New/Refined Feature: Visual Conversation Tree

Feature Suggestion: Visual Conversation Tree for Better Navigation

I’ve noticed something while using ChatGPT that I think could really improve the experience—not just for me, but for anyone who uses the tool for in-depth discussions or problem-solving.

When I ask a question and later explore tangents or subquestions, I often lose track of the original context. Sure, I can scroll back, but it gets messy quickly. And while the ability to edit a message and revisit the earlier context is useful, it feels like there’s untapped potential here.

What if ChatGPT had a visual conversation tree? Here’s how I imagine it working:

  1. Branching from Nodes: Anytime you go back to a previous point in the conversation and ask a new question, it creates a branch in the tree. This way, you can explore alternative paths while keeping the original intact.
  2. Named Nodes: Each node in the tree could automatically use a meaningful title based on the main idea of the question (e.g., key words from the question). This would make it easier to identify and navigate.
  3. Search Functionality: A search bar to find specific nodes or branches by keywords would be super helpful, especially for long conversations.
  4. Collapse and Expand: You could collapse irrelevant branches and focus on what’s important, or expand them when needed.

Why is this important?

  • For me, and I imagine for many others, managing complex discussions would become way easier. Whether you’re debugging code, brainstorming ideas, or learning step-by-step, this feature would let you explore freely without losing the thread of the main conversation.
  • It would also save time by removing the need to scroll endlessly to find where a certain tangent began.

I feel like this would make ChatGPT even better than it already is, as it would be a great quality of life feature.
What do you all think? Does anyone else feel like they’d use a feature like this?