Deep Research

Deep research is ChatGPT's tool for long, multi-step research: it proposes an editable plan, searches the web and your connected apps, and returns a cited report you can download as Markdown, Word or PDF. Every plan has it, with Free and Go limited; type /Deepresearch or pick it from the + menu.

Deep research is the ChatGPT tool that researches a question for you across many sources and returns a documented report with citations; you start one by typing /Deepresearch in the message box or choosing Deep research from the tools menu (+) (Deep research in ChatGPT). ChatGPT first proposes a research plan you can edit, then works for several minutes while you watch or interrupt, and the finished report downloads as Markdown, Word or PDF. As of Nov 6, 2026 every plan includes it: "Limited" on Free and Go, "Expanded" on Plus and "Maximum" on Pro, with the remaining count shown in the product.

Quick facts

Launched	Early February 2025, for Pro (OpenAI)
Redesign	Feb 10, 2026: editable plan, focus on sites, connected apps
Start	/Deepresearch, the + menu, or the sidebar (OpenAI)
Plans, as of Nov 6, 2026	Free and Go "Limited", Plus "Expanded", Pro "Maximum" (chatgpt.com/pricing)
Allowance resets	Every 30 days from first use, on plans with a monthly allowance
Edu, included	5 queries per rolling 24 hours
Credit price	50 credits per task on Business, Enterprise and Edu credit pricing
Downloads	Markdown, Word, PDF

What does deep research do?

OpenAI describes deep research as reasoning, researching and synthesizing information into a documented report (Deep research in ChatGPT). Where an ordinary search answer reads a handful of pages in seconds, deep research runs many searches, reads widely, and writes a long report with citations for each claim. It suits questions such as a market overview, a literature review, a product comparison before a big purchase, or background on a policy, where you would otherwise open dozens of tabs.

How to run a deep research task

Type /Deepresearch, choose Deep research from the + menu, or open it from the sidebar.
Describe the outcome you want: the question, the audience, and what the report should cover.
Review the research plan ChatGPT proposes and edit it before it starts.
To limit sources, open Sites > Manage sites and list the sites to use, or turn on "Prioritize these sites, but allow full-web search".
Follow its progress; you can interrupt to add instructions or sources.
Read the cited report, then download it as Markdown, Word or PDF.

Source: Deep research in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026.

Deep research can also read your connected apps, using only their read actions (Deep research in ChatGPT); connectors first came to it on Jun 4, 2025. It runs inside projects on paid plans (Projects in ChatGPT).

Deep research limits by plan

OpenAI no longer publishes numbers for personal plans. The help article says usage "varies by plan", an in-product counter shows the tasks you have left, and plans with a monthly allowance reset 30 days from the date of first use (Deep research in ChatGPT).

Plan, as of Nov 6, 2026	Deep research
Free	Limited
Go	Limited
Plus	Expanded
Pro	Maximum
Edu	5 queries per rolling 24 hours included
Business, Enterprise, Edu on credit pricing	50 credits per task

Sources: chatgpt.com/pricing, OpenAI; ChatGPT rate card, OpenAI Help Center; both read Nov 6, 2026.

The last published numbers came on Apr 24, 2025: 25 queries a month for Plus, Team, Enterprise and Edu, 250 for Pro and 5 for Free, falling back to a lighter o4-mini version after the limit (Introducing deep research). Those figures predate the Feb 10, 2026 redesign, and no OpenAI page read on Nov 6, 2026 says they still apply. Free users who choose to go ad-free give up deep research (Ads in ChatGPT). Details per plan are on ChatGPT Usage Limits.

What deep research cannot do

It reads connected apps but uses only their read actions; it does not send email or change files (Deep research in ChatGPT).
Lockdown Mode turns deep research off (Lockdown Mode).
It is not offered in every country, the help article notes.
For tasks that need clicking through websites, filling forms or producing finished files, OpenAI points to agent mode and ChatGPT Work.

History

Date	Change
Early Feb 2025	Launch for Pro, up to 100 queries a month
Feb 5, 2025	Pro in the UK, Switzerland and the EEA
Feb 25, 2025	All Plus users
Apr 24, 2025	Free gets 5 a month; lighter version after limits
May 12, 2025	PDF export
Jun 4, 2025	Connectors in deep research
Jul 17, 2025	A visual browser through ChatGPT agent mode
Feb 10, 2026	Redesign: editable plan, focus on sites, MCP and apps, full-screen report
Mar 26, 2026	Legacy deep research mode removed

Sources: Introducing deep research, OpenAI; ChatGPT release notes, OpenAI Help Center; both read Nov 6, 2026.

What testers found

2:43 In a Dec 6, 2025 video comparing ChatGPT with Gemini, Kian of The AI Productivity Coach reported that in his testing Gemini's deep research scanned about 20 to 47 sources a query and finished in 8 to 12 minutes, while ChatGPT's usually read 7 to 27 sources over 10 to 17 minutes but tended to write longer reports. He preferred Gemini's breadth; ChatGPT, he said, gives depth.

Frequently asked questions

Is ChatGPT deep research free? Yes, with limits. As of Nov 6, 2026, Free and Go get "Limited" deep research, Plus "Expanded" and Pro "Maximum"; ChatGPT shows how many tasks remain.

How many deep research tasks do I get on ChatGPT Plus? OpenAI does not publish a current number for Plus. The last figure, 25 a month from Apr 24, 2025, predates the Feb 10, 2026 redesign.

When does the deep research limit reset? On plans with a fixed monthly allowance, ChatGPT resets deep research every 30 days, counted from the date you first used it.

How do I start deep research in ChatGPT? Type /Deepresearch, or choose Deep research from the + tools menu or the sidebar, then describe what you want and approve the plan.

Can deep research use only certain websites? Yes. In ChatGPT open Sites > Manage sites to restrict it to sites you choose, or let it prioritize them while still searching the whole web.

How long does deep research take? OpenAI's help article gives no fixed time; you follow progress in the chat and can interrupt it.