Summary:
I’m reporting a critical issue related to large conversation handling in ChatGPT.
As of April 2025, there appears to be no direct way to submit a bug report through the UI, so I am posting here.
Issue Description:
When a conversation in ChatGPT reaches its maximum allowable size — especially chats containing deep thematic discussions, embedded images, and charts — critical problems occur:
- Several days’ worth of conversation disappears after leaving and reloading the chat.
- The conversation can no longer be linked to a project after hitting the limit.
- An error is shown once maximum size is reached, but no early warning is provided before reaching the limit.
- Data loss occurs after a browser reload, not immediately.
Observed during the course of a long-running D&D worldbuilding conversation containing detailed lore, images, and structured data.
Severity:
Severity 1 – Critical Data Loss
Reproduction Steps:
- Create a large, complex conversation (text-heavy with images and tables).
- Continue adding content until the conversation hits maximum size.
- At maximum size, an error message will display stating that no further conversation can be added.
- Exit and later reload the conversation.
- Notice that multiple days’ worth of prior conversation is missing.
- Attempt to add the conversation to a project — it fails.
Observed Results:
- Silent deletion of prior conversation content after browser reload.
- Conversation cannot be added to projects after hitting max size.
- Newly added content becomes possible after the loss — suggesting freed storage space.
Expected Results:
- Proactive early warning when nearing the maximum chat size.
- No loss of existing conversation content without explicit confirmation.
- Ability to add large conversations to projects (or at minimum, ability to export them safely).
- Reliable, non-destructive handling of maximum size limits.
Impact:
- Data Loss: Several days of detailed project work permanently lost.
- Workflow Disruption: Severely impacts long-term projects like collaborative writing, RPG campaign development, and research discussions.
- Reduced User Trust: Users risk losing valuable content without warning.
Reproduction Rate:
Approximately 1 in 2 instances when maximum size is reached.
Environment:
- ChatGPT Version: GPT-4o
- Platform: Web (Desktop)
- Browser: Chrome 135.0.0.0
- OS: Mac OS X 10.15.7
- Dark Mode: Enabled
- Account Type: ChatGPT Plus
- Timezone: US -0600
Additional Notes:
- The “Help” (?) button only links to FAQs now — no “send us a message” option currently available.
- No official bug reporting mechanism currently exists in the ChatGPT web interface.
- “Thumbs down” feedback appears to be the only direct reporting option from within ChatGPT at this time.
My Background:
I am a professional Quality Assurance Manager with over 30 years of experience in software testing, including working at companies such as Microsoft and Apple.
I would be happy to assist further, provide additional diagnostic information, or reproduce the issue if needed.
Suggested Improvements:
- Add a proactive early warning before users hit maximum conversation size.
- Implement a safe archiving/splitting system for large conversations.
- Allow conversations at maximum size to still be linked to projects.
- Provide a temporary recovery window if data loss occurs after size limit is reached.
Request to OpenAI Team:
Please escalate this internally, as this constitutes critical data loss and represents a significant risk to long-term project work done through ChatGPT.
Thank you for your attention to this.
(edited to add a workaround section)
Mitigations / Workarounds
- Manual Early Warning: I implemented a workaround where the assistant provides an alert when approaching large conversation sizes, allowing me to proactively move the discussion to a new thread and/or export history.
- Export Before Reaching Limit: Manually exporting conversations before suspected limits is currently the only reliable way to mitigate loss.