TL;DR: A freelancer got burned when ChatGPT invented a study for a client report. Their fix is 7 short lines saved in ChatGPT and Claude memory. The lines cut the filler and make the AI say when it’s unsure. It works on free plans, and setup takes about two minutes.
The story behind it
A Redditor (u/Strange-Call5277) put a statistic from ChatGPT into a client report. The client’s team checked it before presenting it internally. The study didn’t exist, and the number was made up.
The client was understanding. The author still didn’t want a second conversation like that.
So they wrote seven standing instructions and saved them in memory for both ChatGPT and Claude. The post got 48 upvotes in r/ChatGPTPromptGenius.
Breakdown: what each line does
- Start with the answer. No greeting, no praise, no ‘Great question’. The author asked how long a banana takes to digest and got ‘Great question!’ back. If that’s a great question, every question is.
- Short, plain sentences. Common words, one idea per sentence. The author writes this way for readers and wants the same back.
- No emojis, no hype, no filler. You want a colleague’s status update, not a pep talk.
- Don’t copy my tone or mood. When the author was angry and short on time, the chat got emotional too. Staying calm gives you output you can use.
- Stop when the answer is done. No ‘Want me to…?’ endings. The author compares them to Instagram Reels: they exist to keep you going.
- Ask only when needed, one question at a time. Ask only if the missing piece would change the answer, and never a questionnaire.
- Say when you’re guessing. This is the line that matters most. Give an AI 9 details out of 10 and it will sometimes invent the 10th so smoothly you won’t notice. This line stops most of that.
How to set it up
There are two routes.
Route 1: let the chat save it for you. Paste the setup prompt below into a new chat. It saves the instructions as permanent memory, then proves it worked by replying in the new style with 3 bullets about how you use the tool.
Route 2: paste it yourself. Put the 7 lines straight into your settings.
If the reply doesn’t come back in the new style, memory is probably off:
- ChatGPT: Settings, Personalization, Memory. Turn Memory on. Some accounts call it ‘Reference saved memories’.
- Claude: Settings, Memory. Tick ‘Generate memory from chats’.
Then send the same prompt again in a new chat.
Use cases
- Client reports and any document where a made-up number can cost you trust.
- Research summaries where you need to know what’s sourced and what’s inferred.
- Quick work questions where you want the answer, not a speech.
- Heated or rushed moments when you need the AI to stay level.
📋 Prompt of the Day
Setup prompt (send in a new chat):
Save the instruction below as a permanent instruction for how you answer me in all future chats. Keep the wording exactly. Then reply in the new style. Use only what you remember about me. Give 3 bullets: 2 on what I mostly use you for, 1 on something I don’t use you for yet that would help me. If you don’t remember enough, say so in one line instead of guessing.
The 7 lines:
How to answer me, in every chat:
- Start with the answer. No greeting, no praise, no ‘Great question’.
- Short, plain sentences. Common words. One idea per sentence.
- No emojis, no hype, no filler.
- Don’t copy my tone or mood. Stay calm and direct.
- Don’t end with offers like ‘let me know if you need anything else’. Stop when the answer is complete.
- Ask a question only if you can’t answer without it. One question at a time.
- If you’re guessing or unsure, say so in one line. Never invent facts, numbers or sources.
Where it breaks
The author is upfront about this. Fewer made-up facts doesn’t mean zero. They still check any number before it goes into a real document. ChatGPT may also save the lines in its own words, so open its memory afterward and confirm the wording.
The Reddit comments are worth a look too. One person joked that the post itself should have run with the instructions turned on, and another said the ‘no praise, no filler’ lines changed their output the most. That’s a fair point. Those two lines are a voice instruction, and they work well beyond chat.
Call to action
Save the 7 lines today, then run one test. Ask your AI for a statistic it can’t possibly know and see whether it admits it. If it does, you’ve just avoided a very awkward client call. Tell me in the comments what you changed or added, because the best versions of this prompt come from people tweaking it for their own work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to paste these instructions again, or does memory keep them?
The memory feature is supposed to keep them across chats, so you only paste once. Step 2 of the setup tells you whether it stuck: if the reply skips the three bullets, memory is probably off. Turn it on in your settings, then send the setup prompt again.
Q: How do I get the AI to show where its facts come from?
Add a line to your instructions that tells the AI to justify its answer when you reply with just the word ‘source’. After any answer you want to check, send ‘source’ and it will explain where the information came from and how to verify it. Always open the links yourself, because AI can invent a link or cite a real one that doesn’t support the claim.
Q: Is a no-fluff rule enough to stop made-up facts?
Some commenters think it’s the wrong fix. Cutting filler makes answers easier to scan, but it doesn’t make them more accurate. Others say the no-filler rules changed their results the most, and that asking for citations is what catches errors. Use both: keep the short style, and ask for sources on any number you plan to publish.
Q: Is there a tighter version of these instructions?
One commenter shared a version that asks the AI to answer directly, skip generic intros and drop conclusions that add nothing, while still keeping accuracy and enough detail. It helps if the short style leaves you with thin replies. Test it on a few of your own questions before you rely on it.
Q: How do I get the AI to match my writing voice?
Describing your style only gets you a rough impression. Paste two paragraphs you wrote yourself and ask the AI to answer in that same pattern. It’s a quick test, and it shows you how well the instructions carry your voice.
The 7 lines I gave ChatGPT and Claude
by u/Strange-Call5277 in ChatGPTPromptGenius