You type a question, get back something that reads like a brochure written by nobody for nobody, and quietly conclude AI is overrated.
The tool is not the problem. It answered a stranger's question, because that is what you were. It does not know what you sell, who buys it, or that you would rather be shot than use the word "elevate".
There is a settings box that fixes this permanently, and almost nobody fills it in. 10 minutes, once, and every chat you have from then on starts warm.
Where it lives
Claude: Settings, then Profile, then the box marked Instructions for Claude.
ChatGPT: click your name, then Customise ChatGPT.
Same idea in both. Whatever you write there is silently attached to every new conversation you start, forever, until you change it.
3 things that get confused, and they are not the same
This trips up nearly everyone, and knowing which is which tells you where to put a given piece of information.
| What it is | What goes in it | |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | A standing briefing attached to every chat | Who you are, what the business does, how you want answers. Short and durable |
| Memory | The AI's own running notes about you, built up as you chat | Nothing, by you. It fills itself. You can read, pause or clear it |
| Projects | A separate workspace with its own files and its own instructions (guide) | The bulky stuff: price lists, product catalogues, writing samples |
The instructions box is the one that works from minute one. Memory takes weeks of chatting to become useful. Projects are where things go once they are too big for the box.
A useful test: if it would be true in 6 months, it belongs in instructions. If it changes with your stock levels, it belongs in a project.
5 complete examples
Not templates. These are finished, and they are the length a good one should be. Find the closest to your business, paste it in, and swap out everything in square brackets for your own details. Everything outside the brackets works as written for almost anybody, so leave it alone unless you disagree with it.
Sole trader trade
I am [an electrician] in [Geelong], working solo, mostly [domestic jobs and small commercial fit-outs]. My customers are [homeowners and a handful of builders I work with regularly]. I need help with [quotes, customer messages, chasing invoices and writing up job notes].
Answer me directly and keep it short. Australian English and Australian spelling. When you write anything a customer will see, use plain words [a homeowner] understands, not [trade] jargon and not sales language. I do not use exclamation marks. If you need to know something to answer properly, ask me one question rather than guessing.
Online store
I run [a small online store selling handmade ceramics], based in [Hobart], shipping [Australia-wide]. Most customers are [buying gifts, and a lot of them are buying late]. I need help with [product descriptions, Instagram captions, email campaigns and replies to customer enquiries].
Write like a person, not a brand. No hype words, no "elevate", "transform" or "unlock", no exclamation marks, no emoji unless I ask. Australian English. Keep captions under [40] words unless I say otherwise. If I ask for options, give me 3 and tell me which one you would run with.
Services, working with clients
I am [a bookkeeper] in [Perth] with about [25] small business clients, mostly [trades and cafes]. I need help with [client emails, explaining accounting concepts in a way a non-accountant will actually read, chasing paperwork politely, and writing up process notes].
Be direct and practical. Australian English. When you explain something technical, explain it the way I would to a client who is smart but busy, not the way a textbook would. Never invent a figure, a rate or a due date. If a question touches [tax law] specifically, say so and tell me to check it rather than answering with confidence.
Consultant or freelancer
I am [a freelance graphic designer] in [Adelaide]. I work with [small businesses and not-for-profits], usually on [brand refreshes and one-off collateral]. I need help with [proposals, scoping emails, project updates and the awkward conversations about scope creep and late payment].
Be direct. Do not soften bad news into meaninglessness; if a client email needs a firm line, write the firm line. Australian English. Keep [proposals] structured and short. When I am writing about money, be specific and unembarrassed about it.
Hospitality
I own [a cafe] in [Newcastle], [14 seats, open 6 days, 3 casual staff]. I need help with [roster problems, supplier emails, social media, and the little bits of writing that pile up like signage and menu descriptions].
Keep it brief, I am usually reading this between jobs. Australian English. When you write anything customers see, keep it warm and normal, not cute and not corporate. If I describe a [staffing or supplier] problem, give me the practical option first and the diplomatic wording second.
What each part is doing
Every one of those blocks is the same 4 moves, which is all you need to write your own.
The first sentence buys the most. Trade, location, size, solo or with staff. It changes vocabulary, examples, assumptions about your budget and whether the AI suggests things that need a marketing team you do not have.
Who your customers are, without flattering them. "Gift buyers who leave it late" produces different writing to "gift buyers". The unflattering version is the useful one.
What you need help with. This narrows the AI's guesses about what a request is for. It also stops it explaining the basics of a thing you do every day.
How you want to be spoken to. This is the part people skip and it is the part that makes the output feel like you. Be specific and be negative: banned words, banned punctuation, length limits. "Sound professional" means nothing. "No exclamation marks, no hype words, under 40 words" means something.
Make this prompt yours
Fill in your details and watch the instructions become yours. Nothing you type leaves this page.
The before and after
Same 6-word request, same free account, one with the ceramics block above saved and one without.
Before, blank account:
Elevate your gifting game this Father's Day! Our handcrafted ceramic pieces are the perfect way to show Dad how much you care. Each piece tells a story of passion and craftsmanship. Shop now and make this Father's Day unforgettable!
After, instructions saved:
3 mugs, thrown and glazed here in Hobart, packed in a box that does not need wrapping. 60 sets, and last year they went 9 days before the date. Order by Friday and it gets there in time.
Nothing changed except the settings box. The second one took the same 15 seconds to ask for.
Both outputs are constructed to show the pattern, using a business we made up. If you want to see the real version, do it yourself: write your block, save it, and ask for the same thing twice from 2 different accounts.
Where instructions stop helping
Worth knowing before you over-invest in it.
Instructions compete with your actual question. Everything in that box is read alongside every request you make. A 600-word manifesto crowds out the thing you just asked for and the answers get vaguer, not sharper. Aim for 100 to 150 words. If you are cramming, that is the signal to start using projects.
It cannot make the AI know things. Instructions shape tone and context. They do not give it your prices, your stock, or last month's numbers. If it needs a fact, give it the fact.
It goes stale quietly. Prices change, you drop a product line, you start serving a different customer. Nothing warns you. The output just slowly stops fitting, and it is hard to notice because each answer is individually fine.
Shared accounts get confused instructions. If you and a business partner use one login, write the block about the business, not about either of you. "I am the owner" is unhelpful when 2 people are typing.
The mistakes worth naming
The most common is writing nothing because the box looks optional. It is the highest-value 10 minutes available to a beginner and it is behind 2 clicks.
The second is writing an essay. 5 clear sentences beat 5 paragraphs, and you can edit it whenever you like.
The third is setting it once in March and never looking again. Put a recurring note in your phone for the first of the month. It takes 30 seconds to skim and it is the difference between an asset and a time capsule.
The fourth is expecting memory to do this job. Memory is real and it does help, but it builds slowly and you do not control what it picks up. The instructions box works on your very next chat and says exactly what you told it to.
10 minutes, right now
Open the settings box, paste the closest example above, change the details to yours, save. Then start a brand new chat and type:
Based on what you know about my business, suggest 3 things I could hand to you this week, and tell me which one to start with.
If the answer is about your actual business and you did not explain yourself first, it worked.