# 14. Personalization and memory practice card

Use this alongside [Personalize how AI responds](https://cowanworks.com/aicourse/learn/course-1/lesson-17) and [Understand memory and temporary chats](https://cowanworks.com/aicourse/learn/course-1/lesson-18). No special combination of settings is required. Choose what helps you.

### Test a response preference

1. Send a harmless question before changing anything. Keep that answer.
2. Open your tool's personalization or instructions editor. Choose one preference based on what you found difficult in the answer.
3. Save it, start a fresh chat and send the same question.
4. Compare the feature you meant to change. Wording varies; one comparison is an observation, not proof of cause.
5. Keep, revise or remove the preference. Preserve earlier instructions you still need.

```practice
Question I used:
What I wanted to change:
Preference I tested:
What I noticed in the fresh answer:
Keep, revise or remove:
Where I can change it again:
```

**Filled example:** The question is “I run Beauty School. Explain how I can turn rough notes into a clear staff update.” The preference asks for an overview, three steps and everyday language. The learner checks those three features in the new answer. There is no prescribed verdict: keep it only if it helps. If the service does not return an answer, leave the comparison unresolved and retry later.

### Inspect what carries forward

| Control | What to inspect | How to practise without private information |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Current conversation | Facts and requests in this chat | Correct one fictional detail with a follow-up |
| Custom instructions | Preferences you deliberately saved | Edit the practice preference and save |
| Memory | Information the tool carries between chats | Correct Beauty School from a presumed workplace to a fictional example; read it back |
| Temporary or incognito chat | Visible mode notice and its limitations | Open the mode before asking a harmless question; do not assume zero retention |
| App connections | Account, data and available actions | Inspect or cancel the connection flow; no real inbox is required |

The memory lesson includes a real corrected summary and describes where to find bulk-removal controls without activating it. Do not erase useful account information to copy the exercise. Deleting a conversation, removing memory, deleting a file and revoking a connection are different actions.

### Keep your choices portable

Save a short copy of useful preferences in your own approved notes. If you use Claude or Grok, follow the provider notes linked in the lessons and test the equivalent feature where offered. Similar names do not guarantee identical behavior. If a feature is unavailable, supply the relevant context in the current chat instead.

For deciding what an AI can read or do on your behalf, use [Understand permissions and actions](https://cowanworks.com/aicourse/learn/course-1/lesson-13) and the [permissions worksheet](https://cowanworks.com/aicourse/templates/first-week?section=9).