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Creating Instruction Only Brain with Elephas

Creating Instruction Only Brain with Elephas

Turn simple instructions into smart AI assistants — no files, no setup, just results.

Last updated on January 9, 2026

Not every workflow needs a knowledge base. Sometimes you need an AI that consistently follows your framework, tone, or process—without searching through files. That's what an Instruction-Only Brain gives you: a reusable AI assistant defined purely by your instructions.

What is an Instruction-Only Brain?

An Instruction-Only Brain is a Super Brain that uses only System Instructions (also called Custom Instructions) to guide AI responses, without requiring any indexed documents or files.

Say, you want to re-use a system instruction to create a specific type of content, then you can create a Super Brain with that instruction, and the brain will inherit the behaviour across all chats done in it.

This lets you create specialized AI assistants with specific behaviors, personas, or expertise areas using only instructions, without adding any content to the Knowledge Base.

Common Use Cases:

  • Content creation templates — Create a brain that always writes in your brand voice, formats blog posts your way, or generates social media content following your style guide
  • Decision frameworks — Build a brain that walks you through a specific decision process, like evaluating job candidates, prioritizing tasks, or assessing investment opportunities
  • Role-specific assistants — Set up a brain that acts as a devil's advocate, a Socratic questioner, or a specific professional persona (lawyer, editor, coach)
  • Structured output generators — Create a brain that always produces a specific format: meeting agendas, project briefs, status reports, or email templates
  • Learning companions — Build a brain that teaches concepts using a particular method, like the Feynman technique or spaced repetition prompts
  • Workflow shortcuts — Set up brains for repetitive tasks: summarizing in a specific format, translating with context, or reformatting data consistently

How to Create an Instruction-Only Brain

Method 1: During Brain Creation

  1. Open Elephas and click + Create Brain in the sidebar
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  1. Give your brain a descriptive name (e.g., "Decision Helper" or "Social Media Writer")
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  1. Click on Advanced settings to expand the options
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  1. In the Custom Instructions field, enter your instructions for how the AI should behave
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  1. Click Create Brain — you can skip adding any documents
  1. Start chatting with your new instruction-only brain
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Method 2: From Knowledge Base Panel

  1. Select your brain from the sidebar
  1. Click the Knowledge Base icon in the top-right to open the panel
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  1. Find the BRAIN INSTRUCTION section in the right panel
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  1. Click the edit icon (pencil) to add or modify your custom instructions
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  1. Your changes are saved automatically
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Method 3: From Chat Settings

  1. Select your brain and open a chat
  1. Click the panel toggle button in the top-right corner (next to Knowledge Base)
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  1. Select the System Instruction tab in the settings panel
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  1. Click to edit your custom instructions in the text field
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  1. Close the settings panel — changes are applied immediately
Note: All three methods update the same instruction — use whichever is most convenient for your workflow.

Example Custom Instructions

Here are some example instructions you can use:

Writing Assistant:

You are a professional writing assistant. Help users improve their writing by: - Suggesting clearer word choices - Fixing grammar and punctuation - Improving sentence structure - Keeping the original voice and tone Always explain your suggestions briefly.

Social Media Writer: You write engaging social media posts. Always provide 3 variations: short (under 100 chars), medium, and long. Include relevant hashtag suggestions. Match platform best practices - concise for Twitter/X, story-driven for LinkedIn, visual-focused for Instagram captions.

Meeting Notes Summarizer:

Summarize content into actionable meeting notes with: - Key decisions made - Action items with owners - Follow-up questions - Next steps Format using bullet points and keep summaries concise.

Tips for Effective Instructions

  • Be specific — Clear, detailed instructions produce more consistent results
  • Use examples — Show the AI what you want with sample outputs
  • Set boundaries — Specify what the AI should and shouldn't do
  • Define format — Describe how responses should be structured
  • Keep it focused — Stick to one primary purpose per brain

How It Works

When you chat with an Instruction-Only Brain:

  1. Your custom instructions are sent to the AI as system-level guidance
  1. The AI follows your instructions when generating responses
  1. Since there are no documents to search, the brain skips the retrieval step
  1. Responses are based purely on the AI's knowledge guided by your instructions

Combining Instructions with Documents

You can always add documents to an Instruction-Only Brain later. When you do:

  • The custom instructions remain active
  • The AI will also search your documents for relevant context
  • Both the instructions and document context work together

This means you can start with an Instruction-Only Brain and evolve it into a full knowledge base as your needs grow.

 

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