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Superwhisper Custom Mode

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Key Features

Custom Mode empowers you with:
  • Complete control over AI processing instructions
  • Context-awareness capabilities
  • Flexible processing for any workflow

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Additional Settings

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AI Instructions

Beyond selecting your preferred AI model, with Custom Mode you have the option to personalize your own AI processing instructions. Superwhisper Custom Mode change prompt button
Instructions are empty by default. If left blank, AI will not know what task to perform and may give unexpected results.

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Context Awareness

Superwhisper Custom Mode Context Awareness Options When you have selected a Custom Mode, in your Advanced Settings sidebar you’ll discover two powerful features:
  • Application context toggle
  • Copied text toggle
These toggles work identically to Super Mode context awareness features.

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Prompting Tips

When writing AI instructions for use in Superwhisper, you can direct AI’s attention to specific content using these naming conventions:
  • User Message
    • Contains your dictated text
  • Application Context
    • Includes the data from your active application window
  • Clipboard Context
    • Contains the text you’ve copied
These titles let you create targeted instructions for AI. For example:
  • “Translate the User Message to Spanish”
  • “Based on the Application Context, suggest relevant code comments”
  • “Format the User Message accordingly based on the content found in Clipboard Context”
If you want AI to know your input is dictated speech, include it explicitly. For example: “The User Message contains dictated text. Please format it into proper paragraphs.”
Instruct AI exactly which content to focus on and what to do with it. You can combine them in your instructions to create powerful workflows:
If Application Conext shows a code editor:
- Format the User Message as code comments
- Use coding style from Clipboard Context as reference
1

Clear Purpose

Define your AI instructions by starting with a clear role or purpose statement. This sets the foundation for how the AI will process your content.
2

Requirements

Create a detailed list of specific requirements and expectations. Being explicit helps ensure the AI understands exactly what you need.
3

Structure

Organize your instructions using separate sections for different components. This modular approach makes your instructions easier to understand and modify.
4

Keep Simple

Write direct, straightforward instructions without unnecessary complexity. Clear communication leads to better results.
For complex, multi-step instructions, structuring your prompt with XML tags can help communicate clearly with the AI:
XML tags are optional in Superwhisper prompts. In many cases, using XML tags improves clarity and output quality, especially with advanced models. However, some less capable or local AI models may misinterpret or be confused by XML tags. Use them thoughtfully and test your results for best compatibility.
Basic Tag Structure
  • Set a role and instructions:
<role>You are a text editor</role>
<instructions>Format the content of User Message into clear paragraphs</instructions>
  • Define specific requirements:
<requirements>
- Use simple, clear language
- Keep the casual tone
- Break into short paragraphs
</requirements>
  • Provide context and style:
<context>
- This content is for a cooking blog post
- Target audience is home cooks
- Should use casual, approachable language
- Include cooking-specific terminology where relevant
</context>

<style>
- Write in a warm, encouraging tone
- Use descriptive but simple language
- Include helpful cooking tips
- Make instructions easy to follow
</style>

<output-format>
- Title and introduction
- Ingredient list
- Step-by-step instructions
- Cook's notes and tips
</output-format>
Adjust and expand your XML tags based on your specific needs. Generally speaking, the more detailed your instructions, the better the results.
Examples help you teach AI exactly how to process your input and what kind of output you expect. You can add these directly in the Advanced Settings sidebar of your selected mode.Superwhisper interface for adding prompt examplesEach example consists of two parts:
  • Input field: Shows how you’ll phrase your requests
  • Output field: Demonstrates your expected AI response
How to set:
  • Click “Add Example” to create your first example pair
  • Fill in both the input and output fields
  • Add more examples by clicking “Add Example” again
Adding 2-3 examples significantly improves AI’s understanding of your needs and leads to more accurate responses.

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Advanced Tip

Currently, Custom Mode doesn’t include text selection context like Super Mode. Enable this by editing your mode’s JSON config file - just back up first and use a simple text editor like TextEdit or VS Code.

Locate Your Modes Folder

Open Finder and navigate to ~/Documents/SuperWhisper/modes/ to access your modes folder

Find Your Mode File

Use Quick Look (press Space) on JSON files to preview and identify your mode by its “name” field

Enable Selection Context

Open the JSON file and change “context_from_selection” from false to true

Restart to Apply

Save your changes and restart Superwhisper to activate the selection context feature
Awesome! You can now reference Text Selection Context in your custom instructions, as covered in Prompting Tips.
Unlike other modes, Custom Mode isn’t limited to text formatting. Combine context-awareness with your instructions to create powerful, specialized workflows tailored to your needs.
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