Your Persistent AI Brain – Memory, Context, and Continuity (Claude Edition) By the end of this lesson, students should be able to: Custom Instructions are your standing brief to Claude. Every time you start a new Claude conversation, Claude reads your Custom Instructions before your first message. They tell Claude who you are, how you work, and how you want it to respond by default. They apply in Chat, Code, and Cowork modes. They are the single most impactful memory setup step with the lowest effort to implement. Where to find Custom Instructions. In the Claude desktop app or browser version, go to Settings (your profile icon or the three-dot menu) and look for Custom Instructions or Profile. The exact label may vary by version – look for a section where you can write standing instructions about yourself and your preferences. What to include in Custom Instructions. Effective Custom Instructions have four components: About me: Your name, professional role, industry, and relevant background. What you do and why it matters to how Claude should interact with you. Example: "My name is Chris. I am an independent course developer building an LMS platform. I have 30+ years in software QA. I work primarily in educational content and web development." How I work: Your working style, communication preferences, and approach. Example: "I prefer concise, direct responses. I like bullet points for lists. I often switch between planning mode and execution mode – when I say 'think this out,' I want a structured plan before any action." What I am currently working on: High-level context about your primary project or focus. This is the one component to update regularly as your work evolves. Example: "I am currently building Dabongo LMS, a WordPress-based learning management system. My main focus is course content development." Response preferences: How you want Claude to format and deliver responses. Example: "Do not add summaries at the end of responses unless I ask. Use markdown formatting. When I ask for code, include comments for non-obvious logic only." Writing effective Custom Instructions – practical guidelines. What Custom Instructions do not do. Custom Instructions apply to every new conversation but do not give Claude project-specific context. For that, use Projects (Lesson 3). Think of Custom Instructions as who you are and how you work; Projects as what you are working on. A freelance writer's Custom Instructions before this lesson: nothing configured. After: four paragraphs covering her professional background (editorial writer, B2B SaaS focus), working style (prefers outlines before drafts, likes multiple headline options), current projects (two active editorial clients), and response preferences (no marketing language, no exclamation points, match her publication's house style). The difference in her first Claude session after setup: Claude's first response to a draft request matched her voice closely enough that she edited rather than rewrote. Before: she typically discarded the first draft and started the session by correcting tone. That correction step – which took five to ten minutes every session – is now built into Custom Instructions. Your Custom Instructions do not need to be written in paragraph form. Many power users write them as a structured list with clear headers: ABOUT ME, WORKING STYLE, CURRENT FOCUS, RESPONSE FORMAT. Claude reads either format equally well, but the structured format is easier for you to scan, update, and maintain over time. It also makes it more obvious when a section is outdated. Custom Instructions are stored in your Claude account on Anthropic's servers. Do not include: passwords or API keys, confidential client names or project details that should remain private, financial account information, health information, or personal information about others. Write your Custom Instructions as if they could be read by anyone with access to your Claude account. Write your Custom Instructions now. Open Claude Settings, find the Custom Instructions section, and write at least two of the four components: About Me and Response Preferences. Aim for 100-200 words total. After saving, start a new Claude conversation and note whether the first response reflects your instructions. Then copy your Custom Instructions to a backup note in your notes app. You should be able to explain what Custom Instructions are and how they work, write a four-component Custom Instructions document for your professional context, know where to find Custom Instructions in Claude's settings, and have a backup copy stored outside of Claude. Log in and enroll to access lesson quizzes.
Lesson 2: Custom Instructions – Your Standing Brief to Claude
Lesson Objectives
Lesson Content
Practical Example
Lesser-Known Tip
Safety Notes
Practice Task
Completion Check