How do I stop ChatGPT from offering follow-up work after every answer?
Add one line to your ChatGPT custom instructions, verbatim: "End at the answer. Do not offer follow-up work." The built-in follow-up toggle only trims the suggestion chips, not the closing sentence that offers more work. This line removes that trailing offer. Paste it, run three prompts, and the tail disappears.
How to do it
- Open your ChatGPT custom instructionsGo to the custom instructions field where your standing directions to ChatGPT live.
- Add the line verbatimPaste exactly: End at the answer. Do not offer follow-up work.
- Save and test with the same questionAsk the same question you asked before adding the line, then compare the two responses. The trailing offer of more work should be gone.
- Run three prompts to confirmSend three prompts and watch the follow-up tail disappear from each answer.
Questions that come up
Doesn't the built-in follow-up toggle already handle this?
No. The follow-up toggle only trims the suggestion chips shown under a reply. It does not stop the closing sentence in which ChatGPT offers to do more work. The custom instructions line targets that sentence directly, which is why it works where the toggle alone does not.
Where do I put the line exactly?
It goes in your custom instructions, the standing directions ChatGPT applies to every chat. Paste it verbatim as given. Because it lives in custom instructions rather than a single message, it carries across new conversations without you retyping it each time.
Full transcript
ChatGPT still offers follow-up work? Add one line to custom instructions. The follow-up toggle only trims the chips. It doesn't stop the sentence. Add it verbatim: End at the answer. Do not offer follow-up work. Same question, before and after the line. The tail is gone. Paste it, run three prompts, watch the tail disappear.