For ChatGPT Work on Mac

An undo button for files edited by ChatGPT Work.

CoworkRestore quietly saves versions of the local folders you give to ChatGPT Work. See what changed, restore one file, or roll back the whole folder - without learning Git.

Download for Mac
First project free · Local-only · No account required
Read the ChatGPT Work guides →
The risk

A task can be mostly right and still change the wrong thing.

When you grant folder access, ChatGPT Work can create, edit, rename, move, and organize local files on your Mac. Most of the time that’s exactly what you want. But an agent working across a folder can also touch files you meant to leave alone - overwrite a version you needed, fold two files into one, or move things you can’t easily put back.

The problem isn’t that ChatGPT Work is careless. It’s that once a change lands on disk, you need a reliable way to see what happened and take back just the part you didn’t want.

The fix

CoworkRestore watches the folder and records versions as changes settle.

You add the same folder to CoworkRestore and choose automatic folder watching. As ChatGPT Work edits files, CoworkRestore saves a version once the changes settle. Later you open the timeline, inspect exactly what changed, and restore what you want - a single file, or the whole folder. Every restore is itself reversible, because it takes a safety snapshot first.

It works alongside ChatGPT Work by watching the folder - there is no ChatGPT extension, and nothing to set up inside ChatGPT.

Setup

Five minutes, then it’s just there.

  1. 1
    Install CoworkRestore
    Download for Mac, drag it to Applications, and open it from the menu bar. macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon.
  2. 2
    Add the folder ChatGPT Work will use
    Point CoworkRestore at the working folder you plan to open in ChatGPT Work - ideally a dedicated project folder, not your whole home directory.
  3. 3
    Choose automatic folder watching
    This is the general-purpose mode. It needs no ChatGPT extension or MCP setup - CoworkRestore just watches the folder and saves versions as file activity settles.
  4. 4
    Store snapshots outside the working folder when practical
    Keeping the saved versions outside the folder means they survive even if the folder itself is deleted or moved.
  5. 5
    Open the folder in ChatGPT Work and start small
    Run a small test task first, then open CoworkRestore to confirm a version was captured. Once you trust it, use it for real work.
In practice

Three ways people use it with ChatGPT Work.

  • Editing a report folder

    ChatGPT Work polishes a set of documents. If it rewrites a section you needed to keep, restore that one file and leave the rest of the improvements in place.

  • Reorganizing project files

    A cleanup moves and renames dozens of files. If the new structure isn't right, roll the folder back to the moment before the reorganization - no manual un-doing of every move.

  • Updating spreadsheet exports and supporting docs

    An export replaces last week's numbers with the wrong version. Open the timeline, compare the two, and restore the version you actually wanted.

Honest limits

What it does - and what it can’t.

A safety net is only useful if you know its edges.
  • Mac only - macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon.
  • Local saved files only - it captures files as they're written to the watched folder.
  • No retroactive recovery - it can only restore changes it captured after you added the folder.
  • Not a cloud backup - keep Time Machine and your regular backup for everything else.
  • Cloud-native Google documents have their own version history - CoworkRestore protects local files.
How it compares

Prompts, copies, Time Machine, or a folder timeline?

Time Machine isn't the enemy here - it solves a broader problem. CoworkRestore gives you a more immediate folder timeline and one-click selective restore. Most people layer a real backup with automatic version history.
Comparison of ways to protect a folder ChatGPT Work will edit
ApproachWhat it protectsAutomatic?Restore one file?
Relying on prompts aloneNothing - a prompt is not a safety net-No
Manually duplicating the folderA point-in-time copy you remember to makeNoManual, whole folder
Time MachineYour whole Mac, on a scheduleYes, hourlyYes, from a backup
CoworkRestoreThe folders you hand to AI toolsYes, as changes settleYes, one click
Go deeper

ChatGPT Work guides.

Practical, standalone guides for the moments a ChatGPT Work task changes more than you asked.

Browse the full ChatGPT Work guide cluster →

Questions about ChatGPT Work protection

Does CoworkRestore need a ChatGPT extension or MCP server?
No. It works through automatic folder watching. You add the same local folder to CoworkRestore and to ChatGPT Work - there is nothing to install or configure inside ChatGPT.
Is this a native ChatGPT Work integration?
No. CoworkRestore works alongside ChatGPT Work by watching the folder ChatGPT Work edits. There is no dedicated ChatGPT Work integration that creates explicit before-task and after-task save points; those exist today only for Claude Cowork.
Can it recover files ChatGPT Work deleted before I installed it?
No. CoworkRestore can only restore changes it captured. A snapshot has to exist from before the change. It cannot recover anything from before it was installed or before you added the folder.
Does it protect Google Docs or Google Sheets edited in the browser?
CoworkRestore protects local files saved inside the folders it watches. Cloud-native Google documents should use Google's own version history. Local copies that are exported or synced into a watched folder are captured.
Does it replace Time Machine or a cloud backup?
No. Keep using Time Machine and your regular backup. CoworkRestore adds a fast, per-folder timeline and one-click selective restore for the folders you hand to AI tools - it is not a full backup.
Where do the saved versions live, and is anything sent to the cloud?
Everything stays on your Mac, in a folder you choose. CoworkRestore is local-only: no cloud sync, no account, and it can store snapshots outside the working folder so a folder delete can't take them with it.

Protect the folder before your next ChatGPT Work task.

Add one folder, choose automatic folder watching, and every captured change stays reviewable and reversible.

Download for Mac
First project free · Local-only · No account required

CoworkRestore is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenAI or Anthropic. ChatGPT and Codex are trademarks of OpenAI; Claude is a trademark of Anthropic.