Custom Instructions Of course! “Custom Instructions” can refer to two different things in the context of our interaction. I’ll explain both.
Custom Instructions for You (The User)
- This is a feature that allows you to tell me exactly how you want me to respond. By setting these instructions, you can avoid repeating your preferences in every single chat.
You can use them to tell me things like:
- Your Profession or Field: “I’m a high school biology teacher,” or “I’m a software engineer.” This helps me tailor my explanations and examples.
- Your Desired Response Style: “Always give me bullet-point summaries,” or “Explain things like I’m 10 years old,” or “Be concise and to the point.”
- Specific Needs or Preferences: “Always provide code examples in Python,” or “Focus on the practical applications, not the theory,” or “Never use markdown formatting.”
- What You Want Me to Remember About You: “My name is Alex, and I’m building a mobile app for task management.”
How to Set Them Up:
- Click on your profile name or icon in the bottom-left corner of the ChatGPT interface.
- Select “Custom Instructions” from the menu.
- A window will pop up with two main questions:
- What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses? (Here you put the context about you, like your job, projects, etc.)
- How would you like ChatGPT to respond? (Here you define the style, format, and focus of my responses.)
- Toggle the feature on and click Save.
- Once set, these instructions will guide all our future conversations (unless you start a new chat with temporary instructions).
My “Custom Instructions” (As the AI)
- As an AI, I also operate under a set of internal, pre-defined “custom instructions” from my developers at DeepSeek. These are my core guidelines and cannot be changed by users. They define my fundamental behavior.
My core instructions include things like:
- Being Helpful and Harmless: My primary goal is to be helpful while strictly avoiding generating harmful, unethical, or dangerous content.
- Prioritizing Safety: I must refuse requests that are illegal, promote self-harm, or contain severe misinformation.
- Maintaining Privacy: I am designed not to remember personal information from one conversation to the next (unless you have set Custom Instructions for yourself) and to protect user privacy.
- Providing Accurate Information: I strive to give accurate and up-to-date information, citing sources when relevant and admitting when I’m unsure.
- Being Transparent: I should identify myself as an AI created by DeepSeek.
Why Custom Instructions Are a Game-Changer
- Without Custom Instructions, every new chat is a “blank slate.” You have to re-explain your context, preferences, and goals repeatedly. With them enabled, you get a personalized AI assistant from the very first message.
Think of it as:
- For you: Giving me a “user manual” so I can provide better service.
- For me: Having a permanent sticky note about your preferences attached to our chats.
- How to Write Effective Custom Instructions
- A great set of instructions often answers these three questions: “Who are you?”, “What do you need?”, and “How should I deliver it?”
Part 1: “What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?”
- This is for context about you and your situation. Be specific.
Examples:
Work:
- “I’m a project manager at a tech startup. We use Agile methodology and our tech stack is JavaScript and Node.js.”
- “I’m a freelance graphic designer. My clients are usually small businesses in the sustainability sector.”
Learning:
- “I’m a second-year computer science student who knows Python basics but is new to machine learning.”
- “I’m preparing for the PMP certification exam and need help understanding complex project management concepts.”
Personal Use:
- “I’m a home cook with intermediate skills, and I have allergies to nuts and shellfish.”
- “I’m planning a trip to Japan and am very interested in history and off-the-beaten-path destinations.”
Part 2: “How would you like ChatGPT to respond?”
- This is for style, format, and output rules. This is where you can get really creative.
Examples:
Tone & Style:
- “Use a formal and professional tone.”
- “Be conversational, witty, and use analogies.”
- “Explain things as if you were talking to a complete beginner who is curious but easily overwhelmed.”
Format and Structure:
- “Always structure your response with a TL;DR summary at the top, followed by detailed bullet points.”
- “When explaining a concept, use the ‘Explain Like I’m 5’ method first, then provide a more advanced summary.”
- “For any list or step-by-step guide, use numbered lists, not bullet points.”
Content Focus:
- “When I ask for advice, always include a practical next step I can take immediately.”
- “Prioritize practical, real-world examples over pure theory.”
- “If I ask for code, include plenty of inline comments explaining the key parts.”
Specific Rules:
- “Never use the phrase ‘as an AI language model…’ Just refuse the request directly if you can’t fulfill it.”
- “Always suggest a few follow-up questions I might want to ask at the end of your response.”
- “If you are unsure about something, state your uncertainty clearly instead of guessing.”
Advanced Use Cases & Pro Tips
The Role-Player: You can assign me a specific role in your instructions.
- Instruction: “You are a skeptical, veteran product manager. Challenge my ideas, ask tough questions about user value and feasibility, and help me stress-test this product concept.”
- The Creative Partner: Set the stage for consistent creative work.
- Instruction: “You are a creative writing partner. Your tone should be imaginative and encouraging. When I give you a story idea, help me develop it by asking three probing questions about character, setting, and conflict before you offer suggestions.”
- The Expert Translator: Turn me into a specialist translator.
- Instruction: “I need to communicate complex legal jargon to my clients who are not lawyers. Whenever I give you a dense legal text, please rephrase it in simple, plain English and provide a short, practical summary of what it means for them.”
- The Structured Thinker: Force a specific framework for better decision-making.
- Instruction: “When I present a business problem to you, always analyze it using the following framework: 1. Define the core problem, 2. List key assumptions, 3. Suggest 3 potential solutions, 4. List the pros/cons of each.”
Important Limitations to Remember
- I Don’t “Remember” by Default: Custom Instructions apply to new chats, not old ones. You have to start a new chat for them to take effect.
- They Aren’t Absolute: My core safety and ethical guidelines will always override your custom instructions. I cannot be forced to do something harmful or unethical.
- They Can Be Overridden: You can always give me a temporary, contradictory instruction in a specific chat (e.g., “For this response only, write a poem”). The in-chat instruction usually wins for that single interaction.
