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FlintFlintby Torch
← LevelsBuilder · B2

Standing instructions: set the trajectory

Build-along · ~10 min at your own keyboard

Every major assistant has a place for standing instructions it reads before each chat: Projects or custom instructions in Claude and ChatGPT, Gems in Gemini, custom instructions in Copilot where your version has them, and a CLAUDE.md file once you use Claude Code. Small instructions at the start shape a whole session, the way a heading set at the dock decides where the boat ends up. This lesson works in whichever assistant you picked in Level 0 — pick your route below. Other coding tools read a similar file called AGENTS.md; same idea, different name.

The long version: CLAUDE.md: your project brain ↗

Do this

0/4

Checkpoints

  • ▸You should now see your block with three headings and 5 bullets saved in your assistant.
  • ▸You should now see a new chat pick up your rules without you restating them.
  • ▸You should now see a clear difference against a chat that doesn't use the instructions.
The three ways this goes wrong
  • The AI ignores your rules. — Check you started the chat inside the Project or Gem, or that custom instructions are switched on. In Claude Code, the file must be named exactly CLAUDE.md in the folder where you started claude; start a fresh session.
  • The file is a wall of paragraphs and Claude only follows some of it. — Cut to short bullets. Put the most important rule first.
  • The rules are generic ('be professional') and nothing changes. — Write rules only you would know: your sign-off, your banned phrase, your price ceiling.

Dated facts in this lesson: Standing instructions live in: Claude Projects and personal preferences, ChatGPT Projects or Custom Instructions, Gemini saved info and personal context (Gems are being replaced by Skills in Q4 2026), Copilot memory and personalization settings or Notebooks, and CLAUDE.md for Claude Code. Names and menus change often (researched Oct 4, 2026, not yet confirmed by a person: check the source before you rely on it).

Where these ideas come from: AGENTS.md (AI Hero dictionary). Paraphrased here.

Share what happened

Paste your 5 bullets, which assistant and where you saved them, and one line on what the new chat did differently.

Strip API keys, passwords, and tokens before you paste. Swap them for [KEY].

🔒 Don't paste confidential, personal-health, or payment info.