When a task produces a file, give ChatGPT the source data, expected file type, structure, and review criteria that matter for the task. The preview and review tools depend on the surface you use.
The ChatGPT desktop app previews generated documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and PDF files alongside the chat. When automatic previews are enabled, the app can open a generated file after a task finishes.
When HTML previews are available, generated .html and .htm files can also
open as interactive previews. Switch between the rendered preview and source
view to inspect the output or its underlying HTML.
Use annotations to point at a specific part of a supported preview and request a focused revision.
In ChatGPT Work on the web, attach source files or ask ChatGPT to create a document, presentation, spreadsheet, or PDF. Review the generated file in the chat, download it when needed, and give targeted feedback for the next version.
Codex CLI can create and edit files in the working directory, but it doesn’t include a visual file preview or annotation interface. Ask Codex to report each output path and the checks it ran.
The IDE extension can create and edit files in the workspace. Review text and code files in the editor, and open documents, presentations, spreadsheets, or PDF files in a compatible viewer.
Create files for review
For spreadsheets and presentations, describe the sheets, columns, charts, slide sections, and checks you expect. Ask ChatGPT to explain where it saved the output and how it checked the result.
Refine files with annotations
Annotations let you point to a specific part of a file and tell ChatGPT what to change. The same annotation workflow available for code, Markdown files, and websites also works with documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
For example, you can:
- Select a navigation bar on a website and ask ChatGPT to change its font.
- Highlight a claim in an investment thesis and ask for its source.
- Mark a chart on a slide and request a clearer label.
ChatGPT uses the selected area as context for your request, so you can refine the file without starting over or changing the parts you already like. Annotations are particularly useful after the first draft, when the work needs review and iteration.
Review and refine files on the web
Open or download the generated file to review it in the appropriate viewer. When you request a revision, name the page, slide, sheet, table, or passage that needs attention and describe what should stay unchanged. Ask ChatGPT to report the new file name and the checks it performed before you download the next version.
Review and refine files
Use the chat sidebar while a task runs. It can surface the agent’s plan, sources, generated files, and chat summary so you can steer the work, inspect generated files, and request another pass.
Ask ChatGPT to explain where it saved each file and how it verified the result. Use the preview to inspect the output, then give focused feedback about the structure, data, layout, or validation that needs another pass.