A Guide for Friends

Moving from ChatGPT to Claude

If you've spent months training ChatGPT on how you think and work, switching to Claude doesn't mean starting from zero.

Updated October 2026

Here's what actually transfers, what doesn't, and the order I'd do it in.

One thing to get straight first

There are two separate things people confuse.

Memory Import. Claude has a built-in way to bring over your preferences and context: how you work, what you're working on, the tone you like. It's a copy-paste that takes about a minute, and it works on the free plan. It does not move any actual conversations.

File uploads. If you want Claude to reference specific past ChatGPT conversations (a project plan, a piece of writing you've been iterating on, research you've done), that's a separate step. You export from ChatGPT, then upload the files you care about into a Claude Project.

Most people only need the first one. Do the Memory Import. Only export files if there are specific conversations you want to keep working from.

The steps

Run Claude's Memory Import (about a minute) Go to claude.com/import-memory and copy the prompt it gives you. Paste it into ChatGPT. ChatGPT writes up a summary of how you work. Paste that summary into Claude's memory settings (the page links you straight there).

That's the whole feature. It brings over preferences, working style, and context. Not chat history.
Move your Custom Instructions to the right place ChatGPT's Custom Instructions usually hold rules about how it should respond ("use this tone," "skip the preamble," "always give me options"). Those don't go in memory. In Claude, click your initials in the lower left, open Settings, and paste them into the field called Instructions for Claude. They apply to every conversation.

The rule of thumb:
Memory is for facts about you (role, projects, context).
Instructions are for how you want Claude to behave.

Short, direct instructions work best. A long document of rules is harder for Claude to follow consistently.
Export your ChatGPT data (optional) Only if you have specific conversations you want Claude to read. In ChatGPT, open your profile menu, then Settings, then Data controls, then Export data. When it's ready you'll get an email with a download link for a ZIP file. The link expires after about a day, so download it soon. (Work accounts on ChatGPT Business or Enterprise don't have this option.)
Upload the conversations that matter (optional) Unzip the export and pick a handful of chats Claude should know about. Upload them into a Claude Project (the free plan includes a few). Don't bulk-upload everything. You'll drown the context and Claude will struggle to find what's actually relevant.

What to skip

Trying to recreate every past exchange.
Uploading the entire export ZIP. Claude doesn't need all of it.
Expecting Claude to feel "the same as ChatGPT" on day one. Different model, different defaults. Give it a week.

Privacy check before you upload anything

The ChatGPT export includes everything: drafts, client work, private notes, things you've long forgotten writing. Before any of it goes into Claude, open the files and make sure you're okay with what's in there.

If something shouldn't be in an AI's working memory, delete or redact it first.

What this actually does

It gives Claude a strong starting brief: who you are, how you work, what you're in the middle of. Your first conversations will feel more like your hundredth than your first.

Everything else builds the same way it did with ChatGPT: the shorthand and the trust come with use, and that takes time.

Don't have a Claude account yet?

That's my referral link, full disclosure. Any sign-up bonus depends on Anthropic's offer at the time. The free plan is enough to start.

Want help?

Want someone to set this up for you?

If you'd rather not do the move yourself, this is what I do through Resonant Growth: I can build your Claude setup for you, teach your team to do it, or stay on as support after.

Book a Conversation Email me

For longer or different session types: see all booking options.

One more note

The Claude signup above is an affiliate link. If you use it, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I use every day.

Questions? Push back? Email me.