If you keep telling an AI tool the same things every time, who you are, how you like your answers, the project you are working on, you are doing more work than you need to. Each of these four tools can hold onto that context for you. Here is the set-it-once feature in each, and when it is worth using.

Claude: Projects

A project is a saved workspace that holds your instructions and files in one place, so every chat inside it already knows the background.

  1. Go to claude.ai/projects and click New Project. Give it a name.
  2. Click “Set project instructions” and tell Claude how you want it to respond, then save.
  3. Add files or notes to the project knowledge on the right, so every chat can draw on them.
  4. Start a chat inside the project. It already has your context, no re-explaining.

When to reach for it: when you keep coming back to the same thing, a class, a side business, a trip you are planning. Free accounts can keep up to five projects.

Source: Claude Help Center

ChatGPT: Memory

With memory on, ChatGPT remembers useful details across chats, so you do not have to repeat your preferences every time.

  1. Open Settings, then Personalization, and turn memory on.
  2. Tell it what to keep, for example “Remember that I am vegetarian when you suggest recipes.”
  3. Ask “What do you remember about me?” to see what it has saved.
  4. Edit or clear anything in Settings, or use a temporary chat when you do not want it to remember.

When to reach for it: for the preferences that rarely change, your name, your city, how long you like answers. Keep sensitive personal or financial details out of it.

Source: OpenAI Help Center

Copilot: Personalization

Copilot can remember how you like to work and details you tell it, so its answers fit you without a fresh setup each time.

  1. In Copilot Chat, open Settings, then Personalization.
  2. Add custom instructions describing how you want Copilot to respond.
  3. Turn on saved memories so it can hold onto details you share.
  4. Review or remove anything under Settings, then Personalization, whenever you want.

When to reach for it: inside Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat. As of mid-2026 it is rolling out in preview, and it works with or without a paid Copilot license.

Source: Microsoft Learn

Gemini: Gems

A Gem is a custom version of Gemini you set up once with its own instructions, ready to reuse for a task that comes back.

  1. In the Gemini web app, open Gems.
  2. Create a new Gem and give it a name.
  3. Write instructions for what it should do and how, and add files for context if you want.
  4. Save it, then chat with your Gem any time instead of retyping the setup.

When to reach for it: when a task returns often, meal planning, study help, or writing in a set style. You can also start from a premade Gem.

Source: Gemini Apps Help

Want this in your inbox each week? Subscribe to Darice on AI.