The Dots Setup Guide

The Dots Setup Guide: My setup for dots, OpenAI's new always-on assistant: check you can get it, start it, connect only what it needs, and set approval rules before it sends or spends anything. About 15 minutes.

The steps

1. Check you can get it. Dots are rolling out in ChatGPT to Pro and Business Premium plans in eligible markets. Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces get a beta once an admin turns it on. Not on Plus or Free yet. Your first dot is included in the plan at no extra cost.

2. Create it on your computer. Open ChatGPT in the desktop app or a desktop browser, create your first dot, give it a name, and let it introduce itself. After that you can message it from the ChatGPT phone app, Slack or Teams.

3. Connect only what your week runs on. Start with two or three apps: email, calendar, your docs. When you are not talking to it, your dot looks for ways to help using those apps read-only, so it can notice work without sending anything.

4. Set your approval rules first. In Custom Rules, require approval for anything that sends a message, spends money or changes a customer record. Follow what it does in Activity View.

5. Give it one real job. Tell it your goals for the month and one recurring task, for example: “Each morning, check my inbox for unpaid invoices and draft the follow-up for me to approve.”

One example

OpenAI's own example: an early tester's dot noticed he had forgotten to invoice a client, prepared the invoice, and sent it after he approved it. That is the shape to copy: it notices, it drafts, it waits for your yes.

Why dots

Why I'd start here: the more you work with your dot, the more it learns your preferences and what good looks like to you. If you already live in ChatGPT, that gives you a higher starting point than starting over somewhere new.

What to watch

Dots can still make mistakes, and OpenAI says to always review consequential work. Some actions, like changing a password, always stay with you. Plans and markets are as OpenAI announced them on 29 September 2026.

Want this set up for your business? Request the free AI visibility audit at samethod.ai/audit.