patrickz
Before you start
Only need a chat assistant for the beginner lessons? Step 1 is all you need, then go back to the page that sent you here. For the full guide you need a ChatGPT account and a computer; the desktop app and Codex (steps 2 to 4) are optional next steps.
Why this lesson exists
The desktop-teaching project starts with installation and one practical action. You do not need to learn an API or compare every model before using an assistant well.
Do the exercise
Start in the browser
Open chatgpt.com, sign in and choose Chat. Paste: “From this note, list actions and unknowns: Maya will draft the outline; Lee will review it; the deadline is undecided.” Check that the answer does not invent a date. Do not connect other accounts yet.
Try the desktop app if useful
Follow the official quickstart linked below for your operating system, install from its official download and sign in. Choose the project or folder deliberately; the selected files provide work context.
Pick Chat, Work or Codex
On the web, use the Chat / Work switcher above the message box: Chat to explore an idea, Work for research or a finished document, spreadsheet or presentation. For a coding task, open the desktop app, choose Codex from the ChatGPT dropdown and select a disposable practice folder. Labels and availability can change; the official quickstart linked below is the reference.
Optional: your first Codex task
Skip this if you only need chat. In the desktop app, choose Codex, select a disposable practice folder and paste the prompt below. Codex should create a simple HTML checklist using fictional items, explain changed files and open a local preview. Review what it changed before publishing or connecting external services.
A prompt to adapt
For step 4 only: paste it into Codex with your practice folder selected, not into a regular chat.
In this empty practice folder, create a single HTML checklist with three fictional study tasks. No accounts, network requests or paid services. Explain the files, show a local preview, and help me test checking and unchecking items. Do not publish it.
What this looks like
Expect one new HTML file in the practice folder, a short explanation of it, and a local preview where you can tick and untick three fictional study tasks. Extra files, network requests or a publish step mean the task drifted: ask why and undo them.
Check your result
Use evidence from your output. A confident explanation from the AI is not enough.
If it isn’t working
If a feature is not shown, use the Chat exercise in step 1 and check the current official setup guide. You do not need a new purchase to complete the basic lesson.
Optional. Progress stays in this browser.
Where this came from
Official ChatGPT and Codex quickstart ↗. The practice lesson is an adaptation, not a verbatim transcript. About the sources.
Prepared September 2026. Tools and interfaces change; use current official setup instructions. Session lengths are estimates.