Coach setup · free · 2 minutes
Make your AI ask for your attempt first
Paste one short instruction into your AI's settings. From then on it asks what you think before it answers, in its own app and on its own website. You can still write "just answer" whenever you need to.
Where to paste it
Steps checked 13 November 2026. These apps move their menus often. If a step looks different, look for the words in bold.
Open your profile menu
Go to chatgpt.com, sign in, and select your name or picture in the bottom left corner.
Choose Personalization
Select Personalization, then find Custom instructions.
Paste and save
Paste the instruction into the box about how ChatGPT should respond, then select Save.
Start a new chat
Custom instructions apply to new chats, not ones already open.
Open the menu
In the ChatGPT app, tap the two lines at the top left, then tap your name at the bottom.
Tap Personalization
Tap Personalization, then Custom instructions.
Paste and save
Hold your finger in the box, tap Paste, then tap Save.
Start a new chat
The instruction is tied to your account, so it also applies on the web.
Open the menu
In the ChatGPT app, tap the menu at the top left, then tap your name at the bottom.
Tap Personalization
Tap Personalization, then Custom instructions.
Paste and save
Long-press in the box, tap Paste, then tap Save.
Start a new chat
The instruction is tied to your account, so it also applies on the web.
ChatGPT is for ages 13 and up, and under 18s need a parent's permission.
Open Settings
Go to gemini.google.com, sign in, and select Settings and help.
Choose Instructions for Gemini
Select Instructions for Gemini. Older accounts may show it as Saved info.
Add the instruction
Select Add, paste the instruction, then submit.
Start a new chat
Ask a study question and check that it asks for your attempt.
Open your profile
In the Gemini app, tap your profile picture at the top right.
Tap Instructions for Gemini
If you do not see it, it is not available for your account or country yet. Use the web steps, or the think pad instead.
Add the instruction
Tap Add, paste, and submit.
Open your profile
In the Gemini app, tap your profile picture at the top right.
Tap Instructions for Gemini
If you do not see it, it is not available for your account or country yet. Use the web steps, or the think pad instead.
Add the instruction
Tap Add, paste, and submit.
Instructions for Gemini may not be available in every country or for every account. They do not apply inside Gems or Gemini Live.
Adults only. Claude's terms require users to be 18 or older. If you are under 18, use the ChatGPT or Gemini steps.
Open Settings
Go to claude.ai, sign in, select your name in the bottom left corner, then Settings.
Find your instructions
Look for the box for instructions or personal preferences that apply to all conversations.
Paste and save
Paste the instruction and save your changes.
Start a new chat
Ask something you are trying to learn and check that it asks for your attempt.
Open Settings
In the Claude app, open the menu, tap your name, then Settings.
Find your instructions
Look for the instructions that apply to all conversations. If the app does not show them, set them on the web: they follow your account.
Paste and save
Paste the instruction and save.
Open Settings
In the Claude app, open the menu, tap your name, then Settings.
Find your instructions
Look for the instructions that apply to all conversations. If the app does not show them, set them on the web: they follow your account.
Paste and save
Paste the instruction and save.
Three honest things.
- You are in charge. Delete the instruction from the same settings screen at any time.
- The AI will not follow it every time. Long chats drift. If it forgets, say "remember my instructions".
- It lives in your account with that AI company, not with us. We never see it.
Use Copilot, Perplexity or more than one AI?
The think pad does the same job from the outside. Write your attempt once, tap the AI you want, and it carries your attempt with it.
Questions
Does this cost anything or need an account with you?
No. The instruction is free and is built in your browser. You paste it into an AI account you already have.
Will it slow me down when I am in a hurry?
Write "just answer" and it answers straight away. The gentle setting also skips quick facts and small practical requests.
Why ask for my attempt at all?
In a 2026 study with 1,222 people, those who used AI for hints kept solving problems on their own afterwards, while those who got direct answers gave up more. A hint needs something to hint at, so your attempt comes first. See what the research found.
Is this the same as ChatGPT's study mode?
It is the same idea with two differences. It stays on for every new chat until you remove it, and the same text works in Gemini and Claude too.
Can a parent set this up for a teenager?
Yes, on ChatGPT or Gemini, together with your teenager. They can remove it, so it works best as an agreed rule. The parents page has a simple family agreement.