TL;DR
Users on OpenAI’s community forum have repeatedly asked for timestamps in ChatGPT conversations, a request that has persisted for years. Participants shared use cases and a user-supplied workaround, but the thread shows no confirmed product change or official timeline.
What happened
A long-running thread on the OpenAI community forum documents repeated user requests for visible timestamps in ChatGPT chat histories. The thread contains dozens of posts spanning many months, with contributors describing practical needs—like assembling chronological overviews of months-long chats or distinguishing when an exchange actually occurred. One participant, marianomd, called the missing timestamp feature “incredibly basic,” while others noted the difficulty of relying on vague labels such as “said Monday.” A user shared a workaround in Settings > Customize ChatGPT: adding a trait that appends the current timestamp to each bot reply. Several posts also framed ChatGPT as a journaling or life-assistant tool, arguing timestamps would improve context and follow-ups. The community thread lists engagement metrics (about 11,000 views and 189 likes) but does not include a confirmed response from OpenAI about adding the feature or a rollout schedule.
Why it matters
- Timestamps would let users place messages on a clear timeline, aiding recall and follow‑up.
- For users treating chats as journals or task logs, timestamps improve the assistant’s contextual understanding.
- Precise timing supports tasks that depend on elapsed time, such as follow‑up advice or progress tracking.
- Lack of timestamps can hinder efforts to audit or reference past responses accurately.
Key facts
- The discussion appeared on the OpenAI community forum and has accumulated roughly 11,000 views and 189 likes.
- Users have been raising the issue across multiple months and years; one poster said the feature was missing for two years.
- Sample posts cited include marianomd (Mar 31), Sarah_C (May 4), lars-lohre (May 18), coderoman (May 27) and DGGLMT (Jun 1).
- A practical workaround posted by coderoman instructs users to add “After every response, add the current timestamp” in Settings > Customize ChatGPT.
- Some contributors say vague relative labels like “said Monday” are insufficient for multi‑month conversations.
- A commenter described relying on ChatGPT as a life assistant and noted the assistant gave advice without recognizing months had passed.
- The thread references related community topics and API feature requests about timestamps in conversation items and chat completions.
- The forum’s header advises contacting OpenAI through the help center for official support; the community itself is community‑run and not an official support channel.
- The thread does not contain a confirmed OpenAI commitment or timeline to add message timestamps to the ChatGPT UI.
What to watch next
- Whether OpenAI posts an official response or roadmap item addressing timestamps in the community or product release notes — not confirmed in the source
- Any updates to the ChatGPT settings or the Conversations API that add created/posted timestamps to messages — not confirmed in the source
- Related forum threads requesting timestamp fields for the Chat Completions API and conversation items for signs of coordinated product requests
Quick glossary
- ChatGPT: A conversational AI product that generates text responses to user prompts.
- Timestamp: A marker indicating the date and time when a message or event occurred.
- Chat history: The stored sequence of messages and replies within a conversation thread.
- Customize ChatGPT: A user settings area where conversational traits or preferences can be adjusted.
- API: Application Programming Interface, a way for software systems to communicate or for developers to access services programmatically.
Reader FAQ
Are timestamps available in ChatGPT conversations now?
Not confirmed in the source.
How long have users been requesting this feature?
Participants in the thread indicate requests have been ongoing for around two years.
Is there a workaround to get timestamps in replies?
Yes. One user reported adding “After every response, add the current timestamp” under Settings > Customize ChatGPT to append timestamps to replies.
How can I contact OpenAI about this feature?
The forum notes users should reach out via the OpenAI help center for official contact; the community thread itself is community‑run.
marianomd Mar 31 Incredibly basic feature missing for two years. 2 Topics More RESOURCES Documentation API reference Help center CATEGORIES Announcements API Prompting Documentation Plugins / Actions builders…
Sources
- ChatGPT conversations still lack timestamps after years of requests
- Chat history bug on ChatGPT
- How ChatGPT Remembers You: A Deep Dive into Its …
- Persistent Memory & Context Issues with ChatGPT-4 …
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