How to set up Dots
Creating a Dot takes around ten minutes, and the look you pick matters far less than the rules you write. Set those rules before you connect your inbox, not after.
What you need
- ChatGPT Pro at $100, $200 or $500 a month, or a Business Premium seat
- A computer with the ChatGPT desktop app or a browser, since the first setup cannot be done on a phone
- A country where your plan includes Dots; Pro does not cover the EEA, Switzerland or the UK
- A short list of what the Dot may do alone, what needs your approval and what is off limits
Step by step
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Start on a computer
Sign in to ChatGPT in the desktop app or on the web and open Dots from the sidebar, or launch one from Codex. Once the first setup is done, your Dot is also available on mobile.
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Give it a name and a look
Choose a name, color, eye shape and accessories for your primary Dot. All of it can be changed later, so pick quickly and move on.
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Connect a few apps
Add apps from the plugin directory one at a time. In the first week, give email and calendar read-only access where the app allows it, and leave banking and admin tools out.
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Write your Custom Rules
In the rules panel, decide what the Dot can do on its own, what it must ask about and what it may never do. Short, specific rules work better than broad ones.
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Add Slack or Teams
If your team works in Slack or Microsoft Teams, install the Dots integration there. Your Dot keeps the same context wherever you message it.
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Start with a read-only task
Ask for a morning briefing of important emails and today's meetings. Follow its work in the Activity View before you let it send anything.
First things to do after setup
- Watch the Activity View for a few days to learn how your Dot approaches tasks.
- When it gets stuck on a website, use the Take over button instead of typing long explanations.
- On a personal plan, switch off Improve the model for everyone in data controls if you do not want its work used for training.
Common mistakes
- Connecting banking or admin tools on day one, before you know how the Dot behaves.
- Assuming all Dot activity is free of limits, when work it starts in Codex or ChatGPT Work uses your normal allowance.
- Trying to create the first Dot on a phone, where setup is not available.