ChatGPT Custom Instructions – How To Use This New Feature

ChatGPT is a great tool with limitless possibilities. However, there was one problem it bumped into – it couldn’t remember the instructions given to it from one chat to the next.

So, if you were a user, you’d find it kind of annoying to keep telling it your likes and dislikes each time you started a new chat.

This was like the chatbot kept forgetting things, and it stopped it from giving you a chat experience that felt truly tailored for you.

Understanding the ChatGPT Custom Instructions Feature

The Custom Instructions feature is essentially a memory function that allows ChatGPT to remember key instructions from one session to another.

This revolutionary feature empowers ChatGPT users to provide standing instructions that the AI chatbot will recall and apply in subsequent chats.

This eliminates the need for repetitive back-and-forth clarifications, offering users a more fluid and personalized chat experience.

Currently, this feature is being rolled out to users of ChatGPT Plus.

OpenAI has announced plans to make Custom Instructions available to all users in due course.

This may be a wait for free-tier users but serves as a potent motivation to upgrade to the ChatGPT Plus account.

How to Use Custom Instructions on ChatGPT

Follow these step-by-step instructions to get started:

1. Open the ChatGPT website and click on your name located in the bottom left corner of the page.
2. Click on ‘Settings & Beta.’
3. A pop-up menu will appear. Click on ‘Beta features’ on the left panel.
4. Toggle ‘Custom instructions’ to turn on the feature and exit the pop-up.

With the feature now turned on, you can provide instructions that you want ChatGPT to remember across all your sessions:

1. Click on your name in the bottom left corner of the page once again.
2. You’ll now find a new option labeled ‘Custom instructions’; click on it to reveal the Custom Instructions editor.
3. You’ll find two fields for providing custom instructions. Click on ‘Show tips’ below each editor to see examples of what kind of instructions to provide in both fields.
4. For the first editor, provide information about yourself, you can provide your name, occupation, and location so ChatGPT can reference you correctly in each session and better customize responses to match your occupation and location. For example: “I’m Alex, I’m 25 years old, a data scientist currently based in San Francisco, California.”
5. In the second editor, you can provide information about how you would like ChatGPT’s responses to be. Potential applications can be: 

-Area of Expertise and Interest: Share an overview of your areas of expertise and interest, allowing ChatGPT to craft responses suited to your level of interest and expertise. For example: “My areas of expertise include data analysis, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. I’m particularly interested in advancements in natural language processing and their applications in the field of education.”

-Omitting Something: You can ask ChatGPT to not include some things inside its responses like: apologies, warnings, disclaimers, censorship and fake information. For example: “Please avoid including any apologies in your responses. Also, I would appreciate if you do not share any information that’s not verified or substantiated.”

-Customized Greetings: You can ask ChatGPT to always start or end a conversation with a particular greeting or sign-off, making the interaction more personalized. For example: “I’d like you to start our conversations with ‘Good day, Alex’ and end them with ‘Until next time, Alex’.”

-Beliefs and Values: Outline relevant beliefs, values, or ethical stances you hold that should guide ChatGPT’s responses. For example: “I strongly believe in data privacy and the responsible use of AI. Please make sure your responses align with these values.”

-Preferred Writing Tone: Set preferences for writing tone, so ChatGPT knows how to adjust its tone when generating different kinds of write-ups. For example: “I’d prefer a more formal tone in your responses, with full sentences and proper grammar. However, when discussing more casual topics, feel free to switch to a conversational tone.”

6. After entering your custom instructions in both fields, click ‘Save’.

Remember, though, that while the urge to provide more personal information to ChatGPT might increase with this new feature, avoid sharing any sensitive information, even in the instructions’ editor. If you have plugins turned on for your account, third-party plugin developers can access any sensitive information you share using the feature.

With the introduction of the Custom Instructions feature, ChatGPT has taken a significant leap forward in the realm of personalized AI experiences.

Users can now avoid the frustration of continually reorienting ChatGPT at the start of each chat session.

These custom instructions will enable more advanced and smooth prompting without repetitive explanations.

As this feature rolls out, ChatGPT is likely to become increasingly versatile, adaptive, and smarter in responding to your requests. It will bring us one step closer to an AI chatbot that can truly understand us.

OpenAI’s initiative to add the custom instructions feature has not only significantly improved the user experience but also displayed the potential of AI learning and evolution.

This feature allows users to share anything they’d like ChatGPT to consider in its responses. For instance, a teacher can specify that they are teaching fourth-grade math, or a developer can specify the code language they prefer when asking for suggestions.

A person can also specify their family size, enabling ChatGPT to provide responses about meals, grocery, and vacation planning accordingly.

Custom instructions also work with plugins, making it easier for them to suggest restaurants or flights based on your location.

This, in turn, enhances the overall user experience and drives the technology toward a more adaptive future.

In conclusion, the custom instructions feature is a revolutionary step that makes ChatGPT more intuitive, user-friendly, and efficient.

It is a manifestation of how AI is continuously evolving to understand and cater to human needs better.

While it is still a beta feature, its potential to transform the interaction between humans and AI chatbots is undeniable. With this development, we move closer to a future where AI understands us as we do.

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