Skip to main content

​
What Are Custom Assistants?

Custom assistants let you give the AI a set of instructions it will follow in every chat response. Instead of repeating “keep slides concise” or “respond in Spanish” in each message, you write those instructions once in an assistant, activate it, and the AI behaves that way automatically. You can create multiple assistants and switch between them — for example one for sales pitches and another for technical training decks.

​
How to Create an Assistant

1

Open the add-in

Click Extensions → ChatGPT for Google Workspace → 🚀 Launch GPT to open the sidebar.
2

Open Settings

Click the Settings icon (gear) in the top-right corner of the sidebar.
3

Open the Assistants page

Scroll to the Assistants row and click Manage.
4

Create a new assistant

Click Create assistant at the top of the page.
5

Give it a name

Enter a short name that describes its purpose — for example Sales Pitch or Formal Spanish.
6

Write your instructions

In the Instructions field, describe how the AI should behave. Be as specific as you need — see the examples below.
7

Save

Click Save. The assistant is now created and set as active.

​
How to Switch Between Assistants

Switching is done from the same Assistants page where you manage them.
  1. Open Settings → Assistants → Manage.
  2. Tap any assistant in the list to make it active — a checkmark appears next to the active one.
  3. Tap the active assistant again to deselect it and go back to Default (no custom instructions).
  4. To switch to a different assistant, simply tap another one.
The active assistant is remembered across sessions. Every chat message you send will use its instructions until you change it.

​
Editing and Deleting Assistants

On the Assistants page:
  • Click the pencil icon next to an assistant to edit its name or instructions.
  • Click the trash icon to delete it. You will be asked to confirm before it is removed.

​
Writing Effective Instructions

Instructions tell the AI exactly how to behave. The clearer and more specific they are, the better the results.

Tone and style

“Keep slide content punchy. Use short bullet points, not paragraphs.”

Structure

“For each slide, suggest a clear title and at most three bullets.”

Language

“Always respond in Spanish, regardless of the language of my request.”

Brand voice

“Write in a confident, energetic tone suited to investor pitches.”

​
More instruction examples

Tone:
  • “Be concise. Favor impactful, presentation-ready phrasing.”
  • “Avoid jargon — assume a general business audience.”
Structure:
  • “Always propose a title plus speaker notes for each slide.”
  • “Limit each bullet to one line.”
Content rules:
  • “Never invent statistics or sources. If unsure, say so.”
  • “When asked for an outline, return a slide-by-slide breakdown.”
Language:
  • “Respond in French. Maintain a professional register.”
  • “Translate all summaries into Japanese.”

​
Frequently Asked Questions

There is no fixed limit — you can create as many assistants as you need.
No, only one assistant is active at a time. To switch, tap a different assistant in the list. To use no custom instructions, tap the active assistant again to deselect it.
The active assistant is automatically cleared and the AI reverts to Default behavior.
Assistants apply to the chat. The instructions you write are passed to the AI alongside your message every time you send a chat request.
Yes — instructions can be up to 2,000 characters. The character count is shown below the input field as you type.

​
Next Steps

Back to Slides features

See all ChatGPT for Google Workspace features in Slides.

Get Help

Find answers to common questions.