Why it matters
The most common complaint about AI answers is that they're generic. That's usually because the AI doesn't know your prices, your area, your customers or how you talk. A project holds that context so you stop retyping it.
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Before you start
Put together a "business brief" document (one to two pages). The template is below. Also gather two or three documents you use a lot, such as a service menu, price sheet, policies or a good past proposal. Remove customer personal information first.
Steps in ChatGPT
- Select New project in the sidebar. Name it after your business and pick an icon and color.
- Open the project's ••• menu and choose Project settings.
- Paste the instructions block below into the instructions field. Project instructions apply only inside this project and override your global custom instructions.
- Under Memory in the same settings, choose Project-only memory if you want this project kept separate from your personal chats. OpenAI added the ability to change this on existing projects on Aug 14, 2026. Changes can take a few hours to kick in.
- Add your business brief and documents as project files. The number of files depends on your plan.
- Start a chat inside the project and test it: "Write a 3-sentence reply to a customer asking if we service [NEARBY TOWN]." If the answer is wrong, fix the brief, not the chat.
Steps in Claude
- Go to claude.ai/projects and click New Project. Name and description are for you; Claude doesn't read them.
- Click Set project instructions, paste the instructions block, and save.
- Click the + in the project knowledge area and upload your brief and documents.
- Start a chat inside the project and run the same test.
Claude's Free plan allows up to five projects. On Claude, chats inside a project don't share context with each other unless the information is in the project knowledge, so put anything important in the brief.
Copy-paste templates
BUSINESS: [name], [type], founded [year] AREA WE SERVE: [towns/zip codes]. We do NOT serve: [list] SERVICES AND STARTING PRICES: [list] WHO OUR CUSTOMERS ARE: [2-3 sentences] HOW WE'RE DIFFERENT: [2-3 true, specific points] POLICIES: booking, cancellations, deposits, warranty, payment methods HOURS AND CONTACT: HOW WE TALK: [example phrases we use; phrases we never use] FAQ WE GET CONSTANTLY: [5 questions with our answers]
You are the writing and thinking assistant for [BUSINESS NAME]. Use the business brief and files in this project as the source of truth. - If a fact isn't in the files, say you don't know and ask me. Never invent prices, policies, service areas or guarantees. - Write in the voice described in "HOW WE TALK." - Default to short answers. Use bullet points only when I ask for a list. - When you draft anything customer-facing, end with a one-line note of any facts I should double-check.
Common mistakes
- Uploading everything. A tight brief beats 40 random files. Stale documents give stale answers.
- Putting customer data in the project. Keep it to business facts.
- Fixing bad answers inside a chat instead of updating the brief, so the same mistake comes back next time.
- Sharing a project without thinking. ChatGPT lets you share projects on every plan, and anyone with edit access can change the files and instructions.
- Expecting the AI to know what changed. Update prices and policies in the brief when they change.
