What You Will Learn

• Explain what custom GPTs are and their benefits
• Create a basic custom GPT using the "Create" tab
• Configure instructions, conversation starters, and knowledge bases
• Enable capabilities like web browsing, DALL.E 3, and Code Interpreter
• Prepare, share, and monetise GPTs via the GPT Store

Study Guide

Introduction: Unleashing the Power of Custom GPTs in ChatGPT

Welcome to the comprehensive guide on creating your own custom GPTs in ChatGPT. This course is designed for beginners eager to harness the full potential of AI by crafting personalized GPTs tailored to specific needs. Whether you're looking to streamline tasks, enhance productivity, or innovate within your field, custom GPTs offer a groundbreaking way to achieve these goals. This course will walk you through the entire process, from understanding the basics to implementing advanced features, ensuring you gain a solid foundation and practical skills.

Understanding Custom GPTs: A New Era in AI Interaction

The introduction of custom GPTs marks a significant milestone in AI technology. It empowers users to create specialized versions of ChatGPT without requiring any coding knowledge. This feature is currently available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, making it accessible for a wide audience. The new interface conveniently places model selection options (GPT-4, GPT-3.5, plugins) in the sidebar, streamlining the process of exploring and creating GPTs.

Example:
Imagine you're a teacher wanting a GPT to assist with generating quiz questions. Instead of relying on a generic chatbot, you can create a custom GPT that understands your specific curriculum and teaching style.

Example:
A marketer could develop a GPT to provide instant campaign ideas based on current trends, offering a tailored experience that a standard chatbot might not deliver.

Benefits of Custom GPTs: Enhancing User and Creator Experience

Custom GPTs offer a multitude of benefits for both users and creators, enhancing the way we interact with AI.

For Users:
Custom GPTs allow users to create AI models that cater to specific needs, making them more practical and efficient. For instance, a "Socrates GPT" can help users engage in deep, philosophical discussions, providing a unique conversational partner.

Example:
Consider a fitness enthusiast who creates a GPT to offer personalized workout routines and nutritional advice. This custom GPT can provide tailored recommendations that are more relevant than generic fitness advice.

For Creators:
Creators can leverage the upcoming GPT Store, which will feature a revenue-sharing model based on usage, offering opportunities for passive income. Additionally, GPTs can be shared publicly, privately, or kept for personal use, providing flexibility in how they are utilized.

Example:
A freelance writer could create a GPT to generate content ideas and share it publicly, potentially earning revenue as more users find value in it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom GPT

Creating a custom GPT is a straightforward process, thanks to the intuitive GPT Builder interface. Here's a detailed guide:

Step 1: Access the GPT Builder
Navigate to the "Explore" section in the sidebar and click "Create a GPT". This will open the GPT Builder interface.

Step 2: Use the "Create" Tab
The "Create" tab offers an interactive, chat-based method where ChatGPT guides you through defining your GPT. Start by describing what you want your GPT to do.

Example:
"I want to create an expert negotiator to help me get a pay rise or better terms on a lease or a deal."

Step 3: Customize in the "Configure" Tab
The "Configure" tab provides more customization options, including setting the GPT's name, description, instructions, conversation starters, knowledge base, capabilities, and actions.

Example:
For a travel planner GPT, you might upload PDFs of travel guides and enable web browsing to fetch the latest travel advisories.

Top Five Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Custom GPTs

As you embark on creating custom GPTs, it's crucial to avoid common pitfalls that can hinder your progress:

Mistake 1: Overcomplicating the Initial GPT
Start small and build on a basic GPT. Aim to create your first GPT in under four minutes to avoid overwhelm.

Mistake 2: Not Backing Up Instructions
Always copy and paste your instructions into a separate document to prevent data loss during outages or session limits.

Mistake 3: Using Default Bios and Conversation Starters
Customize these elements to clearly communicate your GPT's purpose and engage users more effectively.

Example:
Instead of a generic greeting, use a conversation starter like "Help me negotiate a better deal on my rent" for a negotiation GPT.

Mistake 4: Incorrect Sharing Settings
Ensure you select the appropriate sharing option (Only me, Anyone with the link, Public) to match your intended audience.

Mistake 5: Neglecting Iteration and Refinement
Regularly test and refine your GPT based on feedback to enhance its performance and user experience.

Customization Options in the "Configure" Tab

The "Configure" tab offers extensive customization options to tailor your GPT to specific needs:

Instructions:
Define the GPT's role, goal, tone, and request handling approach.

Conversation Starters:
Create prompts that encourage user interaction and engagement.

Knowledge Base:
Upload files to provide the GPT with up-to-date or specialized information beyond its training data.

Capabilities:
Enable or disable features like web browsing, DALL-E 3, and Code Interpreter based on your GPT's requirements.

Actions (Advanced):
Connect your GPT to external applications via Zapier for enhanced functionality, such as scheduling events or retrieving information.

The GPT Store and Revenue Sharing: Opportunities for Creators

The upcoming GPT Store presents a marketplace for discovering and utilizing custom GPTs. For creators, this introduces a significant opportunity through a planned revenue-sharing model based on usage. This means that if a GPT becomes popular, the creator could potentially earn passive income.

Example:
A language tutor could create a GPT to assist with language learning and make it available in the GPT Store, earning revenue as students worldwide use it.

Complete AI Training: Supporting Your Journey

This course is brought to you by Complete AI Training, which offers a range of AI training programs tailored for various professions. These include video courses, custom GPTs, (audio)books, an AI tools database, and prompt courses. Additionally, the "ChatGPT Insiders Community" provides a platform for users to share GPTs, receive feedback, and support each other in their AI endeavors.

Conclusion: Embrace the Future with Custom GPTs

By completing this course, you've gained the knowledge and skills to create your own custom GPTs in ChatGPT. This capability empowers you to tailor AI solutions to specific needs, enhancing productivity and innovation. As you apply these skills, remember to start simple, iterate based on feedback, and explore the potential of the GPT Store for sharing and monetizing your creations. The thoughtful application of custom GPTs will undoubtedly transform how you interact with AI, opening new avenues for personal and professional growth.

Podcast

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the comprehensive FAQ section for the 'Video Course: How to Create Your Own Custom GPTs in ChatGPT for Beginners'. This resource is designed to help you understand the nuances of creating custom GPTs, whether you're just starting or looking to refine your skills. Below, you'll find answers to common questions, arranged from basic to advanced, ensuring you have the knowledge to effectively create and utilise custom GPTs.

1. What are custom GPTs in ChatGPT and what is their main benefit for users?

Custom GPTs are tailored versions of ChatGPT that users can create for specific purposes without needing any coding skills. The primary benefit is that they provide a more focused and efficient AI assistant for particular tasks or interests, incorporating specific instructions, knowledge, and conversation starters. This makes them more immediately useful than a general-purpose chatbot for achieving specific outcomes.

2. How can I access the custom GPT creation and exploration features within ChatGPT?

The interface for accessing custom GPTs has been integrated into the ChatGPT sidebar. Instead of dropdown menus at the top, you'll find model selection and access to GPTs in the sidebar. To explore or create GPTs, open the sidebar and click on "Explore". Here, you'll see options to create your own GPT or use those created by others, provided you have a ChatGPT Plus subscription.

3. What are some key benefits for creators of custom GPTs?

Creators can benefit in several ways. Firstly, they can share their GPTs publicly in the upcoming GPT Store, potentially earning passive income through a revenue-sharing model based on usage. Secondly, GPTs can be shared privately with team members or kept for personal use as a tailored AI agent for specific tasks. Finally, creators can use their GPTs as a lead generation tool by linking back to their websites from within the GPT interface, driving traffic directly from ChatGPT.

4. What is the step-by-step process for creating a custom GPT within ChatGPT?

To create a GPT, navigate to the "Explore" section in the sidebar and click "Create a GPT". This opens the GPT Builder interface with two tabs: "Create" and "Configure". The "Create" tab allows you to describe what you want to make, and ChatGPT will guide you through the process. The "Configure" tab provides more detailed options for customisation, including name, description, instructions, conversation starters, knowledge base uploads, and capabilities. It's often recommended to start with the "Create" tab for initial setup and then refine in the "Configure" tab.

5. What are the top mistakes to avoid when creating your own custom GPT?

Several common mistakes should be avoided. Firstly, don't try to create something too complex as your first GPT; start small and build upon your understanding. Secondly, always back up your instructions in an external document (like a Google Doc) to prevent data loss during ChatGPT outages or session limits. Thirdly, avoid using the default bio and conversation starters; instead, customise them to be more engaging and action-oriented to attract users. Lastly, ensure you share your GPT correctly by selecting the appropriate visibility option (only me, anyone with a link, or public) when saving.

6. How can I further customise my GPT beyond the initial setup prompts?

Beyond the initial prompts in the "Create" tab, you can extensively customise your GPT in the "Configure" tab. This includes writing detailed instructions on the GPT's role, tone, and how it should handle user requests. You can also customise the conversation starters to encourage interaction. Furthermore, you can upload a knowledge base (PDFs, text files, etc.) to provide the GPT with more up-to-date or specialised information. Finally, you can control the GPT's capabilities, such as web browsing, DALL-E 3 image generation, and code interpreter.

7. What are "Actions" in the context of custom GPTs and what possibilities do they unlock?

"Actions" are a more advanced feature that allows custom GPTs to interact with external applications and services outside of ChatGPT. By leveraging platforms like Zapier, you can connect your GPT to tools like Google Calendar, Notion, Slack, Gmail, and Google Sheets. This enables the GPT to retrieve information or perform actions in these external systems based on user requests, such as checking for calendar conflicts or sending messages. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for creating highly integrated and functional AI assistants.

8. What is the significance of the upcoming GPT Store and the revenue-sharing model for GPT creators?

The upcoming GPT Store is a marketplace where users can discover and utilise custom GPTs created by others. For creators, the store introduces a significant opportunity through a planned revenue-sharing model, likely based on the usage of their GPTs. This means that if a GPT becomes popular and widely used, the creator could potentially earn passive income. Therefore, creating useful and engaging GPTs now could position creators to benefit from this new ecosystem once the store launches.

9. Why are well-crafted conversation starters important for custom GPTs?

Well-crafted conversation starters are crucial because they serve as the first point of interaction with users. Engaging and clear starters can encourage users to engage with the GPT, enhancing user experience and increasing the likelihood of the GPT being used frequently. This is particularly important for gaining visibility and success in the GPT Store.

10. What are the benefits of uploading a knowledge base to a custom GPT?

Uploading a knowledge base allows your custom GPT to access more up-to-date or specialised information than the original training data. This can include company-specific documents, industry reports, or any other relevant material that enhances the GPT's ability to perform its intended role. This customisation ensures the GPT remains relevant and accurate in its responses.

11. What are the key differences between the 'Create' tab and the 'Configure' tab?

The 'Create' tab offers a conversational, guided approach where ChatGPT prompts users through the initial setup of a GPT. In contrast, the 'Configure' tab provides a more detailed, manual interface for customising various settings, such as instructions, knowledge base uploads, and capabilities, allowing for a deeper level of customisation.

12. What capabilities can be enabled or disabled in a custom GPT?

Custom GPTs can be configured with various capabilities, such as web browsing (to access and process online information), DALL-E 3 (for generating images from text), and a Code Interpreter (for running Python code and analysing data). These capabilities can be toggled on or off depending on the needs of the GPT.

13. What are the different sharing options for custom GPTs?

Custom GPTs can be shared in several ways. You can keep them private for personal use, share them with specific individuals via a unique link, or make them public for broader access. These options allow creators to control the audience and usage of their GPTs, providing flexibility in how they are distributed and utilised.

14. What are potential challenges in creating custom GPTs?

Challenges in creating custom GPTs include ensuring the GPT is not too complex for its intended audience, maintaining up-to-date and relevant information, and effectively integrating external services through actions. Additionally, creators must be mindful of privacy and data security when configuring their GPTs, especially when dealing with sensitive information.

15. What are some real-world applications of custom GPTs?

Custom GPTs can be applied in various fields such as customer service, where they can handle inquiries and support tasks; in education, providing personalised tutoring; or in business, assisting with data analysis and decision-making. These applications demonstrate the versatility and potential of custom GPTs to enhance productivity and efficiency across different sectors.

16. What are the ethical considerations when creating custom GPTs?

When creating custom GPTs, ethical considerations include ensuring the GPT does not propagate misinformation or bias, respecting user privacy, and securing any personal or sensitive data. Creators should also consider the potential impact of their GPTs on employment and ensure that their use aligns with ethical AI practices.

17. What strategies can creators use to monetise their custom GPTs?

Creators can monetise their custom GPTs by publishing them in the GPT Store, where a revenue-sharing model may provide passive income based on usage. Additionally, creators can offer premium versions of their GPTs with advanced features or integrate them into their business offerings as a value-added service to clients.

18. Why is it important to back up instructions when creating a custom GPT?

Backing up instructions is crucial as it protects against data loss during outages or session limits in ChatGPT. By saving instructions externally, such as in a document, creators can ensure they do not lose their work and can easily restore or modify their GPTs if needed.

19. What are some common misconceptions about custom GPTs?

A common misconception is that creating custom GPTs requires extensive technical knowledge or coding skills. In reality, the process is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to beginners. Another misconception is that custom GPTs can handle any task without limitations; while powerful, they are most effective when designed for specific, well-defined purposes.

20. What are the future trends for custom GPTs?

Future trends for custom GPTs include increased integration with external services through actions, more sophisticated customisation options, and enhanced capabilities such as real-time data processing. As the GPT Store evolves, we may also see a wider variety of GPTs tailored for niche markets, offering new opportunities for creators and users alike.