Set up an "ADHD mode" in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

Quick answer: Neither ChatGPT nor Claude has an official setting called "ADHD mode". The viral posts are really a set of custom instructions: put the next action first, number the steps, cap lists at five and skip the small talk. Paste them in once and every new chat follows them.

The problem

Default AI answers often open with a recap, wander through five options and end with a question. By the time you reach the useful bit, your attention has moved on.

Copy, paste, go

Paste into custom instructions (every chat)

How I want answers:
1. Put the next thing I can do in the first line. No intro, no recap of my question.
2. Number any multi-step task, one action per step.
3. Show at most 5 items in any list. Offer "more?" instead of listing everything.
4. Give time estimates in minutes.
5. Ask me only one question at a time.
6. End with one concrete step I can do in under 2 minutes.
7. Skip greetings, apologies and sign-offs.
If I say "normal mode", drop these rules until I say "ADHD mode".

Turn it on for one chat

For the rest of this chat: answer first, under 120 words, numbered steps, max 5 items, one question at a time, and finish with one tiny next step. Keep these rules even if the topic changes.

Rescue a wall of text

That was too long for me. Rewrite your last answer as: the one thing to do now (1 line), then up to 5 numbered steps with minutes for each. Nothing else.

Stay on track in a long chat

At the top of every reply, show where we are in one line, like "Step 2 of 5: draft the email". Mark finished steps with ✓ so I can see progress.

Works in ChatGPT, Claude or any AI assistant. Swap the [BRACKETS] for your stuff and go.

Where to paste it (5 minutes)

ChatGPT: Settings → Personalization → custom instructions (the box for how you'd like ChatGPT to respond). For one topic only, create a Project and paste the rules into its instructions.
Claude: Settings → Profile → the personal preferences box, so it applies to every chat. Or paste the rules into a Project's instructions.
Gemini: create a Gem with the rules as its instructions, then open that Gem whenever you want short, action-first answers.
Coding assistants (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot): paste the rules into your AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md file, or try the free, open-source i-have-adhd skill on GitHub, which does a similar job for developers.

Menus move around. If you can't find the setting, ask the assistant: "Where do I set custom instructions in this app?"

What the viral "ADHD mode" posts get wrong

There's no hidden switch to unlock. It's just instructions, and you can write your own.
It changes how answers are formatted. It won't do a week of work for you, but it makes replies quicker to act on.
Shorter rules work better than long ones. Start with the seven above and cut any you don't need.

Tools worth a look

ChatGPT
General AI assistant. Free tier works for every prompt here.
Claude
General AI assistant, good at gentle, well-structured writing.
Gemini
Google's AI assistant; handy if you live in Gmail and Google Docs.

Little things that help

Start with three rules, not ten. Add more only when something annoys you.
If answers creep back to long, paste the one-chat prompt again.
Keep the rules in a note so you can reuse them in any AI app.

Related fixes

FAQ

Does ChatGPT or Claude have an ADHD mode?

Neither ChatGPT nor Claude has an official setting called "ADHD mode". The viral posts are really a set of custom instructions: put the next action first, number the steps, cap lists at five and skip the small talk. Paste them in once and every new chat follows them.

How do I turn on ADHD mode in ChatGPT?

There's no switch. Paste the custom instructions on this page into ChatGPT's personalization settings once, and new chats will follow them. Say "normal mode" when you want a longer answer.

Is the i-have-adhd skill the same thing?

It's the same idea for coding assistants. i-have-adhd is a free, open-source instruction file on GitHub that makes tools like Claude Code lead with the next action and cut filler. The prompts here do the same job in everyday chat apps.

Will an ADHD mode prompt make me more productive?

It changes the shape of the answers, not how your brain works. Short, action-first replies are easier to act on. It's a formatting tool, not a treatment or medical advice.