Stage 3 of 5

Teach AI: build a reusable skill

About 45 minutes. Progress: 0%.

Teaching AI how you work

AI doesn't know your business, your audience, or your style unless you tell it. Teaching AI means writing that down once so you can reuse it.

Context: Who you are, who it's for, and why the task matters.
Examples: Short samples of work you like. AI copies patterns well.
Constraints: Do and don't rules, length, words to avoid.
Feedback: Tell it what to change, then update your document so you don't repeat yourself.
Verification: Ask it to check its own work and flag uncertainty — then check it yourself.
Reuse: Save the document and paste it in (or store it as instructions) each time.

A reusable skill is not retraining the AI

You aren't changing the AI model or teaching it permanently. The model stays the same; you're giving it written instructions to read each time. Remove the instructions and it goes back to default behavior.

Skill Builder

Choose a task you do often. Fill in what you can — you can come back and edit any time.

No path selected, so examples are for Everyday Learner. Choose a path.

Your entries save automatically in this browser as you type.

Skill namePurposeRoleAudienceBrand voiceExamples of good workDo rulesDon't rulesOutput formatClarifying questions the AI should ask firstVerification steps

Fill in a field (or load an example) to see your skill document.

Privacy caution

Don't put client names, contracts, passwords, financial records, or anyone's personal details in your skill document or examples. Use made-up or anonymized samples. Anything saved as instructions in an AI tool is stored by that service under its own terms.

Using your skill in ChatGPT or Claude

Works everywhere: paste the document at the start of a new chat, then give your task.
ChatGPT: you can add standing preferences under custom instructions in settings (these have length limits, so use a shorter version), or add instructions to a Project or a custom GPT if your plan includes those.
Claude: you can add the document to a Project's instructions. Claude also offers a "Skills" feature on some plans — check Claude's help pages to see if it's available to you.

Menu names, limits, and which plans include which features change often, and the tools don't work identically. If you can't find an option, the paste-at-start method always works.

Open ChatGPT ↗Open Claude ↗

Reflection

How did the AI's output change with your skill document? What feedback did you give, and what did you add to the document?

Saved automatically (in this browser, and to your account if you are signed in). You can edit it any time.

Activity checklist

I read the six parts of teaching AI (context, examples, constraints, feedback, verification, reuse).
I filled in the Skill Builder for a task I do often.
I copied or downloaded my skill document.
I tested the skill in ChatGPT or Claude on a real (non-confidential) task.
I gave the AI feedback and updated my skill document.
I wrote a reflection on what changed.

Tick every item to mark this complete.

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