Last updated:
Quick answer
Open the memory list and review it monthly. Delete anything outdated, rewrite facts that changed with a date, and keep task details out of memory entirely. Deleting a memory does not remove it from old chats, so start a fresh chat after cleaning up.
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At a glance
All outcome figures are estimates from cited sources, not independent verification by us.
- What it is allowed to do
- Read-only
Only reads, researches, or summarizes. It never drafts outbound content or changes anything.
- Time saved (estimate)
- About 15 minutes a month.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Tools needed
- ChatGPT, Claude, Grok Bot
- Typical cost
- Prices: Not stated in sources.
Reviewed Nov 2, 2026
Basis (estimate): Estimate only: based on the steps above, not timed.
What does this setup do?
Review your AI agent's long-term memory monthly, delete stale facts, date the ones you keep, and stop task details from leaking into new work.
Who is it for?
Anyone whose AI assistant or agent keeps using an old price, an old rule or details from a past job.
How do you set it up?
Tools
- Your assistant's memory settings
- A short list of current facts: prices, policies, contacts
- A monthly reminder
Steps
- Open the memory list. In ChatGPT it is Settings, then Personalization, then Manage memories; other tools have a similar page or a memory file.
- Copy the list into the prompt below and get it sorted into keep, update and delete.
- Delete stale entries. OpenAI says deleting a saved memory stops it being used, but does not remove it from past chats, so delete or archive old chats that repeat the stale fact.
- Rewrite facts that changed with a date, for example: 'As of Nov 2026, call-out fee is $95.'
- Keep one-off task details, such as a client's job notes, in that task's project or file, not in memory.
- Start a fresh chat after the cleanup, and repeat monthly.
Example output
Illustrative. Your results will differ.
- DELETE: 'Call-out fee is $75' (current fact says $95)
- UPDATE: 'As of Nov 2026, Saturday hours are 9 to 1'
- DELETE: 'Smith job needs 40 ft of gutter' (one-off task detail)
Where to paste this prompt
ChatGPT → Project instructions, or ChatGPT Tasks for scheduled reminders (once a day on Free)
Copy-paste prompt
Adapt bracketed fields to your situation.
Here is my AI assistant's memory list and my current facts. Use only what I paste.
Memory list: [PASTE]
Current facts (prices, policies, contacts, preferences): [PASTE]
Sort every memory into:
- KEEP: still true
- UPDATE: changed; write the new version with today's date
- DELETE: outdated, a one-off task detail, or a duplicate
Give a one-line reason for each. Flag any memory that contradicts my current facts.Newsletter
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What usually goes wrong?
Where agents tend to stall on this job. More patterns in Where AI gets stuck.
- Turning memory off and assuming that deleted everything; it does not.
- Keeping two versions of the same price.
- Saving client details in memory where they leak into other work.
Which chat tools work with this prompt?
Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Grok Bot
Common questions
- Why does my AI keep using old information?
- Stale facts in its long-term memory, or old chats and files that repeat them. Clean the memory list and the old sources.
- Does turning memory off delete it?
- OpenAI says turning saved memory off does not delete what is already stored. Delete entries directly.
- How often should I clean it up?
- Monthly, and whenever a price or policy changes.
What tips make it smoother?
- Dated facts make stale ones obvious next month.
- Memory is for lasting preferences and facts, not job details.
- If something keeps coming back, check old chats and files that repeat it.
Where do the claims come from?
Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.
- Read OpenAI’s write-up (help.openai.com)
OpenAI: Memory FAQ: delete saved memories one at a time or all at once in Settings, Personalization, Manage memories; deleting a memory does not remove it from past chats; turning memory off does not delete what is stored (read 2026-11-02 from a search result summary of the page)
Related setups
- Fix wrong answers from your own documents
Find out why your AI gives the wrong policy even though the right document is in its files, fix the files and instructions, and re-test with known answers.
- How to give your AI bot a long-term memory with an Obsidian vault
Replace fuzzy in-chat “memory” with inspectable Markdown files: the bot appends a daily note and decision log to a Git-backed vault; you review in Obsidian; a weekly routine sorts an Inbox folder into PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive).