Safety/Privacy Check Prompt Template Is Included
Your vision’s precision sets security’s position.
I was checking my morning emails when I spotted it: a Slack message from my teammate. It had a screenshot from a Google search.
“Is this your ChatGPT conversation?”
My stomach dropped.
There, it was a shared ChatGPT link I’d created last month to get feedback on a client proposal. Indexed by Google. Searchable by anyone.
The talk covered strategy details and sensitive info about my client. I really didn’t want that out on the internet.
After 24h, the feature has been permanently addressed and disabled.
So yes, the issue is technically solved…
But this was a wake-up call!
Just because something feels private doesn’t mean it is.
It’s on us to stay sharp with our digital habits.
For 72 hours, many ChatGPT conversations were fully visible to search engines. Some might still be cached, which is another issue.
This topic is currently blowing up on Reddit, Inc., btw.
Here’s exactly what I did to clean up my digital footprint.
Four-Step Clean-Up
Step 1: Delete Your Shared Links Inside ChatGPT
- Log in at chatgpt.com.
- Click your profile → Settings.
- Navigate to Data Controls → Shared Links.
- Eye-roll at past oversharing; click ⋮ → Delete shared link for each chat.
Result: The URL now returns 404 Not Found — good, but not enough.
Step 2: Use Temporary Chat for Sensitive Matters
The Temporary Chat feature ensures your conversation is permanently deleted after 30 days and is not saved in your chat history.
Step 3: Search Yourself on Google to See if You Appear in Any Shared Chats
Type in Google
Format 1: site:chatgpt.com/share + [keyword] or any personal information.
Format 2: [keyword]site:chatgpt.com
If you find anything, delete it immediately using Step 4.
Example search query:
❤️ Get some freebies at my Gumroad store.
I hope you enjoyed the story.
