I was struggling with GPT-5's new Thinking mode — these 6 tweaks boosted my results

Tom's Guide

12 hours ago

GPT-5 has brought with it a bunch of changes. But depending on whom you ask, these upgrades are either game-changing or a complete and utter flop. After all, there has been a GPT-5 backlash. Despite the raging war between ChatGPT fans, there is one feature that I think everyone can agree on: deep research is a game changer.
GPT-5, according to OpenAI, sees a major boost to research with GPT-5 thinking mode. Not only is it smarter, but it's also more efficient, spending less time researching for just as good, if not better, responses. These days, you can be pretty specific with what you ask a chatbot, and can give it a huge number of tasks all at once. If you're new to ChatGPT, or trying to wrap your head around how best to use GPT-5, here are some tips to get started on the model's thinking Mode.
There are two versions of GPT-5 thinking. Which one you choose depends on how much information you need and how long you want to wait.
GPT-5 thinking is useful when you want as much information as possible, and you want the model to be absolutely correct in its decision. It takes time to search the internet, look through sources, and, where needed, use other tools to support its response.
So why not use this mode every time? Taking the time to think deeply about an answer can be time-consuming. I've had the model take 10-15 minutes plus to work through a prompt to get the correct answer, and if you're asking a fairly simple question, all of that effort isn't needed.
This is where GPT-5 thinking mini comes in. OpenAI describes it as a model that 'thinks quickly'. In other words, it will put in some thought, searching sources and contemplating its response, but it is trying to do it on a quicker deadline. It might not be as detailed, but it will be faster.
One of the big updates that was brought in with GPT-5 was the new Auto mode. When this is used, ChatGPT will decide on its own which model is best based on your prompt.
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This can be useful day-to-day when you're just asking ChatGPT random questions, but it doesn't always accurately make the switch. If you know you want to do some deep research, make sure to choose on of the thinking modes available.
Your initial prompt is the best time to layout of all of your parameters. You need to obviously make your request itself, but here you can help to get a better response by laying out some rules.
State the end result that you are hoping to receive and give ChatGPT a clear goal. If you simply ask for a report on the state of AI, it will make its own decisions on what that includes.
Expanding on this can be helpful in better hitting your goal. Explaining what the report is for and what you want it to include will drastically improve your end result.
You can also ask it to provide you with a step-by-step of its plan before proceeding. This allows you to see what it is about to do and make changes if you're unhappy with its planned route.
Sometimes, it can be helpful to include prompts that may seem counterintuitive. For example, asking ChatGPT to include a small 250 word argument attempting to disprove a research project.
I have found that, when trying to use the thinking mode to learn a new subject or digest a lot of information, it can be useful to have it provide a short creative writing explanation of the subject.
Before prompting, think what you need to know and what the best way to understand that might be. Equally, don't be afraid to take advantage of the model's coding and image generation abilities. These can be used to provide visual explanations for your prompt.
Yes, you're using a mode called thinking, but sometimes ChatGPT doesn't think enough. It can be useful to give it small nudges in your initial prompt to help guide its actions.
For example, saying, 'Think hard about this' or, 'Once you have come to a conclusion, reflect on your answer before responding." It might feel like weird things to say, but it helps highlight to ChatGPT that you're prioritizing a detailed and accurate response over something quick.
It can be a good idea to split your requests into stages that might cause complications. For example, if you want a research report and a coded website that shows the information in the report, ask for the report first, and then for ChatGPT to code a website to display everything it has researched after.
Normally, if you take the time with your first prompt, it should be pretty close. This final stage can be to ask follow up questions or correct the model if it has misunderstood something that you asked.
Don't be afraid to follow up with ChatGPT. If your first prompt doesn't yield the response you wanted, ask for changes until you're satisfied with the results.
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