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A free guide by Mariah Brunner ↗ INSTAGRAM ↗ TIKTOK

ChatGPT's Three Modes
And 15 Tasks To Try

Chat, Work, and Codex behave like three different tools under one logo. Here’s what each one is for, plus five copy-paste tasks per mode.

If ChatGPT looks different, you didn’t imagine it. On July 9, 2026, OpenAI folded its Codex app into ChatGPT (here’s their announcement). It didn’t split into three apps. Two apps became one, with three modes inside.

The one line that sorts it all: Chat gives you thinking. Work gives you a finished file or a real action in an app you connected. Codex gives you something that runs. Decide which one you want before you type.

How To Switch

In the ChatGPT desktop app, pick ChatGPT or Codex in the product selector. Inside ChatGPT, use the switcher to go from Chat to Work. So "switch to Codex" means changing products, not flipping the Work switch.

What Each Mode Is For
ModeWhere it isWhat you get back
ChatChatGPT, switcher on ChatThinking. Answers, drafts, a second opinion.
WorkChatGPT, switcher on WorkA finished file, or a real action in a connected app.
CodexCodex in the product selectorSomething that runs. A site, a script, changes to your files.

Work and Codex run on the same engine and share one usage allowance. A long Codex session can eat the budget you were saving for Friday’s report.

Plugins are how ChatGPT reaches into Gmail, Google Drive, Slack and the rest. They work in Chat, Work and Codex. Find them under Plugins in the ChatGPT sidebar, install one, then type @ and its name in your prompt.

5 Tasks For Chat

Chat is for what happens in your head. This is where you think out loud with something that actually pushes back.

01

The decision you keep flip-flopping on

A job move, a big purchase, a business call. Make it argue every side instead of rubber-stamping what you already want.

Decision Partner
You are a sharp, honest thinking partner. I keep going back and forth on a decision and I want you to think it through with me, not agree with me. The decision: [WHAT YOU'RE DECIDING] What matters most to me: [YOUR PRIORITIES AND CONSTRAINTS, e.g. money, time, family, risk] What I'm leaning toward, and why: [YOUR CURRENT LEAN] Do this: 1. Ask me up to 3 questions first if something important is missing. Wait for my answers. 2. Lay out the real options, including any I haven't named. 3. Give the strongest honest case FOR each one. 4. Name the biggest risk I'm underweighting. 5. Give your recommendation, how confident you are (low / medium / high), and what would change your mind. Format: short headers, bullets, under 400 words. Rules: push back if my reasoning is weak. Don't invent facts about my situation; if you're assuming something, say so.

02

The message you’re nervous to send

The hard email or awkward text you’ve rewritten five times.

Hard Message
Help me write a message I'm nervous to send. Act like a calm, emotionally smart editor. Who it's to and what's going on: [THE SITUATION] My rough draft or bullet points: [PASTE] The tone I want: [e.g. warm but firm, kind but honest, short and professional] The one outcome I need: [e.g. they agree to a new deadline, we stay friends, I get paid] Give me: 1. A clean version that says the hard part in the first two sentences, with no passive-aggression and no over-apologizing. 2. A softer version and a more direct version, labeled, so I can choose. 3. One line I can use if they push back. Rules: keep it in my voice (use my draft's wording where it works). No corporate filler. Keep each version under 150 words unless my draft is longer.

03

Rehearse the high-stakes conversation

A raise, a client negotiation, a hard talk at home. Have the bad version first, with nobody watching.

Role-Play Rehearsal
Role-play a conversation so I can practice before the real thing. The conversation: [e.g. asking for a raise, renegotiating a contract, a hard personal talk] Who you're playing: [THE OTHER PERSON, THEIR ROLE AND LIKELY MINDSET] What I want to walk away with: [YOUR GOAL] What I'm afraid they'll say: [YOUR WORST-CASE OBJECTION] Rules for the role-play: - Stay in character. Be realistic and a little resistant, not cartoonishly mean. - Raise one objection at a time and wait for my reply. - Work in the objection I'm afraid of at some point. After 6 exchanges, step out of character and give me: 1. Where I was convincing (quote my line). 2. Where I got weak or over-explained (quote my line). 3. The two exact lines I should use on the day.

04

Empty your head and get a plan

Dump everything you’re carrying and get back a sorted, honest week.

Brain Dump To Plan
I'm overwhelmed and it's all in my head. Act as a no-nonsense chief of staff and turn my brain dump into a plan. Everything on my plate right now: [BRAIN DUMP, ANY ORDER IS FINE] Hours I realistically have this week: [NUMBER] Hard deadlines I know about: [DATES, or "none"] Do this: 1. Split anything that's really several tasks into its parts. 2. Sort everything into: Do this week / Can wait / Drop or delegate. 3. Flag anything urgent or with a real deadline. 4. Pick the 3 things to do first and say why. 5. Tell me honestly where I'm overcommitted, given my hours. Format: a table with Task | Bucket | Deadline | Est. time, then the top 3, then one short paragraph of honest feedback.

05

Understand something confusing, fast

A contract clause, a health term, a new tool at work.

Teach Me
Teach me [TOPIC] like I'm smart but completely new to it. Act as a patient expert who hates jargon. Why I need it: [e.g. reading a contract, a doctor's note, a new tool at work] What I already know: [ANYTHING, or "nothing"] My real example (optional): [PASTE THE CLAUSE, TERM, OR SCREENSHOT TEXT] Go in this order: 1. The one idea everything else hangs on, in two sentences. 2. A plain real-world analogy. 3. How it works, step by step. Define any term you have to use. 4. The most common beginner mistake. 5. One thing I can try today to make it click. 6. Three quick questions to check I got it. Wait for my answers before grading them. If my example involves health, legal, or money decisions, tell me what to double-check with a professional.
5 Tasks For Work

Work is the one to actually learn. The test for whether a task belongs here: would you have opened another app to finish it?

01

Research it and hand me a finished document

The actual brief, deck or spreadsheet, with sources and a recommendation.

Research To Document
Research this and hand me a finished document I could actually send, not notes. What I need researched: [TOPIC / QUESTION / LIST OF THINGS TO COMPARE] Who it's for and what they care about: [AUDIENCE] What I want at the end: [e.g. a one-page brief, an 8-slide deck, a comparison spreadsheet] Anything to include or avoid: [e.g. only sources from the last 12 months, our budget is $X] Steps: 1. Tell me your plan in 3 bullets before you start, then go. 2. Research from reliable, current sources. 3. Build the file. Rules: - Put a short summary and your recommendation at the top. - Cite sources with links so I can check them. - Mark anything you're unsure about instead of guessing. - Save it as [.docx / .pdf / .pptx / .xlsx].

02

Clean up a file nobody wants to touch

Get back an editable spreadsheet you can trust, with every change listed.

File Cleanup
Here's a file I need cleaned up: [ATTACH THE SPREADSHEET OR EXPORT] What it is and what I use it for: [e.g. client list for our newsletter, monthly expenses] Clean it up and give it back usable: 1. Remove exact duplicates, and list likely duplicates (same person, different spelling) for me to decide on. 2. Fix formatting: dates as [YYYY-MM-DD], consistent capitalization, no blank rows. 3. Add [a summary tab / totals / a breakdown by CATEGORY]. 4. Return an editable .xlsx with real formulas, not a picture of a table. Then give me a short change log: what you changed and how many rows it touched. Rules: never delete rows silently. If a value looks wrong (a negative price, a date in the future), flag it in a "Check these" tab instead of fixing it.

03

A recurring update that runs without you

Set it once with a scheduled task and get a one-page summary every week. Connect the app first.

Weekly Update
Set up a scheduled task so this runs without me. Every [DAY AND TIME, with time zone]: 1. Look at [SOURCE, e.g. my connected Slack channel, a Google Drive folder, a sheet]. 2. Pull out [what changed / what needs my attention / these numbers: LIST]. 3. Write a one-page update and [send it to my email / save it as a doc in FOLDER]. Format of the update: the 3 things I need to know at the top, then details, then anything that looks off. Rules: don't send anything to anyone but me. If a source is missing or empty that week, say so instead of making something up. Before you schedule it, tell me which apps or plugins I need to connect first, and run it once now so I can check the output.

04

Turn scattered pieces into one deliverable

Six files and a notes doc become one clean proposal in your format.

Combine Into One
I have scattered pieces and I need one clean [proposal / report / plan] out of them. Everything I have: [ATTACH FILES / PASTE NOTES] Who's reading it and what they need to decide: [AUDIENCE AND DECISION] Format and tone: [e.g. our house style from the attached example, friendly, formal] Length: [e.g. 2 pages] Do this: 1. Pull it into one coherent document with a clear structure. 2. Where there are gaps, fill them with assumptions labeled [ASSUMPTION] so I can check them. 3. List anything that contradicts itself across the pieces (e.g. two different prices). 4. Save as [.docx / .pdf] ready to send. Rules: keep my numbers exactly as given. Don't invent quotes, results, or client names.

05

Triage your inbox with replies drafted

Sorting is the easy half. The value is the urgent replies, drafted in your voice and waiting for you to hit send.

Inbox Triage
Go through my [Gmail / Outlook] inbox from [THE LAST 7 DAYS] for emails I haven't replied to. 1. Sort them into: Needs a real reply / Can wait / Ignore. Show this as a table with Sender | Subject | Bucket | Why. 2. Flag anything time-sensitive or anything that could quietly become a problem. 3. For each "Needs a real reply," draft a short, human reply in my voice. Here's how I write: [PASTE 2 EMAILS YOU'VE SENT]. Rules: do NOT send anything. Save the replies as drafts only, and ask me before taking any other action in my email.

If drafts never show up, the app may only have read access. On Business and Enterprise, an admin decides which read and write actions each app allows.

5 Tasks For Codex

Codex sounds like it’s only for engineers. It isn’t, but OpenAI describes it as the mode with more technical detail, while Work aims for finished, plain-language results. I open Codex to prototype something and learn whether it’s worth paying a pro to finish.

Two Things To Know First

Sites (the feature that publishes your page or tool to a link) is on paid plans, not Free or Go, and it can depend on your country and workspace settings. Codex asks before it edits files outside the folder you opened. If it says it did the work but nothing changed, check whether it was waiting for your OK.

01

Clean up a folder of files

The 400 files you were never going to rename by hand.

Folder Cleanup
Open this folder: [FOLDER PATH OR NAME]. It's a mess of files I'm never going to fix by hand. What I want: 1. [Rename / sort into subfolders / convert] everything using this rule: [e.g. rename to YYYY-MM-DD-Description, sort into folders by year]. 2. Before touching anything, show me your plan as a table: Old name | New name | New folder. 3. Wait for my OK, then do it. 4. When you're done, tell me exactly what changed and save a list of old and new names as a .csv in the folder, so I can undo it. Rules: don't delete any file. If a file doesn't fit the rule, leave it where it is and list it. If you need permission to edit this folder, ask me for it.

02

Turn a boring monthly task into a button

The same tedious hour every month, rebuilt as something you re-run. The lowest-risk way in.

Monthly Task Automator
Every [WEEK / MONTH] I do this by hand and I'm tired of it: [DESCRIBE THE TASK STEP BY STEP, e.g. download the sales export, delete these columns, total by region, paste into the report]. Build me something I can re-run that does it for me. 1. It takes [INPUT, e.g. the export file dropped in this folder] and produces [OUTPUT, e.g. a formatted summary spreadsheet] the same way every time. 2. Start by telling me what you'll build and what you need from me. Wait for my OK. 3. Test it on this sample: [ATTACH LAST MONTH'S FILE] and show me the result. 4. Explain how to run it in plain English, like I've never done this before. Rules: never change my original input file. Keep it easy to tweak when the inputs change, and tell me where to make those tweaks.

03

Build a simple tool people can use

A tracker, checklist or calculator at a link your team, a client or your family can open.

Simple Tool
Build me a simple [tracker / checklist / calculator / dashboard] for [PURPOSE, e.g. tracking client projects, family chores, wholesale orders, a budget]. Who uses it: [only me / my team of N / my family] What it needs to do: [e.g. add a row, mark done, see totals by month] Steps: 1. Ask me what fields or columns it should have before you build. 2. Build it so anyone can use it with zero spreadsheet skills. 3. Publish it with Sites so [only me / people I invite] can open it at a link. Rules: keep it clean and obvious. Don't make it public unless I say so, and tell me who can see it before you publish.

04

Build and publish a one-page site

A real page for your service, an event or a portfolio, with a form built in.

One-Page Site
Build me a clean one-page [website / landing page / event page] with Sites. What it's for: [e.g. my new bookkeeping service, a June workshop, my portfolio] Include: [e.g. a headline, 3 short benefit points, pricing, an email sign-up form, an RSVP button] Style: [e.g. minimal and warm; my colors are COLORS; my logo is attached] Real details to use: [YOUR NAME, LINKS, PRICES, DATES] Steps: 1. Show me a draft first and wait for my feedback. 2. Make it look good on phones. 3. When I approve, publish it to a link I can share and tell me anything I need to do on my end (like a custom domain). Rules: only use the details I gave you. Use clearly marked placeholders for anything missing. No fake testimonials or stats.

05

Understand something you own, then improve it

Codex doubles as a tutor. Have it explain your own setup, then fix one thing.

Explain And Improve
Open [this folder / these files]: [WHAT IT IS, e.g. the website a freelancer built for me, a spreadsheet with scripts]. 1. Before changing anything, explain in plain English what each part does and how it fits together, like you're teaching me my own setup. 2. Then make this one improvement: [SPECIFIC CHANGE, e.g. make it work on phones, fix the broken contact form]. 3. Go one step at a time and tell me what you're doing and why, so I learn it instead of just getting a result. 4. At the end, tell me how to check it worked and how to undo it. Rules: make a backup copy before you edit. Ask me before installing anything or touching files outside this folder.
Limits Nobody Warns You About
The Claude Version

If you use Claude too, the jobs line up.

The jobOpenAIAnthropic
Thinking with youChatClaude chat
Office work, finished filesWorkCowork (merging into regular chat on paid plans)
Building things that runCodexClaude Code

The biggest difference is price. ChatGPT gives Free users a small taste of Work, while Claude’s Cowork features need a paid plan. I compare them in ChatGPT Work vs Claude Cowork.

If You Only Do One Thing This Week

Pick one Work task above and run it today. Once one lands, the other fourteen stop feeling like homework.