Getting a dot running takes a few minutes, but the order you do things in changes how useful it is on day one. This guide shows how to set up OpenAI dots, from checking that you’re eligible to giving your dot its first task, and then covers fixes for the snags people hit most. It follows OpenAI’s own help documentation, so the steps match the launch version of the product, and some details may shift as features roll out. If you want wider context on AI tools and the technologies around them, the Deep Tech Certifications from Blockchain Council are a good starting point.

What are OpenAI dots?

A dot is an always-on agent inside ChatGPT, powered by GPT-6 Astra. It has its own cloud computer, works across the apps you choose to connect and keeps making progress between your conversations. OpenAI introduced dots on September 29, 2026, and describes them as agents you give a goal to, then guide, review and redirect as the work moves along.

Before you set up OpenAI dots

A few checks save you from hunting for a feature that isn’t there yet.

Plan and region. Dots are available to Pro users in markets outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the UK. Business Premium users get them across all supported ChatGPT regions. Enterprise workspaces get a beta that stays off until an admin turns it on.
Device. You create a dot in the ChatGPT desktop app, which is also available on Windows, or in ChatGPT on desktop web. You can’t create one on mobile, and dots aren’t supported on mobile web.
Timing. Rollout is gradual, so access can take several days to show up even on an eligible account.

If you’re on a Free, Go or Plus plan, dots aren’t listed as part of your plan at launch.

Step-by-step: how to set up OpenAI dots

Step 1: Create your dot

Open the ChatGPT desktop app or the desktop web version and look for the dots entry. Follow the onboarding prompts. This is also where you’ll see a short introduction and a link to data controls, which is worth reading before you share anything with your dot.

Step 2: Name it and pick a look

You can name your dot during setup. Its default handle is @yourname-dot, and once you name it, the handle becomes @yourname-agentname. You can choose from the available characters or select a pet, and your dot may generate a pet for you. To change the name or avatar later, select it to open the profile, then use the pencil icon.

Step 3: Connect the apps your first task needs

Apps give your dot the information it needs to do real work. On mobile, open your dot’s profile and go to Customize, then Plugins, and select a supported app. Review its permissions before you connect it. The Plugins screen uses shared ChatGPT settings, so the apps you see may differ from what a coworker sees. You can also connect a personal email account for your dot to use, though at launch it can’t have a standalone email address of its own.

Connect only what the first task requires. It’s easy to add more later.

Step 4: Choose where it works

Every dot has its own cloud computer, and that’s the default. Access to your local computer is optional and starts off. To turn it on, open the ChatGPT desktop app on that computer, open your dot’s profile, find Your computer under Computers and select Allow access. Local work runs in separate tasks that appear in the sidebar, and the computer needs to stay online with the app open. You can revoke access the same way.

Step 5: Add a channel, if you want one

Use desktop to connect messaging channels such as Slack. Context carries across channels, so a project started in ChatGPT can continue in a thread without re-explaining it. Texting is a limited beta for Pro users in the US, uses a third-party provider and may involve message and data rates.

Step 6: Give it a first task and schedule one

Describe what you want and share the details it needs. Use the + button to attach a file or photo. For a first run, ask it to review your calendar each morning and tell you what’s coming up. Scheduled runs and updates appear in the conversation, and you can manage them under Scheduled in the dot’s profile, where active, paused and completed tasks are listed. Open any task to change its repeat schedule, time or completion notifications.

Marketing teams can try something similar with a weekly campaign summary. A dot that gathers numbers and drafts the note leaves you to check the wording and decide what to send. Marketers who want to pair this with stronger campaign skills can start with a Digital Marketing Course from Universal Business Council.

Managing your dot after setup

Your dot’s profile is the control center. On desktop it shows work under In progress, Scheduled and Completed, and you can open your dot’s computer from there to watch or interact with it. Custom rules let you decide which actions it takes on its own and which need your approval, and OpenAI says your dot can still make mistakes when following them, so review work and check important details. To stop work, open the ••• menu in the profile and select Pause. Resume with Paused, tap to resume. Reset deletes the dot, including its conversations, saved memories and scheduled tasks, and then you start fresh with a new one.

Troubleshooting common setup problems

Most early problems trace back to a handful of causes.

You can’t see dots at all. Check your plan and region first, then give the rollout a few days. Enterprise users need an admin to enable the beta.
You’re trying to create one on your phone. Creation works only in the desktop app or desktop web. After that, you can talk to it in the mobile app when mobile access is available.
Your dot can’t use local files or tools. Local access is off by default. Enable it in the desktop app on the computer you want it to use.
A website won’t open. A dot’s cloud computer doesn’t automatically inherit your local VPN or browser sign-ins, so a site may need you to sign in there. With local access on, the dot can fall back to your local browser when the cloud browser is blocked.
Texting isn’t available. It’s a limited beta for Pro users in the US, and it isn’t offered in Business or Enterprise workspaces. If you start texting and want to stop, reply STOP.
An app is missing. Available apps depend on your account and workspace settings, so check the Plugins screen.

Teams connecting dots to internal systems may also want grounding in APIs and integrations, which the Tech Certifications from Global Tech Council cover.

A sensible first week

On day one, create the dot, name it and connect one app. On day two, run a single small task and check the result line by line. Midweek, add a recurring job, such as a morning calendar review, and look at what it produced. By the end of the week, write a short list of what the dot handled well and where it needed correction, then decide whether to add an app or a channel. Slow, steady additions teach you how it behaves before it holds more access.

Conclusion

Learning how to set up OpenAI dots comes down to a short sequence: confirm your plan and region, create the dot on desktop, name it, connect only the apps you need, choose cloud or local, optionally add Slack and give it a first task with a schedule. Afterward, the profile handles activity, rules, pausing and reset. Most problems come from eligibility, rollout timing or using a phone to do desktop-only steps. Features are still rolling out, so check OpenAI’s help pages if a screen looks different from what’s described here. Start small, review early work closely and add access one step at a time.

FAQs

1. Where do I set up OpenAI dots?

In the ChatGPT desktop app or ChatGPT on desktop web. You can’t create a dot on mobile.

2. Which plans include dots?

Pro (outside the EEA, Switzerland and the UK) and Business Premium. Enterprise gets a beta once an admin enables it.

3. Why can’t I see dots in my account?

Check your plan and region, then wait a few days, since rollout is gradual.

4. Is the desktop app available on Windows?

Yes. OpenAI says the desktop app is also available on Windows.

5. Can I name my dot?

Yes. You can name it during setup and change the name later from its profile.

6. What is the default handle?

@yourname-dot. After you name it, it becomes @yourname-agentname.

7. Can I change my dot’s look?

Yes. Choose a character or a pet, and edit the name or avatar later with the pencil icon in its profile.

8. How do I connect an app?

Open your dot’s profile, go to Customize, then Plugins, and review the app’s permissions before you connect it.

9. Can my dot have its own email address?

Not at launch. You can connect your personal email account for it to use.

10. Does my dot use my computer by default?

No. It has its own cloud computer, and local access is optional and off by default.

11. How do I let it use my computer?

In the ChatGPT desktop app on that computer, open the dot’s profile, find Your computer under Computers and select Allow access.

12. Does the computer need to stay on?

Yes. For local work, keep it online with the ChatGPT app open.

13. How do I connect Slack?

Use the desktop version to connect messaging channels such as Slack.

14. Is texting available?

Only as a limited beta for Pro users in the US.

15. How do I stop texts from my dot?

Reply STOP to stop outgoing text messages.

16. How do I schedule a task?

Ask your dot for a reminder or recurring check, then manage it under Scheduled in its profile.

17. Can I attach files?

Yes. Select the + button in the conversation to attach a file or photo.

18. How do I pause my dot?

Open the ••• menu in its profile and select Pause. Resume with Paused, tap to resume.

19. What does reset do?

It deletes the dot, including its conversations, saved memories and scheduled tasks.

20. Can my dot make mistakes?

Yes. OpenAI says it can, even when following your rules, so review its work and check important details.