{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreiaibloraxvtrhjuf4zotxuvfp2gwfenx5teaqhsby4y5e4zftv63e",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:lk3jfj3zq4k4wxnk474axylu/app.bsky.feed.post/3mnpny5sbcns2"
  },
  "path": "/t/feature-request-allow-chatgpt-projects-to-use-a-user-approved-local-directory/1379687#post_4",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-07T15:37:32.000Z",
  "site": "https://community.openai.com",
  "textContent": "NeMab4:\n\n> I’d like ChatGPT Projects to support selecting a user-approved local directory.\n>\n> The goal is to let a ChatGPT Project use a local working directory as part of the project workspace, so ChatGPT can act as the personalized planning and review layer for local work.\n>\n> The key value is not only that ChatGPT can see the chats inside a project. ChatGPT can also use personalized memory and long-term context from previous interactions to understand the user’s preferences, constraints, working style, recurring decisions, and what kinds of outputs are actually useful for that user.\n>\n> Many important requirements are created through conversation before anything is formally specified: goals, preferences, constraints, rejected ideas, UX decisions, and the user’s actual working style. In addition, ChatGPT often already knows user-specific context that is not contained in a single project folder or chat thread.\n>\n> Desired workflow:\n>\n>   1. In a ChatGPT Project, I specify a local directory.\n>   2. While brainstorming or planning in the project, ChatGPT can read and write files in that directory, especially docs/spec.md, docs/plan.md, and review notes.\n>   3. I can open the same local directory in Codex or an IDE.\n>   4. Codex can implement based on the files ChatGPT created.\n>   5. ChatGPT can later review Codex plans, diffs, or notes using the same project context, local files, and personalized understanding of the user.\n>\n\n>\n> This would make ChatGPT the main agent that understands the user, while Codex or another coding agent acts as the implementation agent.\n>\n> Minimum useful version:\n>\n>   * Allow each ChatGPT Project to select a user-approved local directory.\n>   * Let ChatGPT read and write files within that directory, with clear user permission.\n>   * Make it easy to write specs, plans, and review notes under docs/.\n>   * Let Codex or an IDE open the same directory separately.\n>   * Let ChatGPT review files, plans, or diffs from that directory using Project context and personalized memory.\n>\n\n>\n> This would be useful for individual creators, product managers, designers, writers, and small developers who use ChatGPT for early-stage brainstorming before implementation\n\nNeMab4, great suggestions.\n\nthis is how ai coding AI has evolved. Question is how advanced of a harness ChatGPT app should be, given broad mainstream use. The simple decision to expand its sandbox to reading and writing files opens any entirely new dimension for errors, a new attack surface, and changes the perception of a safe app.\n\nOpenAI_Support, not sure this solves that, but what about a limited sandboxed directory when only .md files can be accessed. Doesn’t do everything asked but gets part way without creating our own harness in Python etc?",
  "title": "Feature request: Allow ChatGPT Projects to use a user-approved local directory"
}