OpenAI Halts Indexing of Public ChatGPT Conversations

OpenAI has disabled the feature that allowed public ChatGPT conversations to be indexed by search engines. The company explained that the experiment was short-lived and posed a significant risk of unintentional data exposure.

We just removed a feature from @ChatGPTapp that allowed users to make their conversations discoverable by search engines, such as Google. This was a short-lived experiment to help people discover useful conversations. This feature required users to opt-in, first by picking a chat… pic.twitter.com/mGI3lF05Ua

— DANΞ (@cryps1s) July 31, 2025

Previously, it was discovered that by filtering results on Google, Bing, and other search engines by the address https://chatgpt.com/share, one could find public conversations of other users with ChatGPT.

Sometimes these exchanges were of little significance—people asked for help with bathroom repairs, sought understanding in astrophysics, or tried to find recipes.

In one instance, a user asked ChatGPT to rewrite a resume for a specific job. Some posed absurd questions like “can you heat a fork in the microwave?”

By default, the chatbot did not make conversations public. The /share format appeared only if a user manually clicked the “Share” button in the chat and then confirmed the action by selecting “Create Link.” The name, instructions, and all messages added after publication remained private.

After creating a link, it was also possible to use a toggle to indicate whether it would be available for indexing by search engines.

“We tested ways to simplify the process of sharing useful dialogues while maintaining user control. Recently, we concluded an experiment where conversations could be indexed by search engines if the user explicitly agreed to this upon publication,” noted a company representative.

Back in July, Sam Altman stated that personal conversations with ChatGPT are not legally protected. If necessary, a court can request all information shared with the chatbot.