IF YOU TAKE ONE THING AWAY
Share the minimum information needed. Check the exact product’s data controls and your workplace rules first.
Pause before sharing someone else’s data
A chat box feels casual, but pasting text into it sends that information to a service. Before uploading a file or message, ask whether it contains personal, confidential, or restricted information—and whether you have permission to share it.
Keep passwords, API keys, identity documents, private medical details, and confidential business information out of ordinary public chats. Your employer may require an approved product or forbid particular kinds of uploads.
Data controls are product-specific
Consumer accounts, business accounts, and API products may have different policies. Check the terms and data-control settings for the exact service you use. Look for retention, model-training use, human review, deletion, and what happens when connected tools receive your data.
A setting that limits training use is not a promise that data is never stored or processed. A temporary chat is not automatically suitable for regulated or confidential information. Read the current documentation instead of relying on a screenshot of an old settings page.
Replace details without losing the task
If you want help rewriting a message, replace names, addresses, account numbers, and identifying circumstances. Better still, create a fictional example with the same structure. The assistant usually needs the writing problem, not the real person’s details.
Removing a name alone may not anonymize a document. A job title, location, rare event, or combination of details can identify someone. If the task needs real sensitive information, use the approved process rather than trying to disguise it yourself.
Help me rewrite this fictional customer-service reply so it is clear and polite. Keep [CUSTOMER], [ORDER NUMBER], and [DATE] as placeholders. Do not ask me for real customer information: [insert a fictional example]
Treat connected tools as another permission
An assistant connected to your inbox, storage, or calendar may gain access beyond a single message. Read the permissions, use the narrowest scope available, and disconnect integrations you no longer need.
For tools that can send, buy, delete, or change files, require a review before the action. An instruction hidden inside an email or webpage can try to steer an assistant. Do not assume every instruction it encounters is one you authorized.
If you share something by mistake
Stop adding information. Follow your organization’s incident process if work data is involved. For an exposed password or key, revoke or rotate it through the relevant service; deleting the chat is not a replacement for changing a compromised credential.
Use the service’s documented deletion and support routes where appropriate, and check what deletion actually covers. This guide is a practical starting point, not a legal assessment of your data obligations.
Go to the source
Use these official resources to check product details and explore further. Features and policies can change.
One step taken. Keep your curiosity.
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