ChatGPT Agent Mode Automates Work

So far, the easiest way to explore “agentic” workflows in ChatGPT has been Deep Research. But that was just agentic web search.

ChatGPT Agent Mode is a step forward: it doesn’t just read the web—it can choose tools, use a virtual browser, run code, and draw on your connectors to work with your emails, calendars, and files.

“You can now ask ChatGPT to complete an outcome—like a compliance brief or sales deck—end-to-end.”

Unlike a one‑off chat, agents are goal‑oriented (finish the brief, assemble the deck, book the trip) and can use your context—through connectors—to do it.

ChatGPT's agent mode is available on paid plans, including Pro, Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu plans, with usage limits and specific capabilities for each tier.

Turn tasks into outcomes by pairing agents with your tools and data.

OpenAI just made ChatGPT useful for more than answers. With Agent Mode, it can complete full workflows—like pulling reports, prepping decks, or scheduling—using your own data and tools.

Agent Mode lets ChatGPT plan and carry out multi‑step tasks—researching across the web and your data, manipulating files and spreadsheets, and delivering cited summaries or editable outputs—while asking for your confirmation at key moments.

In a nutshell, we are moving from chatting back and forth with ChatGPT to giving it an objective and letting it go. This speeds up the process by automating the conversation.

Agent Mode thinks and acts toward a stated outcome. It plans a trajectory, switches tools as needed, and keeps a running context so it can pause, clarify, and resume without losing progress.

You can interrupt, take over the browser, or stop and keep partial results.

Tools Beyond Web Search

Agent Mode can use a visual browser (clicks, scrolls, form‑fills), code interpreter (data analysis), terminal (supported commands with limited network), and connectors (read‑only access to third‑party sources like Gmail, Calendar, Drive, SharePoint, GitHub, and more). It can also schedule recurring runs.

Because connectors bring your internal context into the conversation, agents can answer questions with citations back to the source, find files, summarize threads, and combine internal + public web sources in one output.

Automatic App Pairing: Built‑In Context Awareness

When Google connectors are set to automatic, ChatGPT references them when relevant—no manual source selection needed. You can disable automatic use anytime in Settings.

Remember this if you have privacy concerns when sharing data with ChatGPT.

Activate ChatGPT's Agent Mode through the tools dropdown or by selecting "agent mode" during any conversation. State your goal—whether researching a topic, creating slides, or processing expenses. As the agent works, an on-screen narrative shows exactly what it's doing. You can pause and take control of the browser at any time, ensuring the process stays aligned with your objectives.

Here are the exact steps to get started.

Here is an example of something that I find to be a huge time saver.

I meet a lot of new people in my line of work, and rather than showing up to a meeting unprepared, I like to create a dossier for the members of the meeting so I can be better informed.

Here’s an example of how I do that. ChatGPT is pretty adept at providing a solid overview, but you can improve results by providing guidance and an example format for the dossier.

The bottom line: Agent Mode is the first practical step toward AI that manages work, not just messages. It's easy to set up, can be safely limited in scope, and immediately valuable for teams that rely on email, calendars, and documents.

I appreciate your support.