FREE · CHECKLIST
By Abi Odedeyi · CodeFreeIQ
5 things never to paste into ChatGPT or Claude
Most people get the fifth one wrong, because it doesn't belong to them.
By Abi Odedeyi · CodeFreeIQ💳
Know the five
Card details, ID numbers, named customer files, NDA material, other people's data.
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Strip before you paste
It doesn't need to know who anyone is to do the work.
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Share it with the team
Put it where whoever does your admin can see it.
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The five, written out
1. CARD AND BANK DETAILS. Obvious, and it still happens in a rush: a screenshot of a payment page, a pasted invoice with the account number on it. Cut the numbers out before anything goes in.
2. NATIONAL INSURANCE OR PASSPORT DETAILS. Yours or anyone else's. If a form needs checking, type the question about the form, not the form.
3. YOUR FULL CUSTOMER FILE WITH THE NAMES ATTACHED. Strip the names first and replace them with references like C-118. It doesn't need to know who anyone is to find the pattern.
4. ANYTHING UNDER AN NDA. If you signed something saying you would not share it, an AI tool is not the place to put it. Describe the problem in general terms instead.
5. OTHER PEOPLE'S PERSONAL DATA. Your client's address. Your employee's sick notes. The supplier contract with their mobile number on it. It's not yours to hand over.
Why number five is the one to watch: the first four are your own risk. The fifth is someone else's information, and handling it carelessly can breach UK GDPR, which the ICO can fine for. That is a real cost, not a theoretical one.
What to paste instead
Before I paste this, replace every name, address, phone number, email and account number with a placeholder like [CLIENT 1] or [ADDRESS]. Then answer my question using the placeholders only.
Better still, do the stripping yourself before it goes in. The placeholder prompt is for when the text is long and you want a second pass, not a reason to paste the original.