What to Know

• The free version of ChatGPT doesn't have real-time data access.
• ChatGPT Plus can use web searches to find up-to-date information.
• Custom GPTs can also specifically focus on news and breaking stories.
  

ChatGPT can access real-time data, but only for those with an active ChatGPT Plus subscription. This guide will explain how to access real-time data using ChatGPT.

How to Use ChatGPT With Real-Time Data

To use ChatGPT with real-time data, you need a ChatGPT Plus subscription. That membership comes with a monthly fee, but it gives you access to real-time web searches, custom GPTs, more daily messages, and access to new versions of the chatbot as they come out.

1. Navigate to the ChatGPT website and log in, if necessary.

2. Start a conversation with ChatGPT and in the prompt, request that it access real-time data for its response. You might ask it something that specifically requires an internet search to find out the answer, or simply tell ChatGPT "search the web" to find what information you're looking for.

3. You'll know if it's worked because when ChatGPT is responding, you'll see a small "Searching the web," text indicator, followed by an indication of what search term it used. In this example, ChatGPT searched for "Latest news stories July 18, 2024."

   

4. ChatGPT will rely on the first results it receives when accessing real-time data. It may also rely exclusively on one or two sources. You can include more specific instructions for sources you do (or don't) want to see in your prompt.

   For example, you could ask: "Give me the latest news stories from the BBC, The Economist, and the Washington Post," and ChatGPT will find you the biggest stories of the day from those particular sources.

   You could also ask, for example, "Give me the latest news stories, but don't show me anything from the New York Times," and it will exclude that publication.

5. For more nuanced interactions with real-time data using ChatGPT, custom GPTs can offer a more comprehensive real-time-data access tool than the base ChatGPT experience.

   To use them, selectExplore GPTsin the top-left. Then, search through the available options. Two that we found particularly capable are Real-Time Data Assistant and WebPilot.

   

Why Real-Time Data Search In ChatGPT Is Useful

One of the major weaknesses of the base functionality of ChatGPT is that it has to base all of its responses on its pre-trained data. That data has a cutoff point, meaning that without web access or continued training, ChatGPT becomes more out-of-date with every day that passes.

With the ability to search through real-time data, however, ChatGPT can be a more relevant tool for anyone with queries that are sensitive to time. The real-time option also lets ChatGPT remain more relevant compared to the competition in between major updates to its training data.