How to create a project in ChatGPT on Mac: steps, icons, and the missing Projects fix

A project in ChatGPT is a workspace for one job. It holds the chats, the instructions, and the files that belong together. If you write a weekly report, track a client, or study one topic, a project keeps that work in one place. Without one, your chats pile up in Recents, and you retype the same background every time.

This guide covers the ChatGPT desktop app for Mac. The app was rebuilt in July 2026, and the older version is now called ChatGPT Classic. Menu labels change between builds, so read the steps as a map. Check the labels on your own screen as you go.

What a project holds in ChatGPT on Mac

Every project has three parts. The first is its instructions. Project instructions apply across its chats, so you explain your audience or tone once instead of in every chat. The second is a Sources section, where uploaded files and connected context live.

The third part is folder access, and it applies only to local projects. A local project gives its chats access to one or more folders on your computer. Point it at a folder of notes or drafts, then ask questions about what is inside.

Projects appear in the Projects view of the desktop app. That view holds ChatGPT projects and local projects in one list. You can pin a project from the sidebar or from the Projects view, so the one you use every day is easy to reach.

Before you start: version, account, and ChatGPT Classic

• Check your build. Click ChatGPT in the menu bar, then choose About ChatGPT. One OpenAI forum user reported build 26.707.62119 on macOS 26.5.2, so your number may differ.
• Check the account. Workspace and personal histories are separate. If a project is missing, confirm you are signed into the same account you use on the web.
• Check the mode. The toggle above the message box switches between Chat and Work. The top-left menu switches between ChatGPT and Codex.
• Keep Classic only if you need it. The old app was renamed ChatGPT Classic, not removed, and it can run alongside the new app.

The rebuild explains most of the confusion. OpenAI folded Codex into the ChatGPT desktop app on July 9, 2026, on macOS and Windows. The existing app became ChatGPT Classic, which 9to5Mac says looks more native to the Mac. Existing Codex app users can update as usual and keep their projects, according to the same article.

Naming projects and picking an icon and color

Pick a name you can scan in a list. A name like Q3 board memo tells you what is inside. A name like Project 1 tells you nothing months later. Put the client, the topic, or the deadline in the name, and keep it short enough to read in the sidebar.

The icon and color do the sorting your eyes need. Pick one color for each type of work. Blue for research, green for drafts, and red for anything with a deadline is a system you can read at a glance. Write the system down once so you keep it as the list grows.

Finding the New project button is where people lose time, because labels move between builds. Lazur can help with that. Hold ⌥ ⌘, ask where the button is, and Lazur draws a circle and a label around it on your screen. Lazur points and explains. It does not click the button for you.

How many files fit in a ChatGPT project

File caps apply per project, not per account. The numbers come from a third party guide that summarizes plan limits. The Free plan allows 5 files per project. Go and Plus allow 25. Pro, Business, Education, and Enterprise allow 40.

Each project also accepts up to 10 files at one time. The guide calls that a batch queueing limit, not a cap on the total. For a large set of files, upload in batches of ten and wait for each batch to finish.

Be careful with Plus. The same guide says OpenAI's File Uploads FAQ lists 20 files for Plus, while OpenAI's Projects article lists 25. Check your plan page before you plan a large upload.

A worked example: one project per client

Say you write a weekly report for several clients. Create one project for each client. In the instructions, write the tone, the report format, and the names of the people who read it. Upload last month's report to Sources.

Now each new chat starts with the same context. You type one short line instead of a long paragraph of background. Across a month of weekly reports, that is a lot of retyping you no longer do.

Keep the file count low. A few well chosen files usually beat a long pile of copies. When a file goes out of date, replace it rather than adding a newer copy beside it, so the project never holds two conflicting versions.

If one client keeps working notes in a folder on your Mac, use a local project. Open the project's menu, select Edit project, then select Add folder. To change the default folder, point to a folder and select Make primary. Remote projects currently support one folder, so plan around that.

When Projects are missing on Mac

This is the most common problem after the July 2026 rebuild. Users reported that Projects were missing from the sidebar until a July 16, 2026 update. Some builds still hide them, so work through these checks in order.

The fixes above come from a third party guide and from user reports. An OpenAI Developer Community thread about this bug has no staff reply and no accepted fix. Treat each workaround as a test, and stop when one works.

If nothing works, use ChatGPT Classic for the work that depends on those projects. Keep the new app for everything else. Check for updates again each week, because builds keep changing.

Mistakes people make with ChatGPT projects on Mac

• Creating a project in the wrong account. Check the account on the web first, then compare it with the app.
• Looking for a project shortcut. ⌘⌥N opens Quick chat, which is a separate feature. OpenAI's Projects page does not list a project shortcut, so use the sidebar.
• Uploading everything at once. Batches of ten keep the upload moving.
• Building one giant project for every job. Split by client or topic so the instructions stay accurate.
• Ignoring the file cap until an upload stops. Count your files before you start, and remove duplicates.
• Forgetting about locked chats. Locked chats stay in the account but are hidden from regular chat history, pinned chats, and search.

Keeping projects tidy after you create them

A project works best when you review it every few weeks. Read the instructions and cut anything that no longer applies. Replace old sources with current ones, and keep the file count inside your plan's cap.

If a chat disappears, check Settings > Archived chats before you assume it is gone. Pin the projects you open daily, and leave the rest unpinned so the sidebar stays easy to scan.

Where to go next

If you attach files to ordinary chats too, read How to attach a file in ChatGPT on Mac. For a faster way into ChatGPT from anywhere, read How to use the Option+Space shortcut in ChatGPT on Mac.

If you are deciding between ChatGPT and Lazur for daily work, read ChatGPT on Mac vs Lazur. Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac. It points at things on your screen and answers out loud. It does not replace the project steps above.