How to make ChatGPT give hints instead of answers
Tell it before you paste the question: "Don't give me the answer. Ask what I already know, then give one hint at a time and wait." Put that rule in custom instructions or use study mode so it carries over. None of these is a lock: anyone can ask for the answer, so agree the rule as well as setting it.
Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help for kids around 7 to 10, and teens and adults too: it asks what you have tried and gives one hint at a time, so you learn how to find the answer. Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store) · iPhone, iPad, Mac
Written by the Ask Poppy team, who make one of the tools mentioned here. The advice works with any AI, or none. We haven't run a controlled study of our own app.
Copy-paste prompts
Start of a homework chat
I'm stuck on this question: [paste]. Don't give me the answer or the final step. First ask me what I already know. Then give me one hint at a time and wait for my reply before the next one.
Check my work
Here is my answer and my working: [paste]. Don't correct it for me. Tell me which line to look at again and ask a question that helps me spot the problem.
When it gives the answer anyway
Stop, you gave me the answer. Hide it, and ask me a question about the first step instead.
For custom instructions (applies to every chat)
I'm a student. When I ask about homework or study, act as a tutor: ask what I know, give one hint at a time, and never give a full solution unless I've tried and explicitly ask to check my final answer.
Or use our free hint ladder: it builds a five-step hint prompt for any question, from a gentle nudge to a worked similar example.
Three ways to set it up
| How | Lasts | Catch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A prompt at the start of the chat | Works in any AI, free | That chat only | Easy to forget; the next chat starts fresh |
| Custom instructions (OpenAI) | Settings, Personalization, Custom instructions | Every new chat | Anyone on the account can change it |
| Study mode (OpenAI) | Turn on study mode in a chat | While it's on | One tap to turn off |
Why hints beat answers
In a large maths study, students who practised with unrestricted ChatGPT did better during practice but worse on a later exam without it, while a version that gave hints instead of answers avoided most of that drop (Bastani et al., 2025). Working something out, then explaining it, is what makes it stick.
Gemini and Claude
The same prompts work in Gemini and Claude. Gemini has Guided Learning (Google) and Claude has a learning mode (Engadget), both aimed at explaining rather than handing over answers. Age rules differ by app; check them before setting one up for a child.
Prefer a tool that hints by default?
See the best AI tutors that don't just give you the answer and Ask Poppy vs ChatGPT study mode.
Where Ask Poppy fits
We make Ask Poppy, so weigh this accordingly. It's a voice-first thinking companion app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A child holds to talk and Poppy speaks back; it asks what they already know and offers one hint at a time rather than leading with the answer. Parents can add up to three child profiles and open each child's conversations (children are told a parent can see them), and can switch Poppy's memory off for each child. It can look things up on the web and check national curriculum goals (fullest for Norway, Sweden and Finland; core subjects for England, France, Germany and Spain). Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store). Like any AI, it can make mistakes.
Sources (checked 28 Oct 2026): OpenAI Help: custom instructions · OpenAI: study mode · OpenAI Help: parental controls · Bastani et al., PNAS, 2025 · Google: Guided Learning · Engadget, Aug 2025 · Ask Poppy on the App Store. Ask Poppy facts are from the current app (version 1.8.3) and its App Store listing. US prices; they vary by country, retailer and sale. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].
Want an AI tutor that starts with a question? Ask Poppy is voice-first homework help, built first for kids around 7 to 10 and their parents. Your child talks the question through, and Poppy asks what they've tried and gives one hint at a time instead of handing over the answer, so they learn how to find it. Parents set up each child's profile and can see their conversations, and memory can be turned off per child. Teens and adults use it too. A one-button, screen-free Poppy device is in development.
Free with 30 messages a day, then $3.99/week or $9.99/month (US App Store prices) on iPhone, iPad and Mac. (Disclosure: this site is made by the Ask Poppy team.)
Questions
How do I make ChatGPT give hints instead of answers?
Tell it at the start: "Don't give me the answer. Ask me what I already know, then give one hint at a time and wait for my reply." To make it stick across chats, put the same rule in Settings, Personalization, Custom instructions, or turn on study mode in the chat.
Does ChatGPT study mode stop it giving answers?
Study mode makes ChatGPT ask questions and guide step by step, but it can be switched off in a tap, and a determined student can ask for the answer outright. Treat it as a good default, not a lock.
Can I stop my child getting answers from ChatGPT?
Not fully. OpenAI's parental controls cover things like quiet hours, voice and memory, not answer-giving. Rules work better when they're agreed and visible: try first, hints only, and show your working afterwards.
Is there an AI that only gives hints?
Some tools are built to hold back answers by default, such as Khanmigo and Ask Poppy (ours). None is perfect; our list of AI tutors that don't just give answers compares six.
What is a good prompt for homework help without cheating?
"I'm working on [question]. Here is my attempt: [attempt]. Don't solve it. Tell me if my approach is on the right track and ask me one question that helps me find my mistake."