AI Projects, Memory and Custom Instructions Explained
By default, an AI forgets everything when you start a new chat. Three features fix that: custom instructions (standing rules), projects (a workspace with files and instructions) and memory (facts remembered across chats). Names and availability differ by provider and plan, so check your app.
Custom instructions
A short standing brief that applies to every chat: who you are, how you like answers, what to avoid. Try our Plain-English Assistant as a starting point.
Projects and workspaces
A project groups related chats, uploaded files and instructions in one place, ideal for an ongoing job such as a client, a course or a book. The AI can draw on the project’s files each time.
Memory
Some apps can remember facts about you between chats. It’s convenient, but it means personal details are stored. Check the settings to see what’s remembered, and how to view or delete it. See AI privacy basics.
Which should you use?
| Need | Best fit |
|---|---|
| Same style and rules every time | Custom instructions |
| An ongoing piece of work with documents | Project |
| It should “just know” my preferences | Memory (if you’re comfortable with it) |
These features feed information into the AI’s context window; they don’t make the window bigger.
Common mistakes
- Writing a giant instruction block nobody, including the AI, follows perfectly. Keep it short.
- Storing sensitive details in memory or project files without checking the settings.
What to try next
Sources
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