July 01, 2025 | Listen Online | Read Online

Custom Instructions For Better ChatGPT Results

Save time with custom instructions so ChatGPT sounds like you, thinks like you, and works how you do.

Most business users think that productivity with ChatGPT simply means better prompting.

But there's a cheat code: tell ChatGPT how to behave before you even start.

That's what Custom Instructions are for. In just two fields, you can define what ChatGPT should know about you—and how it should speak to you.

It's how you set default preferences for an AI colleague.

Shape how ChatGPT thinks, speaks, and helps—without writing a single prompt.

AI LESSON

Custom Instructions For Better ChatGPT Results

Save time with custom instructions so ChatGPT sounds like you, thinks like you, and works how you do.

When you hire a new employee, there's usually a set of rules and guidelines for how they should interact. Policies on giving refunds, or how you address customers. With ChatGPT you can and should do the same thing.

The Custom Instructions feature allows you pre-load ChatGPT with key context about your work, goals, and preferred tone, it stops acting like a generic chatbot and starts performing like an informed digital teammate.

Pair this with memory and you have a digital assistant not a glorified search engine.

Custom Instructions Reduce Repetition

Custom Instructions reduce friction and help ensure better consistency. They somewhat eliminate the need to repeat your background, tone, or goals every session. I say "somewhat" because AI models are probabilistic, not deterministic. So sometimes even with the best guidance your ChatGPT session may go off the script.

But by and large these custom instructions ensure consistent communication, which is vital when you're working across multiple projects, teams, or functions.

More importantly, they let you set a default personality and intent for ChatGPT. Whether you need a formal analyst, a casual writing partner, or a hyper-concise strategist, you can define that behavior up front.

Where to Find It

You can set up Custom Instructions in less than a minute:

Open ChatGPT
Click the Blue Diamond Menu in the upper left corner of the screen.
Select Customize ChatGPT
Select Custom Instructions

You'll see these fields:

What do you do?
What traits should ChatGPT have?
Anything else ChatGPT should know about you?
Advanced this is where you can choose ChatGPT capabilities like Web Search, Code, Canvas, and Advanced Voice.

Changes take effect immediately and apply across all new chats—unless you override them with a specific prompt.

Use ChatGPT to Write Custom Instructions

You could write your custom instructions from scratch but I find that you can get a great start by using ChatGPT. By feeding ChatGPT your LinkedIn profile, resume, and a few writing samples, you can have it generate a tailored first draft of your custom instructions in minutes. Then open them in Canvas to tweak them. You'll define what you do, how ChatGPT should respond, and anything else that improves your experience. It's a fast, effective way to make every session more productive—especially if you're using ChatGPT for business writing, technical tasks, or strategic planning.

Prep Your Source Material

Upload or reference:

Your LinkedIn Profile (e.g., linkedin.com/in/markrhinkle)
A recent resume or bio
1–2 writing samples (e.g., newsletters, articles, reports)

These inputs provide tone, domain, and target audience signals.

Use This Prompt in ChatGPT

Use this prompt to start the initial draft of your custom instructions.

Help me write my ChatGPT custom instructions using these three fields:    1. What do you do?  2. What traits should ChatGPT have?  3. Anything else ChatGPT should know about you?    Use my LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrhinkle  Resume: [PASTE OR SAY "uploaded"]  Writing Samples: [UPLOAD OR PASTE TEXT]    Output should reflect a professional tone for a business-savvy AI user.

Example Custom Instructions

Here's an example of my profile. I actually update them quite often.

1. What do you do?

I'm an AI consultant, author, and founder of Peripety Labs. I advise companies on how to move from AI experimentation to operational adoption. I write The Artificially Intelligent Enterprise, a weekly newsletter for business professionals focused on real-world AI applications. My background includes over 30 years in enterprise software, open source, and cloud computing. I also train executives and teams through the AIOS S.M.A.R.T. framework to integrate AI into business workflows.

2. What traits should ChatGPT have?

Responses should be structured, clear, and concise. Avoid filler language, hype, or buzzwords. Use segmented formatting for complex tasks. Emulate the tone and precision of publications like the Wall Street Journal or Ars Technica. Avoid emojis, fluff, or AI-sounding phrasing. Use real-world examples, cite sources when appropriate, and suggest next steps or formats when producing deliverables.

3. Anything else ChatGPT should know about you?

My audience includes mid-level to senior executives who value strategic insight and operational clarity. I often publish under time constraints and rely on ChatGPT to accelerate writing, prompt design, and technical synthesis. I prefer direct feedback loops, structured iterations, and detailed comparisons. I work across corporate, developer, and public-sector audiences, so versatility in tone and framing is important.

Final Step: Paste Into ChatGPT

Go to the Blue Diamond Menu → Customize ChatGPT, then paste your completed answers into:

What would you like ChatGPT to know about you? → Use Field #1 and #3
How would you like ChatGPT to respond? → Use Field #2

Example Use Cases

Custom Instructions allow you to fine-tune how ChatGPT interacts with you, tailoring its responses to match your needs, tone, and goals. Let's explore the benefits of using Custom Instructions, practical examples, and how to get the most out of this feature to make ChatGPT function how you want with some well thought out directions.

Executive Assistant Output

What ChatGPT should know: "I'm a COO managing a remote operations team."
How to respond: "Be concise and directive. Prioritize clarity and next steps."

Industry-Tailored Support

What to know: "I work in legal operations at a Fortune 500 firm."
How to respond: "Use formal tone, avoid assumptions, cite real-world precedents when possible."

Founder Messaging Prep

What to know: "I'm a SaaS founder preparing investor decks and sales messaging."
How to respond: "Use strategic tone, write for B2B decision-makers, and surface key metrics when relevant."

Daily Workflow Example

Suppose you're managing client follow-ups after product demos.

Your Custom Instructions:
- Know: "I'm a mid-market Account Executive in B2B SaaS."
- Respond: "Write emails that are friendly, persuasive, and push the deal forward."
You prompt:
"Write a follow-up email after our demo with Dataco yesterday. They're interested in integrations."
ChatGPT delivers a tailored message, ready to send—with no extra explanation required.

Using Custom Instructions as Macros

Think of Custom Instructions as macro templates for how ChatGPT should behave.

By writing reusable patterns into the instruction fields, you can:

Turn ChatGPT into a meeting summarizer, strategy explainer, or performance reviewer
Embed tone rules like "always format in bullet points" or "highlight next actions first"
Preload domain knowledge—e.g., "assume I work in enterprise IT security and prefer structured summaries"

For recurring tasks, try something like this:

Every time I ask for a summary, format it with a headline, 3 bullets, and a key action.

Now you've created a macro—no scripts needed.

Pro tip: Update instruction sets weekly as your focus shifts from strategy to delivery, or from writing to analysis. Or when you change roles.

How to Test and Iterate

Don't expect perfection on the first try. Treat Custom Instructions as an ongoing set of directives just like you would as you would an employee:

Review output regularly and revise based on performance
Push the tone: Test extremes like "confident and punchy" or "neutral and analytical"
Save versions externally if you use ChatGPT across roles or clients

If it starts feeling too generic, the fix is likely in your instructions—not just your prompts.

Reduce the Amount of Prompting

Custom Instructions can give you leverage. One minute of setup can improve every response you get, from daily memos to executive presentations without repeating yourself in every prompt.

Save time by avoiding repetitive prompts
Raise quality through consistent formatting and tone
Increase impact by aligning the AI to your business goals

Whether you're in strategy, sales, operations, or finance—Custom Instructions can help you in your role.

Direct ChatGPT—Don't Let It Decide

Custom Instructions is more than a settings tweak—it's the beginning of how you will eventually train any AI tool, whether that's an AI agent or other AI tool. Instead of thinking "how do I prompt ChatGPT better?", start thinking "how do I brief my assistant once so it just gets it?"

No overhead. No code. Just smarter output from the start.