Claude Styles let you lock in the tone, format, and length of Claude's replies your way. Instead of repeating "keep it short" or "use a table" every time, you set a style once and it applies in the background to every response. Pick a preset, or train a custom style on your own writing to match your voice. (As of June 2026 · Official: support.anthropic.com)
What Styles are
Styles control Claude's output format — tone, structure (paragraphs, lists, tables), and length (brief vs. detailed). Without rewriting your prompt each time, the style you set applies to every message. It takes effect immediately and you can switch mid-conversation, cutting the work of reformatting replies that are too long or shaped wrong.
Where to turn it on · presets
Open the menu in the chat (the tools/plus menu at lower left) and choose "Use style." Built-in presets are provided:
- Normal — Claude's default responses
- Concise — shorter, more direct responses
- Explanatory — educational responses good for learning concepts
Other presets such as Formal are also offered, and you can hide or re-show which presets appear in your menu (Normal and Concise always stay visible). For a quick win, switch your default from Normal to Concise and try it for a while.
Creating a custom style
From the "Use style" dropdown, go to "Create & edit styles" → "Create custom style." There are two ways to build one:
- Learn from a writing example — under "Add Writing Example," upload or paste your own writing (files like pdf, doc, txt are supported). Your real writing is what helps Claude capture your tone, vocabulary, and structure.
- Describe the style — no sample? Use "Describe style" to explain what you want, or use the advanced option to write your own instructions.
Custom styles are saved so you can pick them again in new conversations.
Writing good style instructions
Style instructions are plain language — no special syntax. But vague instructions do almost nothing. "Be more casual" is accepted yet produces little measurable change. The key is to be specific and measurable. For example, "average sentence length 12–16 words," "short paragraphs instead of bullets," or "explain jargon on first use" produce clearly different output. For writing prompts well in general, see prompting basics.
How it relates to instructions and projects
Three personalization layers work together: account-wide "Instructions for Claude" (set once in Settings), per-chat "Styles," and project instructions that apply only inside a specific Project. They don't override one another — they apply together as one set on every reply. Styles handle the "how should it write" part (tone, format, length).
Things to know
- Switch mid-conversation — change styles anytime; it applies to new messages, edits, and retries from that point.
- Moving to Skills (in progress) — per some guidance, Styles are reportedly migrating into the broader Skills feature. You may see both Skills and Use style in the menu, and existing custom styles are said to remain usable with the same functionality afterward (in progress, subject to change).
- Not in API/third-party — Styles are a claude.ai feature. They don't apply to the API or third-party apps.
Related
- Prompting basics — get the result you want
- Using Projects — persistent context
- Memory — remember context across chats
Disclaimer: This article is based on Anthropic's official help docs (support.anthropic.com). Preset lists, menu locations, and behavior may change by plan and version; structural changes such as Styles moving into Skills are reportedly in progress. Check the official help center for the latest. This site is not affiliated with Anthropic.