To save ChatGPT prompts for reuse, keep ongoing preferences in custom instructions or project instructions, and save individual task prompts in a library you can copy from. Claude also has project instructions, while Microsoft 365 Copilot lets you bookmark prompts. A local library such as PhraseVault® lets you reuse the same prompt across these tools without searching through old conversations.
What should I save in ChatGPT's instructions?
Use custom instructions for preferences you want ChatGPT to follow across chats, such as your writing style. Add them through the personalization settings. For a particular piece of work, use a project's instructions so its chats share the same guidance. OpenAI's personalization guide and project guide explain those options.
These are ongoing instructions, rather than a menu of prompts you choose for individual tasks. If you use different prompts for rewriting emails, summarizing notes, and reviewing code, save each separately in a document or phrase library.
Preference for everyday chats:
When you rewrite my text, keep the meaning, prefer short sentences, and flag missing facts instead of inventing them.
Instructions for a meeting-notes project:
Turn my meeting notes into decisions, open questions, and action items. For each action, include the owner if named; otherwise, write "owner not specified".
How can I keep instructions in Claude?
Claude projects let you save instructions for related chats. As of October 2026, projects are available on Free accounts too, with up to five projects on Free. Use one for ongoing work that needs consistent guidance; see Claude's project guide.
Those instructions apply inside Claude. If you also want them in ChatGPT, keep a separate copy to paste into the other tool.
How do I bookmark a prompt in Microsoft 365 Copilot?
Run the prompt first, then hover over it and use the bookmark icon to save it. You can give it a descriptive title and retrieve it from Your saved prompts in the Copilot Prompt Gallery, also called Prompt Lab. The saved list is private to you; Microsoft also offers ways to share prompts with a team. Microsoft's saving guide covers this Microsoft 365 Copilot workflow.
How do I save one prompt for all my AI tools?
PhraseVault stores prompts locally and pastes them into the app you're using. To save your first one:
- Open PhraseVault and press Ctrl+N on Windows or Cmd+N on a Mac to create a phrase.
- Give it a clear Name, such as "Rewrite email", paste your prompt into Expanded text, and choose Save.
- Click in the chat's message box. Press Ctrl+. on Windows or Cmd+. on a Mac, search for the saved prompt, and press Enter to paste it.
You find prompts through search, so there are no abbreviation triggers to memorize. PhraseVault doesn't generate AI responses or upload your library. Once you send the pasted prompt, the AI service processes it under its own rules.
PhraseVault supports Windows 10/11 x64 and Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 13 or later. It also runs on Linux (x86_64), built for Omarchy and Arch with Hyprland. Automatic paste and the summon shortcut need Hyprland. The AppImage is best-effort on other distributions. On a Mac, enable Accessibility permission for automatic pasting; otherwise, use the copied text on the clipboard to paste manually. The basic guide covers saving and editing phrases.
Can I change part of a prompt each time?
Use a fill-in field for a changing topic or audience, or a clipboard placeholder for text you've already copied. PhraseVault fills these in when you insert the prompt; the placeholder guide explains the syntax.
Rewrite what I copied:
Rewrite the text below as a short email. Keep the facts, cut the filler, and end with one clear next step.
{{clipboard}}
Brief for a topic:
Write a one-page brief on
{{input:topic}}for{{input:audience}}. Open with the decision they need to make, then the three facts that matter, and close with the risk of doing nothing.
For naming conventions, labels, and a growing collection, see the AI prompt manager guide. An agent that runs shell commands can read the same prompts with the optional phrasevault command; see the command line guide. Keep persistent instructions in the AI tool where they should apply, and your reusable task prompts in the library you can reach from any app.
Download PhraseVault and try it free for 14 days — no credit card required.