Type one word and ChatGPT knows what to do. These codes aren't built in. You teach them to ChatGPT once in Custom instructions, the notes it reads before every chat. Then BRUTAL, CUSTOMER, NEXT, TLDR and REPLY work whenever you type them.
When I type BRUTAL: give me honest feedback on what I just shared. Tell me what's weak and what you'd cut. Don't soften it. When I type CUSTOMER: react to what I just shared as my ideal customer would. Tell me what would make you buy and what would make you scroll past. When I type NEXT: give me the 3 most important next steps, in order, with how long each one will take. When I type TLDR: summarize what I just shared in 3 bullets, then tell me the one thing I need to do about it. When I type REPLY: turn my rough notes into a short, friendly email reply in my voice, under 100 words. Only treat these as codes when the word is on its own or at the start of my message.
BRUTAL. ChatGPT loves to agree with me, and this makes it stop. Use it on anything before it goes out: a proposal, a post, a price page. Then type CUSTOMER to hear it from the buyer's side.
Teach it the code in Custom instructions. Open Settings, then Personalization, and write a line like "When I type BRUTAL, give me honest feedback and tell me what to cut." Save it, start a chat, and type the word after anything you paste in.
On the web and desktop app they're under Settings, then Personalization. Make sure Enable customization is on, then type or paste into the Custom instructions field and save. Custom instructions are available on every ChatGPT plan, including the free one.
It depends on your plan. Free and Go accounts can save up to 1,500 characters. Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts can save up to 5,000. The five codes on this page use under 700 characters, so they fit on any plan.
Ask for criticism by name. Add a BRUTAL code to your custom instructions: "When I type BRUTAL, give me honest feedback on what I just shared. Tell me what's weak and what you'd cut. Don't soften it." Then type BRUTAL after any draft you want torn apart.
Five more codes I'd add next, for objections, questions, cutting, fact checks and captions. Plus how to fit all ten inside ChatGPT's character limit on the free plan.
When I type OBJECTIONS: list the 3 objections my ideal customer would raise about what I just shared, with a one-line answer to each. When I type ASK: before you answer, ask me up to 5 questions you need answered to do this well. Wait for my answers. When I type SHORTER: cut what I just shared to half its length. Keep every fact and my tone. When I type CHECK: list every number, date, name and claim in what I just shared that I should check before I publish it. When I type CAPTION: turn what I just shared into a social media caption. Hook first, under 60 words, plain words.
Paste these under your first five. All ten together come to about 1,250 characters, which fits the free plan's limit of 1,500. On Plus and up you have 5,000, so there's room for codes of your own.
Prompts, step-by-step guides and checklists you can put to work today.