Custom Prompt — steer the AI mid-session

On the right side of /interview, under Screen Reference, there's a text area labeled Custom Prompt. Type any instruction there, or tap a starter like STAR stories or Concise bullets to fill it in; it saves by itself. Every following AI answer reads it as a system-level hint. It lasts the whole session — clear it when you want it gone. In the video: 1:48

What you can put in it

Specific guidance you want the AI to apply to every answer. Examples that work well:

• "Focus on my experience at Stripe and de-emphasize Toptal contracting."
• "Use STAR structure but skip the Result section if it's <30 words."
• "This interviewer is the Director of Engineering — assume they care about scale, not just code."
• "I'm targeting Series-B startups, lean toward 'I built X solo' framing."
• "Reference my CMU master's wherever it fits the question."
• "Avoid jargon — interviewer is a recruiter, not an engineer."

The custom prompt is additive to your answer style, model, resume, and the question itself. It doesn't replace any of those — it layers on top as steering.

When to use it

• Mid-interview, you realize the interviewer cares about something specific. Type it in immediately, every following answer pivots accordingly.
• Targeting a specific company / role. Set it before the session: "Pivot answers toward [company]'s focus on [specific area]."
• Skipping a section of your background. Maybe you're not proud of a particular role and want to never bring it up: "Don't reference my time at [company]."
• Format constraint. "Maximum 60 words per answer." — the AI will tighten everything.

When NOT to use it

• Don't write a script. "Always say X" produces robotic answers. Use it for direction, not lines.
• Pick the look in Answer style. Quick points, Conversational, Simple or More human live in topbar Settings; use Custom Prompt for content steering. If your custom prompt asks for a different format, it wins.
• Don't paste sensitive data. The custom prompt is sent to the AI provider with every request. Don't put credentials, NDA-protected info, etc.

How it interacts with other settings

Setting	Wins when conflicting
Answer style	Answer style sets the look. Custom prompt wins the content, and wins the format if it asks for one.
Model	No conflict — the prompt is fed to whatever model is selected.
Resume	Resume is treated as ground truth about your background; custom prompt steers WHICH parts to emphasize.
Inline advice	The AI still surfaces advice pills; the prompt influences which sources it cites.

Gotchas

• Long prompts cost tokens. Each request includes your full custom prompt. A 500-word prompt at 5-8 questions per session adds up. Keep it tight.
• The AI follows the spirit, not the letter. If you say "never use bullets," it might still use bullets occasionally when the question structure demands them. The model isn't a strict template engine.
• Switching mid-session is fine. Update the text; the next answer reflects the new prompt.

Still stuck?

Help & how-tos → Contact us with category "How do I…?" — tell us what steering you wanted and what the AI did instead.