ChatGPT Account Migration Guide

Overview

St. Thomas is transitioning users to a centralized ChatGPT Business workspace. This provides:

• Enhanced security
• Single Sign-On (SSO) access
• Separation of personal and university work
• Improved collaboration capabilities

Important: You May Be Given a Choice About Your Data

When you join the St. Thomas workspace, you may be asked whether to transfer your existing ChatGPT data.

You may see two options: 

• Transfer chat history and GPTs (merge your data into St. Thomas)
• Start as empty workspace (keep your personal account separate)

How to Check If This Applies to You

1. Log into ChatGPT and click your profile icon in the bottom left of ChatGPT. 
2. Look at the workspaces listed at the top of the menu.

What You See	What It Means
More than one workspace listed, such as University of St. Thomas Workspace and your name	You have a Personal workspace and will see the transfer option.
Only one workspace listed, such as University of St. Thomas Workspace	You do not have a Personal workspace and will not see the transfer option.

Your Two Options If the Prompt Appears

Option	What Happens	When to Choose It
Start as empty workspace	Your Personal workspace stays separate. Your existing chats and GPTs remain in your personal account. The St. Thomas workspace starts empty. You can switch between workspaces at any time.	Recommended for most users, especially if you want to keep personal and university work separate.
Transfer chat history and GPTs	Your personal chats and GPTs move into the St. Thomas workspace. Your Personal workspace is permanently deleted. This action cannot be undone.	Choose this only if you want everything inside your university account and understand the long-term access risks.

Avoid Paying Twice

If you currently pay for ChatGPT Plus and join the St. Thomas workspace, you may end up with two subscriptions unless you take action.

If You Choose	What Happens to Billing
Start as empty workspace (recommended)	Your Plus subscription continues. You must downgrade it manually if you do not want to keep paying for both.
Transfer chat history and GPTs	Your Plus subscription is automatically canceled and refunded on a prorated basis.

Recommended action:

• If you keep your personal workspace, downgrade your Plus subscription after joining to the free level.
• If you merge your account, no action is needed because Plus is canceled automatically.

How to cancel Plus:

1. Go to ChatGPT Settings.
2. Select My Plan.
3. Click Manage Subscription.
4. Downgrade your plan to the free plan by choosing Cancel Subscription.

Important Clarifications

• Joining the St. Thomas workspace does not remove you from other Business workspaces.
• You can belong to multiple workspaces at the same time.
• Only your Personal workspace can be merged or deleted.
• There is no transfer between Business workspaces.

What Will Happen to Your Data

Situation	See Transfer Option	Outcome
Personal workspace with a Free or Plus subscription	Yes	You choose whether to merge or keep your Personal workspace separate.
Personal workspace plus another Business workspace	Yes	Your Personal workspace can merge into St. Thomas or remain separate. Your other Business workspace is unchanged.
Already merged in the past	No	You join directly because no Personal workspace exists anymore.
No prior ChatGPT account	No	You start fresh in the St. Thomas workspace.
SSO-created account only	No	You start fresh in the St. Thomas workspace.
Only Business workspaces and no Personal workspace	No	You join directly and nothing transfers.

Recommended: Export Your Data

Even if you plan to keep accounts separate, exporting your data is strongly recommended.

1. Go to Settings > Data Controls > Export Data.
2. Check your email for the download link.
3. Save the zip file to your computer or OneDrive.

The download link expires quickly.

Items to Save Before Migration

Item	What to Do
Custom Instructions	Copy them from Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions into a document.
Custom GPTs	Save prompts, configuration details, uploaded files, and any integrations you use.
Knowledge Files	Download any documents, PDFs, or datasets you uploaded to ChatGPT so you can re-upload them later if needed.

What to Expect After Joining

Scenario	What You Will See
Start as empty workspace	Your St. Thomas workspace is empty and your Personal account remains unchanged.
Transfer data	Your chats and GPTs appear in the St. Thomas workspace, your Personal workspace no longer exists, and some settings must be reconfigured.

Post-Migration Setup

Task	Action
Reapply Custom Instructions	Paste your saved content into Settings > Personalization.
Rebuild Custom GPTs	Recreate them using your saved prompts and files. Focus on the GPTs you use most often.
Access Old Chats	You can optionally upload your exported zip file into a custom GPT and use it as a searchable archive.

Best Practices

• Start new chats for new topics.
• Keep custom instructions concise.
• Maintain only the GPTs you actively use.
• Use separate chats for separate tasks.

Privacy Note

Your chat history is private.

• ITS cannot view your conversations.
• Chat access is limited to your account.
• You control what data is moved or retained.

Need Help?

• Submit a ticket: TDx Portal
• Email: [Insert support email]
• Phone: [Insert support phone]
• Drop-in sessions: [Insert schedule or link]

Keywords

ChatGPT, migration, workspace, SSO, personal workspace, business workspace, custom GPT, chat history, export data, AI tools