Feature Request: Branching Conversation View for Complex Multi-Threaded Dialogues

ChatGPT Feature requests
1

title: “Feature Request: Branching Conversation Interface”
author: PolymathExplorer (with ChatGPT Collaboration)
date: 2025-04-19
category: Feature Request
platforms: [ChatGPT Web UI, OpenAI Forum, GitHub Discussions]
status: Draft

:brain: Feature Request: Branching Conversation Interface for Enhanced Dialogue Navigation

Summary

Introduce a branching conversation interface within the ChatGPT environment that allows users to create, name, and navigate conversation branches—distinct threads stemming from a single message or topic—enabling deeper inquiry, clarity, and organized exploration of complex ideas.

:compass: Problem Statement

Currently, conversations in ChatGPT follow a linear format, which can become cumbersome and limiting for users engaging in:

  • Deep philosophical or technical discussions
  • Multi-layered creative projects
  • Debugging sessions with nested issues
  • Exploratory learning involving tangents or forks in logic

As dialogue deepens, referencing earlier parts becomes difficult, and the lack of branching makes users either:

  • Duplicate prompts in a new chat,
  • Lose context by changing direction mid-thread,
  • Or manually track threads using external tools.

:herb: Proposed Solution: A Branching Conversation Interface

Introduce a visual and functional tree-like interface that:

:seedling: Core Features

  • Allows the user to start a branch from any message.
  • Supports naming branches (e.g., “Clarification → Symbolism” or “Alt. Path → Technical Fix”).
  • Enables easy navigation between the main thread and sub-branches.
  • Displays a conversation map for context-aware switching.
  • Maintains full context within each branch.

:framed_picture: Visual Mock-Up

A concept illustration is embedded below (base64 encoded for portability):

<img src="data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAABAAAAAQACAIAAADwf7zUAAEAAElEQVR4nFz9XbOtTXIchmVWr3cAmKIJUJRoEJBN0GGHFbrw//8xjnDQIdpBkQyJBDyYmdWZvsis3oeewQzeOWfvtZ6P7qrMrKxq/vW/+tdDwhJIErZJGKABwpixLjkijm3SIGUTMEkYhkEMKIC2MEPZkGcIUjBsmiRtcGAbIAnBYxs0BJxh/hljC0PkWmibMAAZhzDyv8x8kcEhZMDkmIBsggQwBGwTAGnJQ1jOpQEmAOf/5V/5xqGvQYMD..." alt="Conversation Interface Mockup" width="600" />

:sparkles: Benefits

  • Encourages exploratory, non-linear thinking
  • Improves focus and organization in complex sessions
  • Enhances educational, philosophical, and project-based workflows
  • Allows for post-session review of thinking paths and decisions

:blue_book: Example Use Cases

  1. Philosophical Deep Dive

    • Main topic: Consciousness
    • Branch: Eastern perspectives
    • Branch: Neurobiological approach
    • Branch: Simulation theory

  2. Coding Problem

    • Main thread: Bug report
    • Branch: Quick fix
    • Branch: Alternative refactor
    • Branch: What if X?

  3. Creative Brainstorming

    • Story idea mainline
    • Side characters development
    • Theme exploration
    • Symbolism expansion

:toolbox: Optional Enhancements

  • Branch collapsing and tagging
  • Drag-and-drop reordering
  • Exportable conversation maps as mind maps or outlines

:folded_hands: Closing Note

This feature would fundamentally enhance the user experience, enabling polymathic thinkers, researchers, creatives, and engineers alike to more fully realize the potential of ChatGPT as a true thinking companion.

It embodies the spirit of clarity, exploration, and coherence in dialogue.

2 Likes
2

yeah, would be nice, current message edit is not that easy to scroll and jump between, creating new chat about side thing may loose earlier context, and too many new chats in left side menu is not nice either, hard to find the ones that are used most often

1 Like
3

This would be amazing! Especially considering what occurred with the Project Memory update. Now that a specific GPT can see the rest of a Project (given you haven’t bloated it too much), it can reference all of them for creative projects. My current issue is that GPT cannot reference anything under a non-active branch. It’s theoretically possible to write a scraper to auto-expand each edited prompt, but it would be extremely difficult considering what the HTML indicators are at present (doesn’t differentiate between edited versions because they are only shown within further embedded class divisions of the active page). I’m trying to take all of the worldbuilding, character construction, and scene writing I’ve done and make a cohesive timeline and put everything in a driver folder. I can’t do that at present without manually going through this HUGE project with over 20 chats that all have branches because I get off topic easily.

So yeah, this would be a lovely feature