Unlocking ChatGPT with Web Search

NOTE: I encourage anyone who can afford it to get the Plus (UK £20 a month subscription) to unlock higher quotas for web research tasks. It's money well spent if you are a medium to heavy user!.

You can effortlessly transform ChatGPT into a powerful research assistant. With Web Search, you gain instant updates from across the web. With Deep Research, you access rich, structured insights on nearly any topic.

No matter if you're a student, teacher, journalist, business owner, or simply curious, these tools will significantly simplify your digital life.

Begin with the basics. Pose questions. Be precise. Let ChatGPT handle the research for you.

Example Prompts to Try

• “Use Web Search to find the latest NHS guidance on flu vaccines.”

• “Do a deep research summary on how AI is affecting secondary education in the UK.”

• “Search online for today’s weather in Edinburgh and tell me if I’ll need a coat.”

• “Can you create a pros and cons list about home-schooling using research-backed sources?”

🎯 When to Use Each Tool

Task	Use Web Search	Use Deep Research
Checking breaking news	✅ Yes	❌ No
Summarising multiple expert views	❌ No	✅ Yes
Looking up the latest product reviews	✅ Yes	❌ No
Exploring a topic for a report	❌ No	✅ Yes

🔍 What Is Web Search in ChatGPT?

Web Search allows ChatGPT to look things up on the internet in real time. This means it can:

• Check news stories from today

• Find the latest prices or statistics

• Retrieve current events, blogs, or updates from websites

Example:

"Can you tell me the latest news on the general election in the UK?"ChatGPT will search online and give a summary with clickable links.

📝 Tips for Using Web Search:

• Be specific. Instead of “What's happening in science?”, try “What are the most recent discoveries in space exploration this month?”

• Ask follow-ups. “Can you explain that article in simpler terms?”

• Say “Use Web Search” if ChatGPT doesn’t automatically search.

🧠 What Is Deep Research in ChatGPT?

Deep Research is ideal for diving into complex topics. Rather than just giving a quick answer, ChatGPT will:

• Search across multiple reliable sources

• Extract key insights and themes

• Organise information in a readable format

Think of it as ChatGPT writing a mini research report — fast.

Example:

"Do a deep research summary of the economic impact of remote working in the UK."ChatGPT will consult various articles, studies, and trusted sources to provide an insightful overview.

📝 Tips for Using Deep Research:

• Use prompts like:

  • “Deep dive into…”

  • “Summarise expert opinions on…”

  • “Compare arguments for and against…”

• Ask for sources: “Can you show me where this information came from?”

• Request formats: “List the pros and cons”, “Make this into bullet points”, or “Create a table”

🧪 Example: Asking ChatGPT to Analyse a Web Page or Paper

You don’t always need to type out your questions — sometimes you’ve already found a good source. Just send the link and ask ChatGPT to do the work. Here’s how a non-technical user might do it:

Example Prompt:

“Can you summarise the key points from this report on AI in education?”https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-in-education-where-are-we-now-and-what-comes-next

ChatGPT will then access the page (using its Web Search or browsing tools if available) and return a clear summary, often in bullet points or sections. It can highlight what’s most relevant, compare findings to other sources, or even translate the document into simpler language.

💡 Tips for Users

• Start with a clear instruction:“Summarise”, “Explain”, “Extract key points”, or “Compare with other sources…”

• Always include the full URL:ChatGPT can’t guess what page you’re looking at — paste the link.

• Follow up with:“Can you explain that in simpler terms?”,“What are the implications of this?”, or“Make this into bullet points / a table / a short paragraph.”

• For long papers or PDFs, say:“Just give me the executive summary” or“Focus on the recommendations section.”

• If ChatGPT doesn’t browse the page, try:“Use Web Search to access this document and tell me what it says.”

Including URLs in your prompts is one of the most underrated but powerful ways to use ChatGPT like a personal researcher. Whether it’s a government report, academic study, blog post or product page — ChatGPT can do the reading for you.