Personal data
Remove addresses, phone numbers, IDs, health details, school data, children's data and anything you would not post publicly.
Privacy basics
Do not paste sensitive data before checking the rules.
The fastest AI answer can become a privacy problem if the prompt contains client names, medical details, contracts, private files, credentials or unpublished business plans.
Independent guide. No login form. No password collection.
Prompt safety
What to remove before using any consumer AI.
Privacy problems usually start with ordinary prompts: "summarize this contract", "rewrite this medical note", "analyze this customer list", "debug this private repository". The tool may be useful, but the data may not belong there.
Business secrets
Strip client names, unreleased pricing, contracts, internal strategy, credentials, source code secrets and confidential documents.
Files
Before uploading PDFs, spreadsheets or screenshots, check whether the tool stores files, trains on content, shares data with providers or allows deletion.
QuestionWhy it mattersWhere to check
Can my content train models?Consumer and business plans can differ.Provider privacy policy, data controls and business terms.
Can I delete chats and files?Deletion controls matter after accidental uploads.Account settings and help center.
Is this approved for work?Company policy may forbid consumer AI for client data.IT, legal, security or data protection contact.
Risk examples
What not to paste without thinking.
Customer support export
Tickets can contain names, emails, order IDs, addresses, complaints and health or financial details. Summarize or redact before using AI.
Legal or HR document
Contracts, disputes, performance reviews and employee records need approved tools and internal permission, not a random free chatbot.
Source code
Remove secrets, API keys, customer data, unreleased product details and private repository context before asking for help.
Safer workflow
How to use AI without exposing the original data.
- Write a short abstract of the problem instead of pasting the raw document.
- Replace names, emails, companies and account numbers with placeholders.
- Ask the AI for a checklist or template, then apply it yourself locally.
- Use business or enterprise plans when your employer requires approved tools.
- Keep a record of what you uploaded if the work is regulated or client-related.
By tool type
Privacy checks change by product type.
ToolMain privacy questionPractical action
Native ChatGPT, Claude, GeminiWhat does this plan do with prompts, files, memory and chat history?Open data controls, disable optional training where available, and delete sensitive accidental uploads.
Search assistantsCould your query reveal a private project, client or research direction?Remove names and internal details before asking for web research or source discovery.
Multi-model workspacesWhich underlying providers receive the prompt, and what is stored by the workspace itself?Check data routing, retention, deletion and business terms before using client or company data.
Simple rule
If the prompt would hurt in a screenshot, redact it first.
This rule catches most mistakes. If a screenshot of your prompt would expose a customer, patient, student, employee, source code secret, contract term, unreleased plan or private family detail, do not paste it raw into a free chatbot.