To stop ChatGPT from training on your conversations, open Settings, go to Data Controls and turn off "Improve the model for everyone." Free, Plus and Pro accounts are used for training until you do. Business, Enterprise, Edu and API data isn't trained on by default.

That one switch covers most of it. There are a few more settings worth a look while you're in there, especially if you ever use ChatGPT for work.

Step by step

Click your profile icon, then Settings, then Data Controls.
Turn off Improve the model for everyone. This also covers Codex when you sign in with the same account.
In the same menu, turn off the audio and video recording options if you use voice mode.
Under Shared links, delete any old ones. Anyone who has the link can read that chat.
Go to Settings, then Personalization, and review Memory. Memories carry details from one chat into the next, which you may not want for client work.

Use Temporary Chat for sensitive questions

Temporary Chat doesn't save to your history, doesn't create memories and isn't used for training. OpenAI deletes it after 30 days. It's the right choice for anything you'd rather not keep around, even with training already switched off.

Skip the thumbs up and thumbs down

Feedback you send on an answer can be used for training. If the chat holds anything about a client, don't rate it.

ChatGPT for business and the OpenAI API

ChatGPT Business, formerly called Team, along with Enterprise and Edu, doesn't train on your data by default. That's the plan to use for anything involving clients or company information.

The OpenAI API doesn't train on inputs or outputs by default either. OpenAI keeps API traffic for up to 30 days to watch for abuse, and zero data retention is available by agreement. In your API organization settings, leave any option to share inputs and outputs with OpenAI switched off. Those programs trade your data for free usage.

Frequently asked questions

Does ChatGPT Plus train on my data?

Yes, unless you turn it off. Plus and Pro work the same way as the free plan here.

If I turn off training, does ChatGPT still keep my chats?

Yes. Your chats stay in your history until you delete them. Turning training off only stops them from being used to build future models.

Can I use ChatGPT for client work?

Use ChatGPT Business or Enterprise for that, signed in with your work account. A personal account with training off is better than nothing, but it isn't the right home for client data.

Source: OpenAI Data Controls FAQ.

Privacy guides for other AI tools

Last checked October 2026. AI companies rename and move these settings often, so if a menu looks different, search the app's settings for "training" or "improve".

How to stop ChatGPT from training on your data