Annotate Images to Guide ChatGPT's Focus
Use photo editing tools to mark up images before uploading to direct ChatGPT's attention.
Annotate images before uploading to guide ChatGPT's focus.
By drawing attention to specific areas or elements within an image using a photo editor, you can help ChatGPT understand which parts are most important for the query.
If asking about a specific object in a busy scene, circle or point to that object in the image before uploading it to ChatGPT.
To improve the accuracy of ChatGPT's interpretation of images, use a photo editing tool to add annotations or markup. This directs the model's attention to the elements you consider most important for the task.
Explicitly highlighting areas of interest helps the model prioritize information and reduces the chance of it focusing on irrelevant details or missing key components.
When the entire image content is equally important or when no specific focus is needed.
- ChatGPT Image Inputs FAQ ↗OpenAI · OpenAI Help Center · Sep 6, 2026 · paraphrased
First seen on Subvolts Sep 6, 2026. Updated Sep 11, 2026. Spotted a problem? Tell us.
- ChatGPT Image Inputs FAQOpenAI · OpenAI Help Center · Sep 6, 2026
The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.
- HeuristicGenerate images with complex object relationships and traitsCreate images with up to 20 distinct objects, precisely bound to their traits and relations. · 5 min
- HeuristicEnhance image meaning with precise symbols and textElevate image meaning by incorporating precise symbols and text generated by multimodal models. · 5 min
- Code snippetQuery OpenAI Decisions API with Image InputExample command to query the OpenAI Decisions API using an image URL and a text prompt. · 1 min
- ChecklistChecklist for Using ChatGPT Image Inputs EffectivelyEnsure optimal results when using images with ChatGPT by following these pre-upload and interaction guidelines. · 5 min
- ToolChatGPT for analyzing and generating imagesUpload images for analysis or generate new visuals and edit them using natural language prompts. · 10 min
- Setting tipEnable image input in ChatGPT mobile appTap the plus button to capture or choose an image for analysis in the mobile app. · 1 min
Questions people ask
- Which AI tools does this work with?
- The sources used it with ChatGPT.
- Where did this come from?
- OpenAI (OpenAI Help Center). Subvolts collected, normalized and credited it; the link above opens the original.