Custom Instructions for Chat and Work
Save the preferences you repeat in Chat or Work: your writing style, answer length or working rules. Find the settings, try an example and adjust it when your needs change.
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Separate preferences for Chat and Work
Save reusable preferences; supply changing facts in the task
Use custom instructions for recurring preferences such as concise explanations, writing style or coding conventions. Put a project’s current facts, dates and required output in its conversation. That keeps reusable defaults separate from a brief that changes.
Which prompting approach should I use?
Choose the approach for the information you need to supply. You can combine them: save a recurring preference, provide today’s facts, show a useful pattern and correct a draft.
Choose a prompting technique
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Recurring preferences | Custom instructions: save reusable writing style or working rules. Keep changing project facts in the current task. |
| Task facts and constraints | Context: supply the audience, verified facts, desired format, requirements and missing information for this request. |
| An output pattern | Few-shot prompting: show relevant example inputs and outputs when a pattern is easier to demonstrate than explain. |
| A correction to a draft | A focused follow-up: name the change, preserve correct details and check the complete revised answer. |
Where to find custom instructions
Sign in and open Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions. Enter text in Chat instructions or Work agent instructions, then choose Save changes. Each instruction box allows 3,000 characters. Discard changes restores the saved text.
Choose the right field
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Chat instructions | Preferences for Chat replies. Earlier custom instructions stay in this box; copy a rule to Work separately if you want it there too. |
| Work agent instructions | Recurring research, coding, file or task rules for Work. These explicit rules work independently of Memory learning. |
| About you and Response style | Shared between Chat and Work. Keep personal details relevant and appropriate for the selected model/provider. |
Start with a short preference
Adapt an example below for the Chat or Work field. Save it, then send a small request and check how the preference appears in the answer.
Use plain language and explain unfamiliar terms. Prefer a short answer with one practical example unless I request detail. Preserve supplied dates, numbers and names; list missing facts separately.When the task requires research, cite original sources for factual claims. Distinguish what a source says from your inference. If you cannot inspect a passage, mark it unverified rather than inventing a quotation.Follow the existing project patterns. Keep changes within my requested task. State which checks actually ran and which are proposed. Ask before publication or deployment. If I request a different output format for a task, use that format.When saved changes apply
Chat reads saved preferences on the next Chat message. Work receives its rules when a task launches and on the next follow-up or resume. Saving does not interrupt an active Work turn. Clear the relevant box and save to remove those account rules from subsequent requests.
Task instructions and account defaults
Gab supplies account preferences as defaults: the current request and conversation-specific instructions take priority over them. System/developer instructions, required output formats and tool permissions still apply. A model can miss a rule, so compare the response with the task instead of assuming the setting guarantees compliance.
For this answer, use two connected paragraphs instead of my usual bullet format. Explain the supplied notes using only their facts. List any missing information separately.Instructions, Memory and project rules
Custom instructions explicitly state how you want help. Memory stores useful context and has separate controls; you do not need automatic Memory learning for these explicit preferences. Project instructions and access also depend on the Work environment. Text in an account instruction box does not grant access to files, apps or connected services.
Temporary Chat, API and provider context
Temporary chats exclude account personalization by default unless you enable it for that chat. Ordinary developer API requests do not receive these Chat/Work account settings. Relevant instructions and supplied context may reach the selected provider; keep secrets and changing customer information out of reusable defaults.
Why are my custom instructions not working?
Check the selected mode and saved field first. Then check when the next request receives changes and whether the task conflicts with your default.
- Confirm Save changes completed and that you edited the Chat or Work box you intended.
- For running Work, send a follow-up or resume after saving; an active turn is not interrupted.
- Check Temporary Chat’s personalization choice.
- Remove conflicting examples, old project facts and contradictory rules.
- Request one concrete correction and recheck the entire response.
- Review actual tool access and model/account requirements separately from instruction text.
Saving instructions and running tasks
Sign in to save preferences. Chat follows the selected model’s access and usage; Work requires Plus. An instruction does not change account access or tool permissions.
Custom-instruction questions
Use these answers to choose where a rule belongs.
Are Chat and Work custom instructions the same?
They use separate instruction boxes. About you and Response style are shared; copy a rule into both boxes only when you want it in both modes.
Do custom instructions need Memory enabled?
Explicit Chat/Work preferences are supplied independently of automatic Memory learning. Memory has separate controls for stored context.
When do changes or clearing take effect?
Chat uses saved preferences on its next message. Work refreshes them on task launch and the next follow-up or resume. Saving does not interrupt a running turn.
Can custom instructions give Work access to my files or apps?
No. Instructions describe a task or preference; supported clients, account access and actual permission grants determine which resources Work can use.
Can I use these instructions in the developer API?
Ordinary API requests do not inherit consumer account personalization. Supply the appropriate instructions in the API request using its supported interface.
Guides and resources
Find more detail and choose your next step.
Save a preference you use often.
Open Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions. Save a short preference in the appropriate field, then check it in your next request.