A complete guide to writing styles in Claude AI

Anthropic’s Claude AI now offers customizable communication styles to match your specific needs. Through the new Styles feature, you can select from built-in presets or create personalized styles by providing writing samples. This functionality helps Claude adapt its responses to match your desired tone, whether you need detailed explanations, brief answers, or formal communications.

Using preset writing styles

  1. Access Claude AI through your browser at the Anthropic login page and log into your account.

  2. Look for the ‘Choose style’ dropdown menu located in the chat interface. Click it to explore available preset options.

  1. Move your mouse over different style options to preview how Claude will respond with each one. Select your preferred style by clicking on it.

  1. Enter your question or prompt and press Enter. Claude will respond using your selected communication style. For example, choosing ‘Formal’ results in professional, well-structured responses.

  1. Switch between different styles anytime by accessing the dropdown menu at the bottom of the interface.

  1. To manage visible preset styles, select ‘Create and Edit Styles’ from the menu.

  1. Select the preset style you want to remove from the dropdown menu.

  1. Click ‘Options’ and choose ‘Hide preset style’ to remove it from the menu.

  1. To restore hidden styles, use the ‘Reset preset styles’ option in the bottom right corner.

Note: The ‘Normal’ and ‘Concise’ preset styles cannot be hidden from the menu.

Creating custom writing styles

You can personalize Claude’s communication style using two different approaches.

Method 1: Training with writing samples

  1. Open the styles menu and select ‘Create and Edit Styles’.

  1. Select the ‘Create Custom Style’ option.

  1. Click ‘Add Writing Sample’ to upload your writing or paste text directly.

  1. After adding your sample, click ‘Create Style’.

  1. Wait for style analysis and preview the results in different formats like stories, emails, or reviews.

  1. Apply your new style by clicking ‘Use Style’.

Method 2: Style description

  1. Navigate to ‘Create and Edit Styles’ in the styles menu.

  1. Click ‘Create Custom Style’.

  1. Select ‘Describe style instead’ at the bottom right.

  1. Choose a base style and add specific instructions for Claude’s responses.

  1. For advanced customization, select ‘Use custom instructions’ and enter detailed preferences.

  1. Switch back to sample-based training by clicking ‘Nevermind, I’ll add an example’.

  1. Click ‘Generate Style’ after entering your preferences.

  1. Review the preview and activate the style with ‘Use Style’.

Managing your styles

  1. Access style management through ‘Create and Edit Styles’.

  1. Rearrange styles by dragging them to your preferred order.

  1. Modify style names or remove styles using the ‘Options’ menu.

  1. Select ‘Edit with Claude’ to modify existing styles.

  1. Input modification instructions and save or preview changes.

Key tips

  • Provide detailed style descriptions for better accuracy
  • Test styles using the preview feature before saving
  • Alternate between different styles based on your needs
  • Select styles appropriate for your target audience