Lesson 15 min

Setup & Custom Instructions

Configure ChatGPT once so every answer fits you.

What you will learn

✓What custom instructions do
✓What to put in them
✓Why this beats repeating yourself

Explanation

Before prompting, set up Custom Instructions (Settings → Personalisation). They apply to every chat, so you stop repeating context.

Use the first box to say who you are and what you do; use the second to set how you want answers — tone, length, format ('be concise, use bullet points, skip disclaimers').

This one-time setup quietly improves every future response.

Real-world use

A consultant who sets 'answer for a non-technical executive, max 5 bullets' gets boardroom-ready output by default.

Common mistakes

• Leaving custom instructions blank and re-explaining your context in every single chat.

Practice

Write a 2-line custom instruction describing who you are and how you want answers.

Knowledge check

0/1 answered

1. What do Custom Instructions do?

Answer all questions to check.