have authorized access to Screaming Frog on my computer, open it, use List Mode to crawl the URLs, then export Status Code, Title and Canonical to a CSV file. Don't change any other settings, and don't start anything you can't verify. If you don't have permission to control the program, tell me instead of claiming you did it.

Result: A crawl file from the program itself, not an explanation.

Watch out:

This feature isn't on every account, and the program has to be supported.

If you don't have it, export the CSV from Screaming Frog yourself and upload it for ChatGPT to analyze. You get the same analysis without it controlling your computer.

Sources:Computer Use and its policies Screaming Frog user guide

ChatGPT cloud browser

02
Work on the web or your phone, nothing to installEligible paid plans, not Free or Go

You have 15 finished articles to add as drafts on a WordPress site.

The cloud browser means ChatGPT opens a browser on a remote computer and goes through the dashboard's steps for you, if the site allows it.

You can leave the task running even after you close your computer.

But it stops when it needs a sign-in or your approval.

Before you start

A paid plan with Work, a site that allows automated browsing, and your account's access to the dashboard.

Start on a test site, not your main one.

Try it step by step

  1. Open chatgpt.com and choose Work.
  2. Name a test site you own, and exactly what you want: one draft, and only one.
  3. When it asks you to sign in to the site, use the secure sign-in form. Never type the password into the chat.
  4. Follow the steps, and check the draft yourself before you ask it to repeat the process.

The prompt

Use Work to help me create one test draft on the WordPress dashboard I'll give you access to. Title: Test guide for review. Add one short paragraph only and save it as a draft. Don't publish it, and don't edit any existing content. After saving, give me the draft's link or an exact description of what happened. If the site blocks automated access, stop.

Result: One saved test draft to review before you repeat it.

Watch out:

You don't pick Cloud Browser yourself. Work decides whether to use the browser or a connected app.

And some sites block any automated interaction.

Sources:Cloud browser in the docs ChatGPT

Codex and Codex Cloud

03
Codex in the desktop app or on the webCodex on the free plan with limits; Codex Cloud on paid plans

You need a tool that reads a list of URLs and gets the Status Code, Title and Canonical of each.

That's more than a Python question.

You need program files, tests and error handling.

That's what Codex is for: coding.

Codex Cloud runs the same task in a remote development environment, once you've set one up.

Before you start

Plain Codex is on the free plan too, with limits.

Codex Cloud needs an eligible account and a project environment set up first.

Try it step by step

  1. Open Codex from the ChatGPT desktop app, or on the web if your account has it.
  2. Pick a new project folder, or the cloud environment you set up. Don't give it access it doesn't need.
  3. Describe the tool: a CSV in, a CSV out. Ask for tests for the URLs that fail.
  4. Review the files, run the tool on a small sample, and check the results before you rely on it.

The prompt

Build a small Python tool that reads urls.csv and, for each URL, gets the HTTP Status Code, Title, Meta Description and Canonical, then saves the results to results.csv. Add a connection timeout, error handling and tests on local HTML pages, and explain how to run it. Don't use real websites in the tests until I approve.

Result: A working tool, with tests and instructions to run it.

Watch out:

Don't confuse Codex with Work.

Codex is for code. Work is for analysis and reports.

And Codex Cloud won't run until you set up the environment.

Sources:Codex and your plan Setting up Codex Cloud

ChatGPT Deep Research

04
The (+) button in ChatGPT, then Deep ResearchOn the free plan with limits; more on paid plans

You've read two studies on how AI Overviews affect CTR, and each gives a different number.

Before you base a decision on either, you need to know:

  • How big was the sample?
  • How was CTR calculated?
  • Is the comparison fair?

Deep Research makes a research plan, gathers evidence from many sources, and gives you a report with its sources.

Not a quick answer from one article.

Before you start

A topic worth researching across several sources, and Deep Research allowance left in your account.

If your question is one simple number, regular search is enough.

Try it step by step

  1. Open a chat and choose Deep Research from the (+) button, or type /Deepresearch.
  2. Set the question, the time period, the sources you want, and the shape of the final report.
  3. Review the research plan it proposes, and adjust it before it starts.
  4. When the report is out, open the original studies yourself and check the main conclusions.

The prompt

Research the original studies that measured how AI Overviews affect CTR. Compare their sample sizes, how they measured CTR and when the data was collected, and show where they agree and where they differ. Don't confuse correlation with causation, and link every original study.

Result: A comparison of the studies with their sources, and what you can and can't conclude from them.

Watch out:

Deep research won't turn a weak study into strong evidence.

You still have to check the sources and their dates yourself.

Sources:Deep research in the docs

ChatGPT scheduled tasks

05
The Scheduled page, or ask for it in a chatOn the free plan with limits; hourly times on paid plans

Every week you check Google's news, and the same steps repeat each time.

This is a job for Tasks.

What you need is a follow-up later, not an answer now.

You can set days or times, and some accounts can watch for something and alert you when it changes.

Before you start

An account that supports scheduled tasks, with room for one more.

On the free plan there are fewer, and the times are flexible (morning, afternoon or night), not to the hour.

Try it step by step

  1. Open Scheduled in ChatGPT, or ask for the task in a regular chat.
  2. Set the source, what counts as an update, and when to send it.
  3. Check the task card to make sure it was created and the timing is right.
  4. When you don't need it anymore, edit or pause it from Scheduled.

The prompt

Every Friday evening, look through the official Google Search Central updates published that week and summarize only what changes a practical decision for an SEO specialist. Give each item's date and source link, and don't repeat an item from a previous week unless there's something new.

Result: A summary that arrives regularly, or an alert when a condition your plan supports is met.

Watch out:

Per the current documentation: Free and Go get 3 active tasks, and the free plan one recurring task a day, at a flexible time.

And a task you create inside a Project can't read the project's files.

Sources:Tasks and schedules in the docs

ChatGPT Skills

06
Plugins, then Skills, if your account has themMostly Business, Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare

Every time you review an article, you explain the same method to ChatGPT: search intent, structure, repetition, fact-checking, then the decision on what to change.

Instead of writing those long instructions in every request, a skill stores the method with its steps and examples.

And ChatGPT uses it on its own for the tasks it fits.

Before you start

Skills showing in your account, with permission to create or install one.

Not guaranteed on individual Free and Plus accounts.

Try it step by step

  1. Open Plugins from the sidebar, then Skills.
  2. Choose Create with chat, or the editor if you have it.
  3. Set when the skill applies, its steps, what it must not do, and how to check its result.
  4. Test it on two different articles, and fix the step the mistakes come from.

The prompt

Create a skill for reviewing articles: it starts by identifying the page's goal and search intent, then reviews the heading structure, finds gaps and repetition, checks the claims, and ends with recommendations in order, each with a clear reason. Don't rewrite the article unless I ask. Test the skill on a short sample text.

Result: A review method you use every time, and improve as you go.

Watch out:

If you don't have Skills, use Project instructions as a simpler stand-in.

But a project and a skill aren't the same thing.

Sources:Skills in the docs

ChatGPT plugins and connected apps

07
Plugins in the sidebar, then Install and ConnectThe list is on every plan; each plugin depends on yours

You have a page report in Google Sheets.

If you connect ChatGPT to the right account, you can ask it to read the data and analyze changes in Clicks and Impressions, without uploading a new copy every time.

The point isn't that ChatGPT has your data on its own.

It's that you allow it into one specific source.

Before you start

The right plugin, access to the data source, and a sign-in if the app asks for one.

Try it step by step

  1. Open Plugins and look for one like Google Drive, and check whether it only reads or can edit too.
  2. Click Install, then Connect if it shows up, and sign in with an account you're allowed to use.
  3. Ask it to open a specific sheet by name or link, and pull only the columns you need.
  4. Check the numbers and when the data was last updated. Only give it edit access if you need it.

The prompt

Use the connected app to open the page performance sheet I point you to, and compare Clicks, Impressions and CTR per page over the last 3 months. Show only the pages whose clicks dropped more than 20%, and separate a drop in impressions from a drop in CTR. Don't edit the original sheet.

Result: An analysis straight from the source, which you can always trace back.

Watch out:

Not every plugin does everything, and some only read.

Don't assume ChatGPT can reach any account you haven't connected.

Sources:Plugins in the docs

ChatGPT Projects

08
Projects in the sidebarOn free and paid plans, with different file limits

You've worked on a site for months, with decisions, reports and a content plan.

And you want every new task to start from that context, without explaining everything again.

That's what a Project does: it keeps the project's chats, instructions and files in one place.

Before you start

A signed-in ChatGPT account, and files you're allowed to upload.

Files per project, per the current documentation:

  • Free: up to 5.
  • Go and Plus: up to 25.
  • Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu: up to 40.

Try it step by step

  1. From the sidebar, choose New Project and name it after the work.
  2. Add the content plan or a reference report, and write short project instructions.
  3. Start a chat inside it to analyze specific data, and tell it which files to use.
  4. Test it with a question about a decision written in a file, and see whether it answered from the right source.

The prompt

Use only the files in this project to summarize the priorities we agreed on for next month. Separate approved decisions from suggested ideas, and if a file doesn't contain a piece of information, don't assume it.

Result: An organized working context, ready for the project's next chats.

Watch out:

A Project isn't a word-for-word memory, and it isn't a crawler.

Save an important decision in a reference file. Don't count on it being in an old chat.

Sources:Projects and plan limits

ChatGPT Work mode

09
Work in ChatGPT on the web, your phone or the desktop appEligible paid plans, not Free or Go

You've taken on a new store and need a first audit report.

That isn't one step.

You need to understand the site's sections, pick the key pages, work out what data to collect, and build a priority table.

Work is made for tasks with many steps that end in files or results, not for a quick question.

Before you start

A paid plan that shows Work, and the files or permissions the task needs.

If the analysis depends on Search Console data, you have to provide it or connect it.

Try it step by step

  1. Open ChatGPT and choose Work instead of Chat.
  2. Upload a list of pages or a test crawl file, and set what you want and the scope.
  3. Ask it to start with a first report, then a priority table. Forbid any changes to websites.
  4. Review the evidence and the files, and approve yourself any new step that needs action or a data source.

The prompt

I want a first audit of a test site. Start from the attached list of URLs, find the pages with missing or duplicate titles, then give me a table with the URL, the issue, its evidence and the priority to fix it. Don't claim you analyzed traffic without Search Console data, and don't change any page.

Result: A report and tables you can review, instead of scattered chats.

Watch out:

Not every Work task needs the cloud browser. Sometimes it reads the files, or a plugin fits better.

And for a simple task, regular Chat is enough.

Sources:Chat vs. Work vs. Codex

Site tools and WebMCP

10
The built-in browser in the ChatGPT desktop appA supported account and app + a site that offers the tools

Say the site you work on has an official tool for searching its stock.

Instead of ChatGPT clicking through menus the way you would, it can use that tool directly.

But that doesn't happen on just any site.

The site itself has to offer Site Tools, and your account has to be eligible.

Before you start

The ChatGPT desktop app on Windows or Mac, the built-in browser, and a site that actually offers Site Tools.

Try it step by step

  1. Open the ChatGPT app, then Work or Codex, and open the built-in browser from the toolbar or with Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows.
  2. Go to a site you trust, and look for the site tools arrow in the address bar.
  3. If the tools show up, click the arrow and read what each tool does and which permissions it needs.
  4. Ask for something simple and read-only, like searching for a set of products, and check the result before any change.

The prompt

If the current page offers Site Tools for searching products, use them to find the items with fewer than 5 in stock, and show only the name and quantity. Don't change any record. If there's no suitable tool, tell me.

Result: You're using a tool the site itself offers, when it's really there.

Watch out:

If the arrow isn't there, ChatGPT isn't broken. The site may not support WebMCP, or your account may not be eligible.

And the built-in browser is separate from Chrome, with its own sign-in.

Sources:Site tools in the docs Opening the built-in browser

Before you try any of them

Never type a password into the chat.

When ChatGPT asks you to sign in, use the secure sign-in form.

And always start with a read-only task or a test draft, before you allow anything that publishes or changes something you can't undo.

The examples here are for trying with your own account's permissions; they aren't operations run on real accounts.

OpenAI can change plans, limits and option names at any time, so every feature links to the official documentation.

Sources:Chat vs. Work vs. Codex Cloud browser Tasks and their limits Codex and the plans

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