← Back to all free guides
A free guide by Mariah Brunner ↗ INSTAGRAM ↗ TIKTOK

Set Up Claude
In 5 Steps

Stop using Claude like Google. This 10-minute setup makes it remember you, write like you and skip the AI fluff.

Most people open Claude, type a question, get a generic answer and decide AI is overhyped. The real problem is that Claude has no idea who they are, so it gives the average answer for the average person.

Do this once and every chat after that starts with Claude already knowing you.

The 5 Steps

01

Start a Project, not a chat

A Project is a workspace with its own instructions and files. Every chat inside it starts with that context, and with memory on, Claude builds a memory of your work in that Project.

Click Projects in the left sidebar, then + New Project. Give it a simple name, like your business name or "Work." Free plans get up to 5 Projects. Everything below happens inside this Project.

02

Tell Claude who you are

Don’t rush this. I’d tap the mic in the message box and just talk about who you are and what you do. Then cover your goals and how you like to communicate. You’ll say more than you’d ever type. Or paste this and fill it in:

About Me
I'm setting you up to help me long-term. Here's who I am. Ask me follow-up questions if anything important is missing. Who I am: [name, where you live, your life stage] What I do: [your job or business, and the 3 to 5 things you spend most of your time on] Who I serve: [your customers, clients or audience, described like you'd tell a friend] My goals for the next 6 months: [1 to 3 goals, with numbers if you can] My biggest problem right now: [the one that keeps you up at night] How I communicate: [direct or warm, casual or professional, short or detailed] How I want answers: [length and format, like "short, with bullet points"] When I'm wrong: [tell me directly / ask me questions]

03

Have Claude write your instructions

In the same chat, paste the prompt below. Then copy what Claude writes, click Set project instructions on the Project page, paste it in and save. Now every chat in the Project follows it.

Write My Instructions
Based on everything I just told you, write custom instructions for this Project. Include: 1. Who I am and what I do, in 2 to 3 sentences 2. My preferred tone, length and format 3. How to handle it when you're unsure or think I'm wrong Write it to you, in second person. Be specific, not generic. Keep it under 300 words and put it in one block I can copy.

04

Add 5 samples of your writing

Long emails, documents, captions, even texts. A mix is best. Add them to the Project’s knowledge with the + on the right side of the Project page, so Claude can always see them. Then send this in a chat and add the voice rules it writes to your project instructions.

Learn My Voice
I added 5 samples of my writing to this Project's files. Study them and describe my voice: sentence length, words I use and avoid, how I open and close, how casual I am and what makes it sound like me. Then write "Voice Rules" in under 150 words that I can paste into my project instructions, so everything you write for me sounds like me, not like AI. Finally, write one short paragraph in my voice so I can check it.

05

Add behavior rules

Telling Claude what not to do matters just as much. This one step cuts most of the annoying parts. Add the rules it writes to the bottom of your project instructions.

My Behavior Rules
Write 8 to 10 behavior rules I can add to my project instructions. Include these, plus anything else that makes you sound less like AI and more like a sharp colleague: - Don't start with "Great question" or repeat my question back - Don't end with a summary unless I ask - No unnecessary disclaimers or hedging - No corporate words like "leverage" or "elevate" - If I'm wrong, say so directly - If you don't know, say so Put them in a numbered list I can copy.
How To Use It
  1. New topic, new chat. Stay inside your Project, but start a fresh chat when you switch topics. Your instructions and files come with you.
  2. Talk, don’t search. Instead of "what is X," try "I’m dealing with X, here’s the context, help me think it through."
  3. Fix it once. If Claude does something you don’t like, add a line to your project instructions so it never happens again.

The people getting the most out of Claude aren’t smarter than you. They just took 10 minutes to set it up. Want the next level? Try my full 1-day Claude setup.