Are Your ChatGPT Queries Public? Google Indexing Explained

ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Publicly Indexed by Search Engines

Update (July 31, 2025, 4:10 PM PT): Following the publication of this report, OpenAI has removed a feature within ChatGPT. This feature previously allowed users to make their public conversations discoverable through search engines.

The company stated that this was a brief test which unfortunately “created too many opportunities for users to unintentionally share information they did not intend to be public.” The original story is presented below.

Discovery of Public ChatGPT Interactions

A curious phenomenon has been observed regarding search engine results. Filtering searches on Google, Bing, and similar platforms to include only URLs from the “https://chatgpt.com/share” domain reveals conversations between users and ChatGPT.

Nature of the Shared Conversations

The content of these publicly accessible chats varies considerably. Some interactions are commonplace, with individuals seeking assistance with tasks like bathroom renovations, understanding complex topics such as astrophysics, or finding new recipes.

Other examples include a user requesting ChatGPT to revise their resume for a specific job application. Details from the chat log led to the easy identification of the user’s LinkedIn profile, revealing they were ultimately unsuccessful in their application.

Concerning Content and Absurd Queries

In some instances, the questions posed to ChatGPT appear to originate from online forums associated with the "incel" subculture. One user engaged the AI in a series of increasingly outlandish queries, beginning with a simple question about microwaving a metal fork (the answer is no).

This interaction culminated in ChatGPT generating a satirical guide titled “How to Use a Microwave Without Summoning Satan: A Beginner’s Guide.”

How Conversations Become Public

ChatGPT does not automatically make conversations public. A conversation is only made shareable when a user intentionally clicks the “share” button within their chat interface.

Following this, a second click on the “create link” button is required. OpenAI asserts that “your name, custom instructions, and any messages added after sharing remain private.” Users are also given the option to control whether the generated link is discoverable by search engines.

Potential for Unintentional Information Disclosure

Despite these safeguards, users may not realize that search engines can index these shared ChatGPT links. This could potentially expose personal information, as demonstrated by the discovery of a LinkedIn profile linked within a shared chat log.

Google’s Role in Indexing Public Links

This situation mirrors a similar practice employed by Google. When users share public links to Google Drive files – such as documents set to “Anyone with link can view” – Google may index these files in its search results.

However, Google typically does not index Drive documents that haven't been publicly posted on the web. A document might appear in search if it is linked from a reputable website.

OpenAI’s Explanation and Experiment

According to OpenAI, the indexing of these chats was part of a testing phase.

“ChatGPT chats are not public unless you choose to share them,” a spokesperson for OpenAI explained to TechCrunch. “We were testing methods to simplify the sharing of helpful conversations, while maintaining user control. We recently concluded an experiment to allow chats to appear in search engine results if users explicitly opted in during the sharing process.”

Search Engine Indexing Control

While search engines like Google manage the algorithms that determine search results, they do not control what content is made public on the web.

“Google, and indeed no other search engine, dictates which pages are made public online,” a Google spokesperson stated to TechCrunch. “The publishers of these pages retain complete control over whether they are indexed by search engines.”

Further Update from OpenAI

Updated (July 31, 2025, 5:30 PM ET): This article has been updated to include a comment and additional context provided by OpenAI.