As of July 31, 2025, a significant update has emerged regarding the visibility of ChatGPT conversations. Shortly after the initial report, the company announced the removal of a feature that allowed public chats to be indexed by search engines. This decision was made to prevent users from unintentionally sharing sensitive information. The following details provide insight into this situation.
In an intriguing turn of events, users can discover public conversations held with ChatGPT by filtering search results on major search engines like Google and Bing. By specifically searching for URLs from a certain domain, one can stumble upon a variety of discussions that users have had with the AI.
While many of these conversations may seem mundane—ranging from inquiries about home renovations to requests for recipe suggestions—others reveal more personal or sensitive topics. For instance, one user sought assistance in rewriting their resume, while another posed questions that seemed to stem from less constructive online communities. In a particularly humorous exchange, a user asked if it was safe to microwave a metal fork, leading to a playful response from the AI.
It is important to note that ChatGPT does not automatically make conversations public. A chat is only assigned a shareable URL if the user actively chooses to share it by clicking the appropriate buttons. The platform emphasizes that personal details, such as names and custom instructions, remain private unless explicitly shared.
However, users may not fully grasp the implications of sharing their conversations, as search engines can index these links, potentially exposing personal information. This raises concerns about privacy and the unintended consequences of sharing seemingly innocuous chats.
Historically, this indexing behavior aligns with practices established by search engines like Google. When users share links to documents on platforms like Google Drive, those documents can also be indexed if they are set to be publicly viewable. Nevertheless, Google typically does not display links to private documents unless they are referenced on trusted websites.
According to representatives from ChatGPT, the indexing of these conversations was part of a temporary experiment aimed at enhancing user experience while maintaining control over shared content. The spokesperson clarified that chats are not public unless users opt to share them, and the recent experiment has been concluded.
While search engines have the power to determine which content is displayed for specific queries, they do not have control over what gets indexed. A spokesperson from Google reiterated that publishers maintain full authority over the visibility of their content on the web.
This article was updated on July 31, 2025, to include additional comments and context from the company.