How to make ChatGPT write like you, with examples and instructions

The quickest way to make ChatGPT sound more like you is to give it a few good examples of your writing and explain what you want it to keep.

“Make it sound natural” leaves a lot to interpretation. A short example of an email you would actually send gives the assistant something concrete to work with. The same approach works in Claude.

Start with one kind of writing. Your work emails may have a very different voice from your messages to friends.

1. Choose examples you still like

Find two or three short pieces that sound like you on a good day. Use the type of writing you want help with. An old university essay is unlikely to help much with a message to your landlord.

Remove private details that the assistant does not need. You can replace a real client name with “the client” without losing the rhythm of the sentence. Read the remaining text for details that could still identify someone.

Prefer writing you produced yourself. If you feed the assistant several earlier AI drafts, it may reproduce the habits you are trying to remove.

You do not need to upload your entire sent folder. A small selection is easier to inspect and usually gives you a clearer starting point.

2. Ask it to explain the style before using it

Paste the examples and ask the assistant to describe what it notices.

These are examples of my work emails. Describe the writing choices they have in common. Focus on sentence length and how I make requests. Do not copy the names or factual details into future drafts.

Read the description. If it calls your writing “enthusiastic” when you see it as calm, correct that before asking for a draft.

Turn the useful observations into instructions. “Use ordinary words and ask directly for the action I need” gives more guidance than “Be authentic.”

You can also identify a habit you dislike. If you never write “I hope this email finds you well”, say so. There is no need to preserve a greeting you would delete every time.

OpenAI’s prompting guide explains how relevant examples and clear task instructions can guide the response.

3. Give it the facts for the new message

Writing style does not supply the substance. Tell the assistant what happened and what the recipient needs to do.

Draft a short email to our supplier. The delivery was due on Monday and has not arrived. Ask them to confirm the revised delivery date by tomorrow afternoon. Use the style of my examples. Do not invent a reason for the delay.

Compare the result with something you would send. If it sounds too formal, point to the sentence causing the problem. Ask for a revision with a specific change instead of repeatedly saying “More human.”

Keep a useful correction for next time. “I usually say ‘Can you confirm’ rather than ‘I would be grateful if you could confirm’” is a preference the assistant can apply.

4. Save the preferences that should apply again

In ChatGPT, open Settings → Personalization and use the custom instructions available to your account for continuing preferences.

Keep them narrow enough to suit the work. “Use short paragraphs for routine emails” leaves room for a detailed explanation when you ask for one. “Always be brief” may cut out information you need.

OpenAI’s personalisation documentation distinguishes custom instructions from other features. Tone settings can change the general feel of answers, but they do not give the assistant examples of your own writing.

For Claude, use Settings → Instructions for Claude for preferences you want across conversations. Project instructions can hold directions specific to a project. Claude’s current personalisation guide explains those scopes.

If you write public announcements and private emails differently, keep their instructions separate. Otherwise you may find yourself sending your accountant a small press release.

Carry your writing preferences with AI Passport

AI Passport holds selected personal context that connected assistants can use with your permission. You can use it to keep the writing preferences you would otherwise explain separately in ChatGPT and Claude.

After you have found an instruction that works, ask your connected assistant to propose it as a Passport preference.

Save this writing preference to AI Passport. When drafting routine work emails, use British spelling and ask directly for the action I need. Avoid formal filler greetings.

Read the proposal before approving it. A permitted assistant can retrieve the approved context when you ask it to draft another email. Memory approval is separate from granting an app access to the relevant context.

You can save the instruction without copying private examples into continuing memory. Keep a confidential email in the task where it is needed rather than turning every detail into a preference about you.

Read about AI Passport’s memory controls.

Read the draft as the sender

Check whether you would stand behind each sentence. An assistant can imitate your tone while inventing a promise you never made.

Make sure dates and requests are right. Delete anything you would not say. The aim is to spend less time wrestling with a first draft while keeping the judgement that makes it your message.