Custom Styles and Rules: Give Recurring Dictation a Useful Shape

If you repeatedly dictate the same kind of document, a reusable style can reduce the layout decisions you make after each recording. A focused instruction tells the formatting stage what shape to produce while you concentrate on the information.

Create a style for a task you repeat, such as a weekly update, an email, or research notes. Start from a template or save your own instruction. Choose a speech model in Voice and a writing model in Rewrite, then keep the structure and tone you want with that style.

Start with one recurring task

Choose a task with a clear output, such as a daily progress note. Write down the facts you usually supply and the layout you need. “Make it better” leaves too much open; “Use three labeled lines for Completed, Next and Blocked, using only the details I dictate” gives the formatting stage a concrete job.

• Open Styles → New style and choose Custom from Template where that selector is available.
• Enter Style name and Description, select an available Speech transcription model, then click New style.
• Open the style's gear for Rewrite, and choose an available Text formatting model.
• Add focused Your instructions, Your rules or editable Prompt text as offered by that style. Use Save where shown.
• Select the style and use Today's Start listening for one realistic example, then check whether all supplied facts survive the formatting.

For global shortcut dictation into another app, set Default style to your custom style for unmatched destinations or link the app/site under Linked apps or Linked websites. Linked matches take priority. Global recording reselects that destination's style, so selecting the card alone is insufficient.

For example, dictate: “Completed the import check. Next I will test duplicate rows. Blocked because the sample file is still missing.” An illustrative formatted draft has three labeled lines containing those same details. A missing sample file should not turn into an invented request or deadline.

Choose cleanup deliberately

Formatted styles expose Numbered lists, Money as $6,000 and Numbers as digits. Numbered lists arrange explicit spoken list markers; quantities alone are not task lists. Money and digits affect representation, including explicit ranges such as “six to eight” becoming “6–8” when relevant cleanup is enabled.

Check the style's saved toggles. The new ordinary templates enable money and digit cleanup, while Vibe coding also enables numbered lists. Defaults are not a reason to skip reviewing amounts, units and ranges.

Keep rules focused and within the budget

In the saved style, the counter shows an adaptive n / max words estimate and shortening feedback such as Too long. Remove k words. There is no universal fixed maximum word count: language, text and other instructions affect the available budget.

If saving is blocked, shorten repeated instructions and retain the requirements that change the output. Follow the displayed feedback, then try saving again. An old instruction should not be treated as updated until the save succeeds.

The candidate also offers Use a template…, Keep my rules, and a prompt preview for adapting an existing style. Review that preview before saving; review the confirmation before Reset to default, which restores shipped instructions and cleanup defaults.

See the custom style instructions. For a practical starting format, compare Email or Vibe coding, then customize only the parts your task needs.