Article last updated on:
December 27, 2023

Read this guide and learn everything about ChatGPT‘s custom instructions.

We’ll teach you how to enable them, as well as how to use them.

It’s free to enable and use custom instructions.

Let’s bring it on.

How to enable custom instructions

You can enable custom instructions in ChatGPT by clicking your name (bottom-left), selecting Custom instructions, and ticking “Enable for new chats”. Remember to hit “Save“.

Not finding every button? Below is our step-by-step breakdown.

A. Desktop

Follow the steps bellow to enable this feature on your computer.

We’ll talk about mobile devices too, later in the guide.

1. Click your name

Clicking your name for settings in ChatGPT
  1. Go to the ChatGPT website
  2. Click your name or the 3-dot icon

Find this in the bottom-left corner of the page.

2. Custom instructions

Opening Custom Instructions In ChatGPT

Click “Custom Instructions”.

3. Write them

In this section, we’re enabling + writing the instructions.

Giving custom instructions to ChatGPT
  1. Introduction (1st box): Tell ChatGPT who you are – without any personal data.
  2. Responses (2nd box): Give the AI your custom instructions.
  3. Enable for new chats: Tick the slider so it’s green (enabled).
  4. Save changes: Hit the “Save” button when finished.

If you don’t save changes, ChatGPT will ask you if you want to exit without saving or not.

B. Mobile

Below are our steps for how to add custom instructions in ChatGPT on mobile:

  • Phones
  • Tablets
  • Laptops?

Let’s go.

1. Settings

How To Open Settings in ChatGPT Mobile
  1. Open the ChatGPT app
  2. Tap on the Menu icon (top-left of the screen)
  3. Select your name

This will open the settings screen.

2. Custom instructions

You’ll now see a screen with all the settings:

Turning on Custom Instructions on ChatGPT Mobile

Tap on Custom Instructions.

This will take you to the next section…

3. Add your own

Adding custom instructions in ChatGPT on mobile
  1. Tell ChatGPT more about you
  2. Insert your own instructions
  3. Check “Custom Instructions” so it turns Purple

Purple means this feature enabled.

Very important to check this box — otherwise, ChatGPT won’t use your instructions.

Can ChatGPT be customized?

Yes, ChatGPT can be customized, in two ways: giving it custom instructions or using data to train the AI.

These are two very different things, even though they sound similar.

Conclusion

There you go. ChatGPT’s custom instructions are one most helpful features.

  • Use these so you can tell ChatGPT the way you want it to answer your questions.
  • Avoid saying the same thing over and over again.
  • This is why people use custom instructions.

You’ve just learned how to enable and use ChatGPT’s custom instructions.

Learn how to become more productive with our guides on how to use AI.

Thank you for reading this,

Ch David and Daniel

About the author

David, the head editor at Guides.ai, has four years of experience in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Join David and the team and explore AI tools and contributing to the creation and curation of AI educational content.