Guide

How to branch a conversation in ChatGPT

Halfway through a good chat you want to try a different direction, or ask a side question, without derailing the main thread. Branching gives you a second conversation that starts from the exact message you choose. Here's how it works and when to use it.

Updated 20 October 2026

Quick answer: on ChatGPT on the web, hover over the message you want to branch from, click More actions (⋯) and select Branch in new chat. ChatGPT opens a separate conversation that starts from that point. Your original chat stays exactly as it was.

Checked against OpenAI's help pages on 20 October 2026. OpenAI introduced branching for the web, and the menu labels here are the ones it published; labels can change, so treat them as of October 2026.

Branch a chat on the web

Open the conversation at chatgpt.com while signed in.
Scroll to the message that should be the starting point of your new direction. Everything up to that message is what the branch builds on.
Hover over the message to show its actions.
Click More actions (⋯).
Select Branch in new chat.
Ask your side question or try your alternative in the new chat.

OpenAI launched the feature for all logged-in users on the web in September 2025. Its help pages don't describe the same option in the mobile or desktop apps, so if you don't see it there, use the web.

Choose the right message to branch from

The branch starts from the point you pick, so the choice of message decides what the new chat builds on:

To ask about one point in an answer, branch from that answer. The side chat has the full context up to there, and the main thread doesn't get a long detour in the middle.
To try a different approach, branch from the last message before things went the way you didn't want. For example, branch from the brief and ask for a different structure, then compare the two versions.

Give each branch a clear first message, such as "Side question about point 3 only:" or "Alternative: same brief, but for a younger audience." It keeps the branch focused and makes it easier to tell apart from the original in your sidebar later.

Branching in projects

Branching is especially useful in shared projects. OpenAI says chats in a shared project can't be worked on by several people at the same time; instead, members branch a chat to take it in their own direction. In practice:

Any member can branch an existing chat in a shared project, for example to test an idea on a teammate's analysis without changing their thread.
Branches appear in the project next to the original conversation. Select the profile icon next to a chat to see who started it.
Members can see a branch for as long as it stays in the shared project. Whether it can be moved elsewhere depends on the project's memory settings.
Shared projects use project-only memory, so a branch there draws on the project's chats, files and instructions, not on any member's personal memories.

If you're new to projects, start with how to set up ChatGPT Projects.

Good to know

Branching doesn't change the original. That's the point: you can explore without losing the thread you had.
A branch is its own chat. Its later messages aren't added to the original conversation, and it appears as a separate chat.
A branch still carries the earlier conversation. If the original was very long, the branch inherits that length too, along with the risk of the model losing track of early details. For a genuinely new topic, a fresh chat with a short summary can work better; see why ChatGPT forgets parts of a long conversation.
Sharing is separate. Sharing a link to one chat from a project doesn't give the recipient the rest of the project; see how to share an AI chat.

If it doesn't work

You can't find Branch in new chat. Make sure you're signed in and using ChatGPT on the web, then hover directly over a message and open More actions (⋯).
The option isn't there in the app. OpenAI announced branching for the web. Open the chat at chatgpt.com in a browser.
You can't move a branch out of a shared project. That depends on the project's memory settings and the actions available to you. Shared projects stay on project-only memory.
You lose track of which chat is which. Start each branch with a clear label (see the tip above), and keep related branches in one project.

Side threads in Workbranch

Branching works best when you want a whole alternate conversation. When you only want to dig into one point of an answer, Workbranch is built for that: it's a separate AI workspace with answers from Google Gemini, it splits each answer into a point-by-point checklist, and you can open a side thread on any single point while the main answer stays tidy. There's a 3-day free trial. Why side questions derail a chat is covered in how follow-up questions derail AI chats.

Sources

ChatGPT release notes (OpenAI Help Center, "Branch conversations on web", checked 20 October 2026)
Projects in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, checked 20 October 2026)
Sharing conversations and scheduled tasks in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center, checked 20 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

Does branching change the original chat?

No. The original conversation stays as it was. The branch is a separate chat that starts from the message you picked, so anything you do there stays there.

Can I branch a chat someone shared with me in a project?

Yes, in a shared project. Members can branch existing chats there, and the branch appears in the project next to the original. Chats in shared projects can't be edited by several people at once, so branching is the way to build on a teammate's chat.

Is branching a paid feature?

OpenAI announced it for all logged-in users on the web, without limiting it to paid plans.