Welcome to ChatGPT Operational Memory

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Welcome to ChatGPT Operational Memory.

This gives ChatGPT a small, user-owned GitHub memory layer for ongoing work.

Get started: Create → Connect → Activate

You only need to do this once.

You do not need Git expertise, a terminal, or knowledge of the repository's internal files.

1. Create

Create my private memory repository

GitHub should open with this template selected and Private preselected.

Choose any repository name, confirm Private, and create it.

2. Connect

In ChatGPT, install/select the @GitHub plugin, sign in to GitHub, and authorize the private memory repository you just created.

Prefer access to only that repository when available. You do not need to authorize unrelated repositories.

Required capability: @GitHub must have repository write actions.

OpenAI also provides a separate GitHub app/connection for repository search and analysis that may be read-only. That does not mean the @GitHub plugin itself is read-only. Setup checks the selected plugin's actual capabilities automatically.

3. Activate

Copy the URL of your new private repository and send:

@GitHub Set up operational memory from <YOUR PRIVATE REPOSITORY URL>.

That's it.

ChatGPT handles the technical setup checks for you.

What success looks like

ChatGPT should return:

Operational memory: READY

Then it should give you one completed Custom Instructions block to copy into ChatGPT so future conversations can find the same memory repository.

You do not need to understand or manage the repository's numeric ID yourself.

After that, just talk normally.

For example:

Where were we on my project?

Remember that I've decided to use option B.

Update my current project status.

You can explicitly invoke it anytime with:

@GitHub Use my operational memory.

If setup is blocked

ChatGPT should return:

Operational memory: BLOCKED

It should show you one problem and one thing to fix next, rather than a technical diagnostic dump.

Fix that problem, then tell ChatGPT:

Retry setup.

Do not continue storing real operational memory until setup reports READY.

Join the conversation

Use Q&A when you need help.

Use Ideas when you see a possible improvement that is not yet a concrete patch.

Use Show and tell to share how you are using the template and what you learned.

Use General for broader conversation.

Use Polls when a question genuinely benefits from community voting.

Use Issues for reproducible bugs, setup failures, or actionable problems.

Use Pull Requests when you have a concrete improvement to propose.

Please do not post private repository contents, credentials, secrets, or sensitive personal information here.

Private feedback: contact@referencefield.com