Is it actually safe to type your personal info into ChatGPT?
Most of the time, yes. But there are a few things you should never share — and a couple you might not have even thought about.
ChatGPT is powerful and helpful, but it is not a locked vault. If you want to protect your privacy and avoid costly mistakes, it pays to know what not to type in.
Let’s walk through 8 things you should keep out of ChatGPT chats.
1. Passwords and login details
This one is simple but critical.
When you type something into ChatGPT, your chats can be reviewed by engineers to improve the system. And like any online service, there’s always the risk of a breach.
OpenAI takes privacy and security seriously, but nothing online is 100% guaranteed. That’s why you should never paste things like your Gmail login, your bank login, or any kind of password into ChatGPT.
It might feel convenient if you’re locked out of an account and want help drafting a reset request. But that would be like leaving your computer password on a sticky note stuck to your monitor. Anyone walking by can see it.
2. Credit card and bank information
Unlike a password you can reset, financial information can cause instant damage.
Never type in your Visa number, checking account details, or any kind of payment info.
For example, you might ask ChatGPT to draft a message to your bank about a fraudulent charge and think adding your card number will help identify the account. But that would be like shouting your ATM PIN across a crowded café. You might think no one is listening, but it only takes one person.
3. Government IDs
Your Social Security number, driver’s license, or passport number are the master keys to your identity.
This information can be used to open accounts, take out loans, or even file fake tax returns.
So never type in something like “Fill out this form with my Social Security number.” That would be like dropping your wallet on the street with your ID inside. Once it’s gone, you have no control over who picks it up or how it’s used.
4. Private medical information
Health data is among the most sensitive information you own. And ChatGPT is not HIPAA-compliant.
That means if you share details about a diagnosis, prescription, or test results, there are no guarantees that information stays protected.
Asking ChatGPT to “write a letter to my insurance company about my diagnosis” might feel harmless. But that’s like leaving your medicine cabinet wide open during a dinner party. Most people won’t look, but anyone who does instantly learns more than they need to about your personal medical situation.
And if you think this is just paranoia, it isn’t. Forbes recently reported that Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok accidentally published over 300,000 private user chats — including medical details and passwords — and they were indexed on Google.
5. Confidential business data
This includes things like client lists, pricing sheets, proposals, or internal strategies.
Once you paste sensitive business data into ChatGPT, you have no control over where it might be stored or how it could be used later.
Using ChatGPT to assist with client work is fine — I do it all the time — but keep proprietary information or trade secrets out. Otherwise, you might expose information you’d never want falling into the wrong hands.
6. Deep personal confessions
A lot of people use ChatGPT almost like a diary or therapist — sharing relationship struggles, addictions, regrets, or other personal thoughts.
And while it may feel private in the moment, your chats are stored on servers. They can be reviewed, and they could surface in ways you never intended.
If you want to use ChatGPT as a sounding board, strip out the names, locations, and specific details.
Otherwise, it’s like pouring your heart out to a stranger at a bus stop. It feels safe in the moment, but you don’t know who’s listening or what they’ll do with it.
7. Breadcrumbs about your life
Sometimes it’s the little details that matter most.
By breadcrumbs, I mean the small, harmless-sounding details — like where you go every Tuesday, your kids’ practice schedule, or when you’ll be on vacation.
On their own, these don’t seem like a big deal. But strung together, they paint a very clear picture of your routines and locations. And that picture could be used in ways you’d never want.
For example, if someone knows when you’re traveling, they know when your house is empty. If they know your child’s weekly schedule, they know where your child can be found.
One crumb is nothing, but a trail of crumbs becomes a map.
8. Anything you haven’t reviewed carefully
This applies to both uploaded files and copy-and-paste prompts.
As AI grows, you’ll see people share all kinds of “prompt packs” or templates in PDFs and Word docs. Some may contain hidden instructions that ChatGPT will follow. It’s like opening an email attachment that looks safe but does something you didn’t expect.
Most of the time, ChatGPT has safeguards in place. But to be safe, only upload files you trust.
The same goes for trick prompts. Hidden instructions can make ChatGPT reveal details you didn’t intend — like parts of a private chat or snippets of a custom GPT’s training documents. If you shared that chat or GPT widely, your information could spread further than you ever planned.
Conclusion
ChatGPT is not a locked-down vault. People often assume anything typed into it is completely private and secure — and it usually is — but there are exceptions.
Just like you wouldn’t send passwords, credit card info, or deep personal secrets through email, you don’t want to share those things in ChatGPT either.
Use the tool. Get the benefits. But do it wisely — and keep your most sensitive information out of your prompts.
