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Before uploading unpublished writing, turn off model-improvement or training, use Temporary or Incognito mode for sensitive excerpts, disable persistent activity where it controls review, choose the shortest practical auto-delete period, and plan to delete chats and files after the session. Then check memory, feedback, shared links, connected apps, human-review terms, and the policy for your exact plan.
These controls reduce exposure; they do not automatically create contractual confidentiality or guarantee immediate deletion. Consumer, business, education, API, and Microsoft 365 products can apply different rules, so confirm the product edition before sending a complete manuscript.
Use this pre-upload checklist
Complete these checks before selecting a file or pasting a chapter. Settings names and defaults can change by vendor, app version, region, and subscription.
- Identify the exact product and account. Confirm whether you are using a consumer app, a business or education workspace, an API, or a Microsoft 365 edition. Do not assume a setting from one edition applies to another.
- Disable model improvement or training. Look for a control named Improve the model, Model Improvement, Help improve, Product Improvement and Training, Training on conversation activity, or a similar phrase.
- Choose Temporary, Incognito, or an equivalent session mode. Use it for one-off excerpts when the vendor documents what the mode changes.
- Turn off persistent activity and set auto-delete. Disable the account activity control that stores prompts and uploads for later use, then select the shortest retention period available.
- Review secondary data paths. Check Memory, saved activity, feedback, shared links, connected applications, telemetry, and writing statistics separately from chat history.
- Read human-review and safety language. Opting out of training is not always an opt-out from safety, abuse, support, or quality review.
- Minimize the material. Upload the smallest excerpt that answers your editing question, and remove names, addresses, contract text, and identifying details.
- Delete and verify. Remove the conversation and uploaded file after review, then confirm that activity history and auto-delete settings are still configured as intended.
What each privacy control actually changes
Training or model-improvement opt-out
This setting tells the service not to use eligible future content to improve its models under that product’s policy. It is not a deletion command. Existing chats, backups, files, logs, or copies already selected for another purpose may follow separate retention rules. Opt-outs are generally prospective; do not describe one as retroactive unless the vendor explicitly says so.
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Temporary or Incognito mode
A temporary mode is designed for a session that should not become normal account history. For example, OpenAI says ChatGPT Temporary Chats do not appear in history, do not create memories, and are not used to improve models while temporary. Anthropic says Claude Incognito chats are not used to improve Claude. Those statements do not establish that every copy disappears immediately, nor do they make all vendors’ temporary modes equivalent. Read the product’s retention and safety-review wording.
Activity history and auto-delete
Activity controls govern whether prompts, responses, and uploads remain in an account history or are automatically removed after a chosen period. A short auto-delete period limits routine retention, but it may not cover backups, legal holds, human-review copies, exported files, or data stored by a connected service. Delete the item yourself when the review is complete.
Memory
Memory can store facts inferred from a conversation for use in later chats. Turning off model training does not necessarily clear memories that already exist. Review the memory list, remove manuscript-related entries, and disable memory for the account or workspace if you do not need it.
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Thumbs-up and thumbs-down controls can create a separate data path. OpenAI says the entire conversation associated with feedback may be used for improvement even after you have opted out of model improvement. Avoid feedback on a confidential conversation unless you have confirmed the applicable policy.
Shared links and connected apps
A shared conversation link can expose the text to anyone who obtains the link, depending on the service. Connected drives, calendars, browsers, plug-ins, and other applications may retain or process the same file under their own terms. Revoke unused connections and do not authorize an integration merely to make uploading easier.
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Human review
Human access and model training are different questions. A service may exclude your content from training while allowing limited review for safety, abuse prevention, support, or quality. Read the human-review section for the exact product and plan before uploading material covered by an NDA.
Settings for major AI review tools
The following paths reflect the documented consumer controls and product distinctions. Web, desktop, and mobile labels can differ, so use the closest current label shown in your account.
| Tool or edition | Setting to change | What the vendor states | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT consumer | Settings → Data Controls → turn off Improve the model for everyone; use Temporary Chat for a sensitive excerpt. | Temporary Chats do not appear in history, do not create memories, and are not used to improve models while temporary. | Do not submit thumbs-up/down feedback on a confidential conversation; OpenAI says the entire associated conversation may then be used for improvement. Review Memory, shared links, connected apps, and delete the chat and file. |
| Claude consumer | Settings → Privacy → disable Model Improvement or Help improve Claude; use Incognito for especially sensitive excerpts. | Anthropic says Incognito chats are not used to improve Claude. | Conversations flagged for safety review may be analyzed to improve detection and enforce the Usage Policy. Delete the chat and review account-retention choices. |
| Gemini consumer | Open Gemini Apps Activity in your Google Account; turn off the setting that permits activity to improve Google AI and choose the shortest practical auto-delete period. | Saved activity can be reviewed by humans. Gemini Notebook source files are not used directly to train generative AI models. | Notebook source-file treatment should not be assumed for ordinary Gemini uploads. Web & App Activity, Location History, and other Google services have separate controls. Delete existing activity and uploaded files. |
| Microsoft Copilot consumer | Profile → Settings/Privacy → disable Training on conversation activity and Training on voice conversations. | Microsoft says opting out excludes future conversations from training. | An opt-out of human review is not available for some consumer experiences. Labels vary across web, desktop, and mobile. Delete activity history and uploaded files through Microsoft account privacy controls. |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot for home | Use the Microsoft 365 Copilot privacy documentation for this edition rather than the consumer Copilot switch. | Separate documentation states that prompts, responses, and file contents are not used to train foundation models. | This is a different product boundary from consumer Copilot; verify that your account and upload path are actually Microsoft 365 Copilot for home. |
| Grammarly | Open account privacy settings and disable Product Improvement and Training when the control is available. | Grammarly says the control covers content, including Grammarly Go content, used to train models and improve the product. | Grammarly may still collect non-content writing statistics such as words written, suggestions accepted, and mistakes made. |
| ProWritingAid | Review the current privacy policy for the account and plan before uploading. | The policy says submitted texts and their improvements are deleted after grammar checking is completed and are not used to improve service quality. | This is a vendor-specific policy statement, not a universal rule for every plan or feature. Confirm that the current policy still applies to your workflow. |
ChatGPT: a safe setup for a one-off manuscript excerpt
Change Data Controls
- Open ChatGPT and select your profile menu.
- Choose Settings, then Data Controls.
- Turn off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI describes the alternative as opting out under Settings → Data controls, or selecting Do not train on my content in its Privacy Portal.
- Do not rely on this switch to erase existing conversations. Continue with deletion and memory checks after the review.
Use Temporary Chat
Start a new Temporary Chat before pasting or attaching the excerpt. This keeps the conversation out of normal history, does not create memories, and is not used to improve models while temporary, according to OpenAI’s description. Keep the excerpt narrow: a scene, paragraph, or list of issues is safer than a full novel when the full text is not needed.
Avoid feedback and inspect related controls
Do not rate the confidential exchange with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. OpenAI says the full conversation associated with feedback may be used for improvement even if you opted out. Review the account’s Memory settings, remove any manuscript-related memory, inspect shared links, and disconnect applications that can read or copy the chat.
Delete after the review
Delete the conversation and uploaded file when you have exported the comments you need. Then revisit Data Controls and Memory to verify that the settings remain disabled and no shared link or connected-app copy was created.
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Claude: disable improvement and use Incognito for sensitive passages
Turn off Model Improvement
- Open Claude’s account menu.
- Select Settings, then Privacy.
- Disable Model Improvement or Help improve Claude, depending on the label shown.
Choose Incognito for the excerpt
Use Incognito when the passage is especially sensitive. Anthropic says Incognito chats are not used to improve Claude. That statement does not remove the need to check retention or delete the chat.
Account for safety review
Anthropic says conversations flagged for safety review may be analyzed to improve detection and enforce its Usage Policy. Do not treat the model-improvement switch as a promise that no employee or contractor can ever see the text. If your manuscript includes material that could trigger automated safety systems, consider whether a consumer upload is appropriate at all.
Clean up
Delete the chat after saving only the editorial notes you need, then review account retention choices. Check that the conversation is not available through a shared link or an authorized integration.
Gemini: separate Gemini Apps Activity from other Google history
Change the Gemini activity control
- Open your Google Account and go to Gemini Apps Activity.
- Turn off the setting that permits activity to improve Google AI.
- Set the shortest practical auto-delete period.
- Delete existing Gemini activity and uploaded files after the review.
Google’s controls for Web & App Activity, Location History, and other services are separate. Changing one does not automatically change the others.
Understand human review
Google says saved activity can be reviewed by humans. Therefore, disabling the activity setting is not the same as guaranteeing zero human access to every copy already retained. Check the exact retention and review language shown for your account.
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Do not generalize Notebook protections
Google says Gemini Notebook source files are not used directly to train generative AI models. That statement concerns Notebook source files; it should not be extended to ordinary Gemini uploads without documentation for that feature. Verify which Gemini product is receiving the manuscript.
Microsoft Copilot: distinguish consumer Copilot from Microsoft 365 Copilot
Consumer Copilot
- Open your profile menu.
- Choose Settings or Privacy.
- Turn off Training on conversation activity.
- Turn off Training on voice conversations if it is shown.
- Use Microsoft account privacy controls to delete activity history and uploaded files.
Microsoft says opting out excludes future conversations from training. The control names and location can vary across web, desktop, and mobile. Microsoft also says an opt-out of human review is not available for some consumer experiences, so do not promise that a consumer switch blocks all human access.
Microsoft 365 Copilot for home
Microsoft 365 Copilot for home has separate documentation stating that prompts, responses, and file contents are not used to train foundation models. Confirm the product name in your account before relying on that statement; consumer Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot for home are not interchangeable labels.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Grammarly and ProWritingAid: check content controls and residual statistics
Grammarly
Open account privacy settings and disable Product Improvement and Training when that control is available. Grammarly says it covers content, including Grammarly Go content, used to train models and improve the product. The setting does not necessarily stop collection of non-content writing statistics, such as words written, suggestions accepted, and mistakes made. If those statistics reveal commercially sensitive activity, assess that collection separately.
ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid’s privacy policy states that, for grammar checking, submitted texts and their improvements are deleted once checking is complete and are not used to improve service quality. Treat this as a policy claim for the applicable plan and feature, not as proof that every product mode has identical handling. Re-check the current policy before sending a complete manuscript, and delete the account-side record if the interface provides one.
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Reduce what you upload
Privacy settings work best when the input itself is limited. Use the smallest sample that can answer your editorial question.
- Replace real names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, customer identifiers, and unpublished product names with neutral labels.
- Remove contracts, client instructions, legal advice, medical details, passwords, API keys, and hidden comments from document properties.
- Strip tracked changes, revision history, author metadata, and embedded images that are not needed for the review.
- Ask for one task at a time, such as identifying continuity errors in a chapter, rather than uploading the entire project archive.
- Keep a local copy of the original and a separate copy of the redacted excerpt so you can reconstruct what was submitted.
A complete upload-and-delete workflow
Before opening the tool
- Classify the manuscript: ordinary personal writing, commercially confidential work, client-owned material, or material covered by an NDA.
- Confirm that your agreement, employer, publisher, school, or client permits a third-party AI upload.
- Identify the exact vendor edition and account type.
- Disable training or product-improvement use, choose Temporary or Incognito mode where documented, and set auto-delete.
- Turn off or clear Memory, persistent activity, and unnecessary connected apps.
During the review
- Upload only a redacted excerpt or a chapter required for the question.
- Do not use feedback buttons on confidential conversations.
- Do not create a shared link or connect a storage service unless the extra data path is necessary and approved.
- Record the tool, date, account, file name, and settings used so you can audit the submission later.
After receiving comments
- Copy the useful editorial notes to your local project.
- Delete the conversation and uploaded file in the tool.
- Delete associated activity history or files in the account privacy dashboard.
- Remove any saved memory, shared link, export, or connected-app permission created during the session.
- Check the auto-delete setting and confirm that the account is still opted out of training.
Common mistakes and how to correct them
Only turning off training
Why it fails: Training status does not determine chat history, memory, human review, or file retention. Correction: pair the opt-out with temporary mode, auto-delete, manual deletion, and a check of secondary data paths.
Assuming temporary means instantly destroyed
Why it fails: vendors define temporary and Incognito modes differently, and a mode may still have safety or operational retention. Correction: read the mode’s retention language and delete the session when finished.
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Why it fails: it exposes more original expression and personal data than the task requires. Correction: submit a redacted passage with a precise prompt.
Confusing consumer and business protections
Why it fails: plans can differ in training defaults, retention, human review, contractual terms, and administrative controls. Correction: verify the edition and use an approved workspace when your organization requires contractual confidentiality.
Forgetting feedback, memory, or integrations
Why it fails: these features can create separate copies or uses of the conversation. Correction: avoid feedback, clear memory, revoke links, and disconnect apps after the session.
Believing deletion is retroactive
Why it fails: deleting a visible chat may not instantly remove backups, safety-review records, or copies exported elsewhere. Correction: ask the vendor what deletion covers and how long each category is retained; do not promise more than the policy states.
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Questions to answer before a full-manuscript upload
- Is model improvement on by default, opt-in, opt-out, or unavailable for this exact plan?
- Does the training choice apply to future uploads only, or does the vendor document any retroactive treatment?
- How long are chats, uploaded files, backups, and human-review copies retained?
- Can employees or contractors review content for safety, abuse, support, or quality?
- Does deleting a chat also delete its file, extracted text, embeddings, exports, and reviewed copies?
- Are Memory, feedback, telemetry, writing statistics, shared links, and connected-app data controlled separately?
- Are consumer, business, education, API, and Microsoft 365 versions governed by different terms?
- Does the vendor provide an administrative or contractual confidentiality commitment required by your publisher, employer, or client?
Bottom line for unpublished writing
Use a layered approach: opt out of training, select Temporary or Incognito mode, minimize and redact the excerpt, disable persistent activity and memory, avoid feedback and sharing, check human-review language, and delete the chat and file afterward. If the manuscript is under an NDA or has significant commercial value, consumer privacy switches alone are not a substitute for a product and contract whose confidentiality terms you have verified.
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