A growing number of users are discovering that conversations shared via ChatGPT’s “Share” feature are not only accessible to anyone with the link but are also indexed by Google, making them publicly searchable across the internet.
Typing site:chatgpt.com/share followed by keywords into Google reveals hundreds of shared conversations across topics ranging from politics and business to pop culture and personal stories. This functionality is entirely dependent on whether the user has generated and shared a public link using ChatGPT’s “Share” tool.
ChatGPT’s Share Feature and Public Visibility
At the top-right of the ChatGPT interface, users can select the “Share” button, which generates a URL that can be copied and sent to others. Although a message appears stating “Anyone with the URL will be able to view your shared chat,” many users remain unaware that these links are also open to search engine crawlers such as Google.
Once indexed, these chats can appear in regular search results. For instance, searching site:chatgpt.com/share Elon Musk shows public conversations referencing the billionaire entrepreneur. The only condition is that the original sharer must have created the public URL intentionally.
What many users don’t realise is that Google indexes these shared URLs just like any other website, making it possible for anyone to view them, not just the intended recipient.
Privacy Implications and User Awareness
Although OpenAI does not publish private chats without user consent, any conversation made public through sharing becomes permanently viewable unless deleted. Importantly, edits made after generating the shareable link do not update the public version of the conversation.
Algoritha: The Most Trusted Name in BFSI Investigations and DFIR Services
This has sparked concern among privacy advocates, who suggest clearer warnings be issued to users about the extent of public accessibility. There is also growing discussion online about the potential misuse of this feature, especially if users unknowingly expose sensitive or personal information.
While many public conversations are harmless, others delve into sensitive or bizarre topics, exposing users to unintended scrutiny. Some have even suggested that awareness of this visibility might incentivise users to post more provocative or extreme content for attention.
OpenAI has not issued any recent statements about whether these publicly shared links will continue to be indexed by search engines or if additional safeguards will be implemented.