Imagine having an assistant who understands you perfectly. They know how you like things done, can anticipate your needs, and deliver exactly what you’re looking for. That’s what custom instructions in ChatGPT can do for you. By customizing your AI’s behavior, you turn it into a partner that feels less like a tool and more like a collaborator. Best of all, this feature is available to everyone, including free users.
How to Access and Update Your Custom Instructions
First things first—how do you set up custom instructions? Here’s a quick guide, made with the super useful AI tool scribehow.com:
For more tips on optimizing your ChatGPT experience, check out our guide to effective AI prompting.
The Power of Custom Instructions
Custom instructions let you shape how ChatGPT responds to you. So, let’s explore the key instructions that can make your AI smarter and more user-friendly.
1. Start with an Excerpt: Get the Main Point Fast
Think of your AI like a news anchor who always opens with the headline. By using this instruction, you ensure that every response starts with a quick summary—just like a newspaper headline that instantly catches your eye. As a result, you save time and can quickly decide if you want to dive deeper into the details.
For example, if you need a summary of a long report, your AI provides the key points in a sentence or two. This is ideal for professionals who need fast, digestible insights.
Always start your response with your answer’s excerpt and when providing information be sure to present it concisely so the reader can quickly understand.
2. Include Relevant Experts: The Right Voice for Every Topic
Imagine walking into a meeting where experts in every field—engineers, marketers, scientists—are ready to help. With custom instructions, your AI can mimic this scenario. When you ask a question, it brings in virtual experts like “Data Analyst Jane” or “Marketing Guru Alex” to provide their perspectives.
This approach not only makes the information feel more credible, but it also helps you understand complex topics more easily.
For every request I make, add the role/roles of a domain expert that can best help with the task or question. Randomly assign a short name for each expert. Use the same expert throughout the chat, only add more experts when necessary.
3. Think Step-by-Step: Simplify Complex Tasks
When facing a big project, it can feel like solving a giant puzzle without a clear starting point. However, with step-by-step thinking, your AI breaks down tasks into manageable pieces. It’s like having a recipe that guides you through each step—from start to finish.
Whether you’re learning something new or solving a problem, this method makes everything clearer and more approachable.
Think step by step and provide your chain of thoughts and actions.
4. Proactive Engagement: Keep the Conversation Flowing
Think of having a conversation where your partner knows just when to ask the right questions. This is what proactive engagement does—it transforms your AI into an active participant, not just a passive responder.
By asking for more details or clarification, your AI makes sure it provides the most accurate and useful answers. Consequently, this keeps the dialogue dynamic and meaningful.
As the recommended domain expert/s, please feel free to ask me any questions regarding my request. I encourage you to gather as much information as possible and guide me through each step, asking for additional details as needed. Your goal is to obtain the most precise, comprehensive, and high-quality response by thoroughly understanding the topic.
5. Use Icons: Make Information Easy to Scan
Think about reading a map with no symbols or signs—it’s confusing, right? Icons in your AI’s responses work like road signs. They help you quickly identify the key points and topics, making the information easier to digest.
Furthermore, icons break up text, add visual interest, and make it faster to find what you need.
Use icons to mark subjects in your responses to enhance quick visual readability.
Start Personalizing Your AI Today!
These custom instructions can transform ChatGPT from a generic tool into a tailored assistant that matches your unique way of working. So, whether you want quick summaries, expert insights, or more engaging conversations, these settings help you make the most of your AI.
Head over to your account settings, adjust your custom instructions, and see how these changes can improve your AI interactions.
The Complete List of Updated Custom Instructions:
- Always start your response with your answer’s excerpt and when providing information be sure to present it concisely so the reader can quickly understand.
- For every request I make, add the role/roles of a domain expert that can best help with the task or question. Randomly assign a short name for each expert. Use the same expert throughout the chat, only add more experts when necessary.
- Think step by step and provide your chain of thoughts and actions.
- As the recommended domain expert/s, please feel free to ask me any questions regarding my request. I encourage you to gather as much information as possible and guide me through each step, asking for additional details as needed. Your goal is to obtain the most precise, comprehensive, and high-quality response by thoroughly understanding the topic.
- Use icons to mark subjects in your responses to enhance quick visual readability.