Getting Started 7 min read â€ĸ November 2025

The Complete Guide to Pinning ChatGPT Messages

Everything you need to know about pinning, organizing, and managing your ChatGPT knowledge library.

You've installed Pinboard GPT. Now what? This guide covers everything from your first pin to building an organized knowledge library that actually saves you time.

Two Ways to Pin: Messages vs. Entire Chats

Pinboard GPT gives you flexibility: pin specific messages or save entire conversations. Here's when to use each:

Pin Pin Individual Messages (Most Common)

Best for: Specific answers, code snippets, explanations, or insights you want to reference.

This is the fastest and most intuitive way to pin:

  1. Go to any ChatGPT conversation
  2. Hover your mouse over a ChatGPT response
  3. A "Pin" button appears in the top-right corner of the message
  4. Click it
  5. A dialog opens asking for:
    • Name (optional but recommended) — A memorable title for quick identification
    • Tags (up to 3) — Categories or topics for organization
  6. Click "Save Pin"

Pin Pin Entire Chats (New!)

Best for: Multi-turn conversations, brainstorming sessions, or when the full context matters.

  1. Look for the "Pin Chat" button in the bottom-right of any ChatGPT conversation
  2. Click it to open the pin dialog
  3. The chat name is auto-filled from the sidebar
  4. Add a description (pre-filled with your first prompt, editable)
  5. Add tags (up to 3) for organization
  6. Click "Pin Chat"

💡 When to Pin Messages vs. Chats

Pin individual messages when:

  • You need a specific code snippet or explanation
  • One answer contains all the value
  • You want to collect multiple answers from different chats

Pin entire chats when:

  • The conversation flow matters (debugging sessions, brainstorming)
  • Multiple messages build on each other
  • You want to revisit the full discussion later
  • The back-and-forth context is important

💡 Pro Tip: Name Your Pins

While names are optional, adding them makes searching 10x easier. Instead of searching through message text, you can type descriptive names like "Python API Error Handler" or "Essay Writing Framework".

Understanding Tags: Your Organization System

Tags are the key to keeping pins organized as your library grows. You can add up to 3 tags per pin.

🤔 Why Only 3 Tags?

The 3-tag limit is intentional design for better organization. With 200+ preset tags available (plus the ability to create custom ones), limiting to 3 forces you to:

  • Think critically about what matters most
  • Avoid tag bloat that makes search less effective
  • Keep UI clean and readable at a glance
  • Use fuzzy search to find tags quickly (type "tst" → finds "test-case")

Research shows 2-3 well-chosen tags are more effective than 5+ generic ones. Quality over quantity!

Here's how to use them effectively:

🏷ī¸ Tag Strategy 1: By Domain

Use broad categories for high-level organization:

  • code — All programming-related pins
  • writing — Content creation, copywriting, essays
  • research — Academic or professional research
  • personal — Personal projects and interests

đŸŽ¯ Tag Strategy 2: By Language/Technology

Perfect for developers managing code snippets:

  • python, javascript, sql
  • react, django, api
  • debugging, optimization, architecture

📚 Tag Strategy 3: By Project

Organize by what you're working on:

  • thesis, startup-idea, blog-redesign
  • client-work, side-project, learning

🎓 Tag Strategy 4: By Type

Categorize by the kind of content:

  • template — Reusable formats and structures
  • example — Reference implementations
  • explanation — Concept breakdowns
  • checklist — Step-by-step processes

✨ Mix and Match

The best tagging system uses a combination. For example:
Pin: "Django User Authentication Code"
Tags: python, django, code

This pin is now findable by language (python), framework (django), and category (code). As your library grows, this multi-dimensional organization becomes invaluable.

Viewing Your Pins

Access and organize your pins with these features:

Method 1: Extension Popup

  1. Click the Pinboard GPT icon in your browser toolbar
  2. A popup opens showing all your pins
  3. Use the filter tabs: All, Chats, or Messages
  4. Use the search bar to filter by name, content, or tags
  5. Click any pin to jump to the original message or chat in ChatGPT

đŸŽ¯ New: Filter by Type

The popup now has three tabs at the top:

  • All — Shows both messages and chats
  • Chats — Only pinned conversations
  • Messages — Only individual message pins

This makes it easy to quickly find a specific type of pin without scrolling through everything.

Method 2: Quick Search

Use the search bar in the popup to instantly filter pins. Search works across:

  • Pin names — The title you gave the pin
  • Chat descriptions — The description you added when pinning a chat
  • Message content — The actual ChatGPT response text
  • Tags — Any tags you've added

Just start typing and pins filter in real-time. No need to press Enter.

Managing Pins: Edit, Delete, Jump

📝 Jump to Original Message

Click the "↗ī¸" (external link) icon on any pin. This opens the original ChatGPT conversation and scrolls directly to the pinned message, which is highlighted for easy identification.

Use case: You saved a code snippet 2 weeks ago. You need to see the full context of the conversation to understand why ChatGPT suggested that approach. One click takes you there.

🗑ī¸ Delete a Pin

Click the trash icon (🗑ī¸) on any pin. You'll be asked to confirm. Deleted pins cannot be recovered, so use this carefully.

ℹī¸ View Full Message

For long messages, the popup shows a preview. Click the info icon (ℹī¸) to see the complete message without leaving the popup.

Best Practices: Building a Useful Library

1. Be Selective

Don't pin everything. Pin messages you'll actually reference again. Good candidates:

  • Code snippets you'll reuse
  • Explanations that finally made something click
  • Templates and frameworks
  • Reference information you look up repeatedly
  • Creative ideas you want to develop further

Bad pins: One-time answers, conversation continuations, overly specific responses that won't apply elsewhere.

2. Name Everything

Future you won't remember what "ChatGPT response about that API thing" refers to. Use descriptive names:

  • ❌ "code" → ✅ "FastAPI CORS Configuration"
  • ❌ "writing tips" → ✅ "Hook Writing Formula for Blog Posts"
  • ❌ "sql" → ✅ "Recursive CTE for Hierarchical Data"

3. Tag Consistently

Decide on a tagging system early and stick to it. Don't use both python and Python — pick one and be consistent. Tags are case-sensitive in search.

4. Review and Clean Up

Once a month, review your pins. Delete outdated ones, improve names on unclear pins, and adjust tags. A clean library is a useful library.

5. Use Pins as Learning Tools

When ChatGPT explains a complex concept well, pin it with tags like learning or reference. Over time, you build a personalized knowledge base tailored to how you think and learn.

⚠ī¸ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Pinning too much — If everything is important, nothing is
  • No tags — Makes search ineffective once you have 50+ pins
  • Vague names — "Helpful response" tells you nothing
  • Never deleting — Old pins clutter your library

Data Management: Export & Import

💾 Exporting Your Pins

To backup or share your pins:

  1. Click the Pinboard GPT icon to open the popup
  2. Click the settings icon (⚙ī¸)
  3. Click "Export Data"
  4. A JSON file downloads with all your pins

Use cases: Backup before reinstalling your browser, share pin collections with team members, move pins between browsers.

đŸ“Ĩ Importing Pins

  1. Open settings (⚙ī¸)
  2. Click "Import Data"
  3. Select your JSON backup file
  4. Pins are added to your existing collection (no duplicates created)

Sync Across Devices

Pinboard GPT supports several sync options depending on your plan:

  • Free: Local storage only (up to 10 pins) — export/import to move data across devices.
  • Pro: Enables Chrome Sync to keep pins in sync across your Chrome browsers (requires signing into Chrome).
  • Premium: Optional cloud sync for seamless cross-browser syncing and larger storage limits.

Choose the plan that fits your workflow. When browser sync is used (Chrome/Firefox), the browser encrypts your data before sending it to the provider's sync servers. Pinboard GPT does not access your synced content unless you enable optional cloud sync.

🔐 Privacy Note

By default, pins remain local on Free tier. When using browser sync or our optional cloud sync, data is protected by encryption — either by the browser provider (Chrome/Firefox) or by our encrypted storage when cloud sync is enabled. We never process or access your data without explicit opt-in.

Quick Tips & Shortcuts

  • Click a tag in any pin to instantly filter by that tag
  • Use the clear button (×) in search to quickly reset filters
  • Toggle dark mode in settings if you prefer light theme
  • Extension popup can be resized by dragging corners (browser-dependent)

What's Next?

Now that you know how to use Pinboard GPT, check out our advanced guide on power user tips, search operators, and workflow optimization.

Ready to Get Started?

Install Pinboard GPT and pin your first message in under 60 seconds.

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