ChatGPT

ChatGPT's chat branching feature was officially announced and made available to users on September 4, 2025, as detailed in OpenAI's release notes. The rollout was focused on the web interface and provided immediate access to all logged-in users.

To create a conversation branch in ChatGPT, users hover their cursor over any ChatGPT response, which reveals a three-dot menu. Clicking this menu displays the 'Branch in new chat' option. Selecting this option opens a new browser tab with the branched conversation, inheriting all context up to the branching point.

As of the latest update, ChatGPT's chat branching feature is only available on the web interface. It is not supported on iOS, Android, macOS, or Windows native applications, limiting its use to web browsers.

When a new branch is created in ChatGPT, the interface displays a horizontal line separator at the branching point. This visual cue helps users identify where the conversation diverged, maintaining spatial awareness within the dialogue structure.

Each branched conversation in ChatGPT receives an automatic name that includes the 'Branch' prefix. This naming convention provides immediate identification and organizational clarity within the conversation history panel, helping users distinguish between original and branched threads.

ChatGPT does not currently support merging of conversation branches. Users must manually transfer information between branches if they wish to consolidate insights or combine elements from different threads, as there is no built-in branch merging functionality.

When a user edits a previous message in ChatGPT, the system automatically creates a new branch from that point. The original conversation thread is preserved, and users can toggle between different conversation versions using branch selector controls.

In ChatGPT, each branched conversation is listed as a separate entry in the conversation history panel. There is no hierarchical or nested display; all branches are treated as individual conversations, which may make it harder to track relationships between threads.

ChatGPT's chat branching feature is used in various domains such as marketing (exploring campaign directions), business strategy (analyzing multiple models), software development (debugging and feature exploration), education (deep-diving into subtopics), creative writing (developing alternative plots), research (testing methodologies), and project management (planning contingencies).

ChatGPT's current implementation does not provide advanced visualization tools such as tree-view interfaces or graphical conversation maps. Users must rely on browser tabs and the conversation history panel to manage branches, which can be challenging for complex branching structures.

ChatGPT's branching feature is implemented using a tree-like data structure, where each branch maintains independent state while preserving shared context up to the branching point. This approach is similar to version control systems and allows for independent evolution of each branch.

ChatGPT's chat branching feature is limited by its availability only on the web interface, absence of advanced visualization tools, lack of branch merging capabilities, and reliance on automatic branch naming. These constraints can hinder organization and usability for complex workflows.

When a branch is created in ChatGPT, the new conversation inherits the entire context and message history up to the selected branching point. This ensures that the branched thread starts with full awareness of previous exchanges, maintaining continuity for further exploration.

When a user edits a previous message in ChatGPT, the system automatically generates a new branch starting from the edited message. The original conversation remains unchanged, and users can switch between different versions using branch selector controls.

When a branch is created, ChatGPT opens the branched conversation in a new browser tab. Users can switch between the original and branched conversations using browser tabs or by accessing separate entries in the conversation history panel.

Branched conversations in ChatGPT are subject to the same context window limitations as regular conversations. Very long branched threads may eventually lose early context, requiring users to create additional branches to maintain context awareness in extended sessions.

Potential future enhancements for ChatGPT's chat branching feature include advanced visualization tools (tree-view interfaces), custom branch naming, branch merging capabilities, collaborative branching for teams, mobile app integration, and analytics for branch effectiveness. These improvements aim to address current limitations and expand the feature's applicability.