Artificial intelligence is helping businesses in diverse sectors increase productivity, save costs, use resources effectively, and much more. AI-powered tools can perform various tasks autonomously or with minimal human intervention. As a result, human agents have more time to focus on activities requiring creative input.

ChatGPT by OpenAI is an excellent example of an AI tool causing a ripple in different industries, including health care, manufacturing, supplies, finance, and insurance. This AI chatbot is powered by machine learning and deep learning models. ChatGPT can answer questions, provide explanations, and retrieve information. Additionally, ChatGPT can keep track of context, which creates more natural conversational experiences.

While ChatGPT is a powerful standalone tool, using third-party plugins can help you expand its capabilities. With these plugins, you can access more tailored features and customize ChatGPT to fit better in your industry or workflow.

In this article, we cover the top ChatGPT plugins you can use to harness the power of AI more effectively in your workflow.

Image Credit: Supatman / iStock.

Key ChatGPT plugins

A plugin store is a digital marketplace that lets users download plugins that have been developed by third parties. For example, the Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons are both plugin stores where you can access other extensions.

From Zapier to AskYourPDF, here are key ChatGPT plugins you can find on different plugin stores or independent websites.

Image Credit: Dima Berlin/istockphoto.

1. Zapier

Zapier integrates popular apps like Discord, Slack, Microsoft Excel, Clickup, and Facebook Messenger into ChatGPT. By connecting numerous platforms to your workflow, Zapier eliminates the need to constantly switch from ChatGPT to other software. As a result, it saves you time and increases your workflow productivity by allowing you to focus more on the task at hand.

Best for: Connecting third-party apps to a ChatGPT workflow

Features:

• No code is required to set up Zapier
• Allows you to try out premium features for 14 days before committing
• A Free Forever pricing plan with core features
• Saves time by allowing you to install apps quickly
• Has a huge community of users who can provide helpful tips

Pricing:

• Free with limited features
• Starter for $29.99 per month
• Professional for $73.50 per month
• Team for $103.50 per month
• The Company plan is available at a custom quote

Image Credit: Upwork.

2. ChatGPT for Slack

ChatGPT for Slack—or simply “Q”—is a plugin that brings ChatGPT’s core features to Slack. It introduces an AI assistant that helps different teams communicate, collaborate, and streamline their workflows. With this plugin, you can generate PDFs, access channel summaries, search and retrieve online information, read audio and PDF files, and more.

Best for: Enhancing cross-team collaboration

Features:

• Supports multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, French, and Spanish
• Provides pre-set prompts
• Supports condition prompts to support larger text sources
• Accesses ChatGPT directly in Slack chats
• Uses advanced vector similarity search to deliver precise results

Pricing:

• Entry plan for $8 per user per month
• Standard plan for $20 per user per month
• Premium plan for $32 per user per month

Image Credit: Upwork.

3. Link reader

Link Reader can extract and analyze information from specified links. It can parse through web pages, PDFs, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, and other formats. Once installed, you can use Link Reader by declaring specific keywords like analyze, extract, interpret, summarize, and read in ChatGPT.

Best for: Summarizing text at different endpoints

Features:

• Provides detailed responses based on the docs that the links direct to
• Explains complex concepts using simple language
• Translates text in linked docs (except those that are password-protected)

Pricing:

• Link Reader is available for free

Image Credit: Upwork.

4. Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is an advanced plugin that enables ChatGPT to perform real-time data analysis, calculations, computations, and data visualization more accurately. This plugin can be used for chemistry, math, geography, engineering, and astronomy.

Best for: Complex mathematical calculation

Features:

• Easy to set up and use
• Enables ChatGPT to perform more complex math functions
• Supports a wide range of subjects and fields
• Provides a detailed explanation of calculations

Pricing:

• Wolfram ChatGPT plugin is available for free to those with a ChatGPT Plus subscription

Image Credit: Upwork.

5. Canva

The Canva plugin allows you to generate Canva templates directly in ChatGPT. The plugin redirects you to the official Canva app, where you can edit and customize the template. However, the Canva plugin is still in beta and only available to ChatGPT Plus users.

Best for: Generating unique templates and styles

Features:

• Enhances your creativity by providing template ideas
• Access to customizable designs
• Directs to Canva, where you can download generated templates

Pricing:

• Available for free for limited users

Image Credit: Upwork.

6. VoxScript

VoxScript retrieves information such as financial data, YouTube transcripts, and browser search results. It features specific API functions like GetYouTubeVideoData, GetWebsiteData, and GetUSEquityFinancials that fetch tailored information.

Best for: Boosting the information retrieval process

Features:

• Supports multiple data sources
• Facilitates real-time web search
• Works with different search engines, including Bing, Google Search, and DuckDuckGo
• Has specialized functions that provide helpful guidance tips

Pricing:

• VoxScript is currently available for free

Image Credit: Upwork.

7. YouTube Video

ChatGPT for YouTube accesses YouTube videos, analyzes them, and generates summaries of key points, saving time and enhancing productivity. If you like following online tutorials, listening to interviews, or parsing through lecture videos, then ChatGPT for YouTube is for you.

Best for: Summarizing YouTube videos

Features:

• Quickly breaks down videos into concise points
• Allows you to copy generated transcripts
• Does not require a ChatGPT account to work
• The installation file is less than 1 MB, meaning it uses minimal resources

Pricing:

• ChatGPT for YouTube is free to download and offers in-app purchases

Image Credit: Upwork.

8. Instacart

The Instacart plugin for ChatGPT harnesses the large language model’s capabilities to enhance your grocery shopping and meal planning. Users submit queries to receive comprehensive recipes, including a breakdown of the required quantities. Moreover, users can choose to pay and have these ingredients delivered to their homes.

Best for: Transforming the grocery shopping experience

Features:

• Helps you find meal ideas and recipes quickly
• Allows you to add ingredients to your Instacart and have them delivered
• Only triggered when food-related questions are asked—helping to prevent irrelevant content

Pricing:

• ChatGPT Plus users can access the Instacart plugin for free

Image Credit: Upwork.

9. Kayak

Kayak helps you save money and time while traveling by finding cheap flights, affordable accommodation, and pocket-friendly car rental services. The Kayak plugin gives you access to AI functionalities, enabling you to access more personalized information and recommendations.

Best for: Travel planning

Features:

• Allows you to search hotels, flights, and rental cars according to your travel dates
• Filters results based on your budget
• Provides flight insights to help users plan well

Pricing:

• Available for free

Image Credit: Upwork.

10. Prompt Perfect

AI tools like ChatGPT require users to input clear and concise prompts to get desirable outputs. However, creating detailed ChatGPT prompts can be challenging, especially for beginners. Prompt Perfect helps you create high-quality prompts by rephrasing entered inputs into more descriptive commands.

Best for: Improving the quality of prompts

Features:

• Transforms user queries into specific and contextually correct prompts
• Simple to use
• Can improve AI outputs

Pricing:

• Available for free for ChatGPT Plus users

Image Credit: Upwork.

11. AskYourPDF

Analyzing PDF documents and extracting key points manually can take time. AskYourPDF automates this process by quickly parsing provided PDFs and extracting crucial information. To use the plugin, users can specify a link, and the tool will access and scan the PDF at the endpoint and return a comprehensive summary.

Best for: Summarizing PDFs

Features:

• Saves time by scanning through lengthy PDF docs autonomously
• Specifies the page number where certain information was found
• Validates provided URLs, minimizing the risk of failure

Pricing:

• AskYourPDF is available for free

Image Credit: Upwork.

Advanced functionalities and integrations

ChatGPT Plus is a paid subscription plan with advanced functionality and beta features. It’s powered by OpenAI’s more capable large language model, GPT-4. ChatGPT Plus has extra features like multimodal support and better security and compliance measures, and it generates faster responses. Plus, ChatGPT Plus users enjoy uninterrupted use during peak hours.

Upgrading to ChatGPT Plus gives users priority access to new features and product improvements. For instance, OpenAI is still testing ChatGPT plugins, which are only available to ChatGPT Plus users.

Though ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it has its limitations. For instance, ChatGPT may have trouble accessing resources on the internet. As a result, installing a plugin like WebPilot can help enhance its interaction with web pages, allowing users to access more updated information.

Apart from plugins, the OpenAI API supports further customization and integration. Individuals can use the API to fine-tune the GPT model and create new applications tailored for use cases like content creation and SEO.

Image Credit: PonyWang/istockphoto.

How to use ChatGPT plugins effectively

To find the right one that can fit into your daily routines and workflows, consider these tips.

• Identify your needs. You must understand your needs to navigate the plugin store and find the plugin that will help you accomplish your goals.
• Check compatibility. ChatGPT plugins may not support all platforms. Ensure that a desired plugin is compatible with your existing resources and workflow.
• Read reviews. If you’re trying a plugin for the first time, consider reading reviews and comments from other users. This can help you identify potential issues and determine whether the plugin will work for you.
• Consider security and privacy concerns. Some plugins may collect personal or business information. Consider the type of information that the plugin uses and how the data is used.
• Test the plugin. If you’ve found a library that fits your use case, be sure to test it in more detail before implementing it in your workflow.
• Monitor performance. Different factors in the production environment can impact a plugin’s performance. Assess the plugin’s performance regularly to determine if you need an alternative solution.
• Train the team. A ChatGPT plugin can bring immense benefits to your workflow, but your team may need some training to take full advantage of the tool.

Image Credit: Drazen_/istockphoto.

Risks of Using ChatGPT plugins

While ChatGPT plugins can enhance your productivity and creativity, they also come with a fair share of risks. Here are some to watch out for when using ChatGPT plugins:

• Security issues. Some plugins may collect sensitive and confidential information, which can be misused when they fall into the wrong hands. Ensure that any third party that can access your systems uses appropriate security measures.
• Lack of transparency. Some tools may not reveal the kind of data they are collecting and how they’re using it.
• Hacking. Third-party plugins could introduce vulnerabilities into existing platforms. You’ll need to stay vigilant and monitor the plugin’s logs for suspicious activities.
• Performance issues. Some plugins can reduce ChatGPT’s response time, which may impact your productivity.

Users who are considering ChatGPT plugins also need to keep in mind OpenAI’s disclaimer regarding confidential, sensitive, or proprietary information. Users are advised against sharing this information with ChatGPT and similar large language models because any information that the chatbot processes could be used in the development and training of its next model.

In terms of data privacy, using a plugin that asks ChatGPT to process information is effectively the same as entering that information directly into the OpenAI website. If there is information you wouldn’t put directly into the ChatGPT interface, then you shouldn’t give that information to a plugin that will ask ChatGPT to process it.

Image Credit: filadendron/istockphoto.

Emerging trends and future prospects

AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Midjourney can help you increase efficiency, cut costs, eliminate repetitive tasks, and even access personalized content. In the latest news and trends, more people are embracing AI and using it actively in their work.

Generative AI tools and large language models are being fine-tuned to help streamline workflows in more and more industries.. Consider experimenting with AI and ChatGPT add-ons to find where they can fit in your workflow.

AI requires a particular set of technical skills that can take time to master. Work with ChatGPT specialists help you harness the power of AI.

And if you’re an expert looking for work, start your search for different ChatGPT-related projects.

This article originally appeared on Upwork.com Resource Center (Upwork is a company that helps businesses find talent and people find work) and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org. 

Image Credit: Elena Katkova/istockphoto.

More from MediaFeed

25 Digital Side Hustles for Anyone Looking to Make Some Extra Cash

Image Credit: pixdeluxe/istockphoto.