12 ChatGPT Commands You Can Use Every Day

You do not need a new tool or a complicated workflow. These 12 shortcuts help turn common tasks, such as writing an email, checking a claim or prioritizing a crowded task list, into clear requests ChatGPT can act on.

These are user-defined prompt shortcuts, not built-in ChatGPT commands. They work because the definitions are saved in Custom Instructions or supplied in the current conversation. The result is still a draft for you to judge, not a substitute for your expertise.

1. Set up the commands

Do this before trying the examples below. OpenAI says changes to Custom Instructions apply immediately across all chats, including existing conversations.

1. On web or desktop, open Settings, then Personalization. Turn on Enable customization, then enter your text in the Custom Instructions field.
2. On iOS or Android, open Settings, then Customize ChatGPT. Turn on Enable customization, then enter your text in the Custom Instructions field.
3. If you already use Custom Instructions, save a copy of your existing text before editing it.
4. Copy the entire command block below, from COMMANDS through the last !interview line, into the field and save it.
5. Start a message with a command, a space and the material you want ChatGPT to work on. For example: !concise [paste a paragraph].

The block is 1,394 characters when the final line break is included. OpenAI currently allows up to 1,500 characters for Free and Go users, and up to 5,000 characters for Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business and Education users. If your saved instructions already contain other text, you may need to make room. You can also paste the block into one conversation if you prefer not to change account-wide settings.

Copy this into Custom Instructions

COMMANDS: When my message starts with one of these, follow its rule exactly. No intro, no closing lines.
!email: Write a work email. Subject line first. Max 120 words. End with one clear ask.
!critic: Do not rewrite my text. Give 3 weaknesses ranked by impact. For each: the problem in one line, then "Fix:" with one concrete change.
!concise: Cut to half the length or less. Keep every fact, number and name. Return only the new text.
!customer: React as my target customer: first impression, biggest objection, what would make them say yes.
!sales: Rewrite as a sales message: pain, outcome, proof, one CTA. Max 80 words.
!summarize: Max 5 bullets, then "Decisions:" and "Action items:" with owner and deadline. Write "unknown" if missing.
!prioritize: Sort my tasks into Do now / This week / Delegate / Drop, with a one-line reason each.
!assumptions: List the hidden assumptions, rate each High/Med/Low risk, and say how to test the riskiest one.
!factcheck: Table: Claim | Verified / Unverified / False | Why. Use web search if available. Never guess.
!automate: Find steps I can automate. For each: the step, a real tool name, time saved per week, difficulty.
!template: Turn this into a reusable template with [PLACEHOLDERS] and one line on how to use it.
!interview: Ask one interview question at a time for the role I name. After each answer: score 1-10, then show a stronger version.

2. Pick the command that matches the task

Use one command at the start of your message. Replace the sample details with your own, and paste the source material when a command transforms existing work.

1. !email

For a short work email with a subject and one clear request.

!email Write to a potential client who asked for pricing. Thank them, say the proposal is attached, and ask if Thursday at 2 pm works for a 15-minute call.

2. !critic

For feedback before you publish or send a draft. It identifies problems without rewriting your voice.

!critic Here is the opening of my landing page: [paste your draft]

3. !concise

For cutting length while keeping facts, numbers and names intact.

!concise [paste your long update or paragraph]

4. !customer

For testing a message from the buyer's point of view. Name the audience and give enough context.

!customer My target customer is a solo consultant who has never used AI. Here is my offer: [paste your offer]

5. !sales

For a compact sales message with a concrete outcome and one next step. Give real proof if you have it.

!sales Turn this into a message for small agency owners. The offer is [describe offer]. Evidence I can support: [add real result or say none]. CTA: book a 15-minute call.

6. !summarize

For meeting notes or long documents that need decisions and owners surfaced.

!summarize These are our meeting notes: [paste notes]

7. !prioritize

For an overloaded task list. Add deadlines and constraints to make the sorting useful.

!prioritize I have 3 hours today. Friday is the client deadline. Tasks: [paste tasks with due dates]

8. !assumptions

For exposing what a plan quietly depends on before you invest time or money.

!assumptions I plan to launch a paid weekly AI newsletter for freelancers. Here is the plan: [paste plan]

9. !factcheck

For checking factual claims. Provide the claims and ask for sources. Without verifiable evidence, a claim should remain unverified.

!factcheck Check these three claims for an article. Include source links and publication dates: [paste claims]

10. !automate

For spotting repeatable steps. Give a real workflow and frequency, not just a job title.

!automate Each Monday I copy new leads from a form into a spreadsheet, tag them, and send a welcome email. I do this for about 40 leads a week.

11. !template

For turning a good one-off asset into something reusable. Bracketed words are fields to fill in later.

!template Turn this client onboarding email into a reusable version: [paste email]

12. !interview

For one-question-at-a-time practice. Name the role and, if useful, the seniority level.

!interview Product marketing manager, mid-level. Ask me one question at a time.

3. Make the output worth using

The command controls the format. Quality comes from the context you provide. Before pressing Enter, add the audience, goal, relevant facts, constraints and material to work from.

Here is an illustrative input structure. Its numbers and details are hypothetical:

!customer My target customer is an independent accountant who spends several hours each week on client follow-ups. This offer sets up a reviewed email workflow. Here is the price and scope: [add verified details]. Here is the landing-page draft: [paste draft]

Review the answer before you send or publish it. Check names, numbers, promises, links and tone.

• For !factcheck, open the sources yourself. A link is not proof until you confirm that it supports the claim.
• For !automate, treat tool names and time-saved estimates as proposals to validate against current documentation and a real test.
• For !sales, never present invented proof as a customer result.
• For every command, keep private, confidential and regulated information out of the chat unless you have permission and an approved process.

A simple test

1. Paste the command block into Custom Instructions and save it.
2. Try !concise with a paragraph you wrote. Confirm that every fact survives.
3. Try !critic on the same paragraph. Check whether the feedback is specific enough to act on.
4. If a result misses the mark, add one sentence of context and run the command again.

Square brackets in the examples, such as [paste notes], tell you what to replace with your own material. Do not type the brackets unless you want them to appear literally.

The point

A good AI workflow does not begin with a perfect prompt. It begins with a repeatable way to ask for the work you need, followed by a deliberate human check before that work leaves your desk.

Sources and verification

• OpenAI Help Center: ChatGPT Custom Instructions, verified September 29, 2026.
• OpenAI Academy: Personalizing ChatGPT, reviewed September 29, 2026 for supporting context.