Press enter or click to view image in full size
Note: This write-up is for anyone who isn’t aware that ChatGPT share links can stay online even after you think you’ve deleted them.
If you already understand how to manage your shared links and keep your data private, you can safely skip this post.
But if you’ve ever shared a conversation or pasted a link without thinking twice, read on — you might be surprised where your chats are showing up.
Generative AI tools make it easy to share conversations — but those links can linger online long after you think they’re gone. Recently, while doing a personal “ChatGPT recon,” I discovered that many public share links were still indexed in Google search and archived on the Wayback Machine.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
If you’ve ever shared a ChatGPT conversation, you may have left traces behind — even if you later deleted the link.
This post explains:
- How to delete your ChatGPT shared link cache
- How to ask Google to remove outdated copies
- Why you should use temporary links instead of permanent ones
- How to share responsibly and protect your privacy
Step 1: Delete Old Shared Links from ChatGPT
- Log in to chatgpt.com.
- Click your profile photo → Settings.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
3. Go to Data Controls → Shared Links.
Press enter or click to view image in full size
4. Delete any links you no longer want online.
Tip: After deleting, visiting the link should return a 404 Not Found page — but that doesn’t mean search engines or archives have forgotten it.
Step 2: Speed Up Removal from Google
Even after deletion, pages can stay visible in Google results for a while.
To request a clean-up:
- Go to Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool.
- Click New Request.
- Choose “To remove content permanently from Google.”
- Paste the full URL of your old share link.
- Submit, then wait for confirmation.
⚠️ This only affects Google’s index. Copies stored by other search engines or archive sites may remain.
Share Chats Responsibly — Use Temporary Links
At the moment, ChatGPT’s “share” feature creates permanent URLs unless you delete them yourself. If you want to share something briefly:
- Only send links to people you trust.
- Remove them as soon as they’re no longer needed.
- Prefer screenshots or copy-paste for sensitive data.
📌 Suggestion for OpenAI: Add an option to create 24-hour self-destructing links — perfect for quick collaboration without leaving a long-term footprint.
Be Aware of Archives
Public URLs can be crawled by services like the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.
Even after deletion, archived snapshots may persist.
Takeaway: Once a link is public, assume it might be stored somewhere forever.
Spread Awareness
- Share this article with teammates, students, or anyone who posts ChatGPT screenshots or links online.
- If you run workshops, include a section about AI privacy hygiene.
- Encourage OpenAI (and other AI providers) to support time-limited share links and stronger privacy defaults.