20 ChatGPT Prompts You Can Copy and Use

A good ChatGPT prompt is not a secret phrase. It gives ChatGPT a clear job, the facts it cannot know, and a result you can check.

The 20 prompts below do that for writing, planning, meetings, learning, research, and everyday work. You do not need to understand prompt engineering first. Pick the task that matches yours, replace the words in square brackets, and paste the prompt.

Each prompt also includes a repair line. Use that line when the first answer is too vague, too long, or based on a bad assumption. You usually do not need to start a new chat.

If you want examples that also work in Claude, Gemini, and other tools, use the broader AI prompts guide. This page is specifically organized around ChatGPT work.

How to Use These ChatGPT Prompts

Square brackets are fields for you to replace. Do not paste [audience] and expect ChatGPT to guess who the audience is.

For example:

Write an email to [audience] about [situation].

should become:

Write an email to a customer whose order is five days late. Explain that the replacement ships tomorrow.

Use this four-step routine:

Pick one prompt that matches the job.
Replace every bracketed field with real information.
Read the answer and check it against the stated success test.
If one part is weak, paste the repair line below that prompt.

OpenAI’s current guidance makes the same basic point: be clear, give enough context, and improve the instruction after reviewing the answer. A prompt helps, but it does not guarantee that every fact in the response is correct. OpenAI recommends checking important quotes, data, technical details, and references.

Choose the Right Place to Use the Prompt

The prompt matters, but the workspace matters too.

Use	Choose it when	What you should supply
Normal chat	You have a one-off writing, planning, or explanation task	The task and the facts needed for that task
Project	You will return to the same work over several chats	Related files, project instructions, and the current goal
Search	The answer depends on recent information	The exact fact to verify and acceptable sources
Deep Research	You need a multi-source report rather than a quick answer	The research question, scope, date range, sources, and deliverable

Projects in ChatGPT keep related chats, files, and project instructions together. Deep Research is meant for work that needs multiple sources and a documented report. Its availability and usage limits can depend on your plan and country.

ChatGPT Prompts for Writing and Communication

1. Turn Messy Notes Into a Clear Email

Use it for: writing an email when you know the facts but do not know how to organize them.

Fill before pasting: recipient, goal, facts, tone, and desired next action.

Write an email to [recipient] about [situation].

My goal: [what I need the email to achieve]
Facts that must stay accurate:
- [fact 1]
- [fact 2]
- [fact 3]

Tone: [direct / warm / apologetic / firm]
Length: under [number] words.
End with one clear next action for the reader.
Do not invent dates, promises, reasons, or policies. If a needed fact is missing, ask me before writing the email.

A useful answer should: keep every fact unchanged, make the request obvious, and contain one next step.

If the first answer misses: Keep the facts, but remove soft filler and move the requested action into the final sentence.

2. Rewrite Text Without Making It Sound Corporate

Use it for: cleaning up your writing without losing your normal voice.

Fill before pasting: the text, audience, and what must not change.

Rewrite the text below for [audience]. Make it easier to read, but keep the meaning, facts, and level of confidence unchanged.

Voice rules:
- Use plain words.
- Keep sentences varied and natural.
- Do not add slogans, metaphors, rhetorical questions, or corporate phrases.
- Do not make the claim stronger than the original.

Return:
1. The rewritten version.
2. A short list of any sentence you could not safely rewrite without more context.

Text:
"""
[paste text]
"""

A useful answer should: sound cleaner without adding claims or changing your position.

If the first answer misses: This still sounds polished by a marketing team. Use shorter, more ordinary wording and keep any imperfect but natural phrasing that carries my voice.

3. Summarize a Long Document for Action

Use it for: turning a report, email thread, or transcript into decisions and tasks.

Fill before pasting: your role, the document, and the decision you need to make.

Summarize the document for me as [your role]. I need to decide [decision].

Return five sections:
1. The main point in two sentences.
2. Confirmed facts.
3. Decisions already made.
4. Open questions or contradictions.
5. Action items with owner and deadline only when the document states them.

Do not turn guesses into facts. Add "not stated" when the document does not provide an owner, date, number, or source.

Document:
"""
[paste text or attach file]
"""

A useful answer should: separate facts, decisions, unanswered questions, and actions.

If the first answer misses: Recheck the document and move every unsupported conclusion into “Open questions.” Quote the short phrase that supports each confirmed fact.

4. Build an Outline Before Writing

Use it for: planning an article, presentation, guide, or report before drafting it.

Fill before pasting: audience, outcome, source material, and exclusions.

Create an outline for a [article / presentation / report] for [audience].

The reader should be able to [specific outcome] after using it.
Source material I can support: [facts, experience, links, or attached files]
Do not include: [topics outside scope or claims I cannot prove]

For each section, show:
- the question it answers;
- the evidence or example needed;
- what the reader should know or do next.

Do not draft the full piece yet. Flag any section that needs evidence I have not supplied.

A useful answer should: organize the reader’s task, not simply produce a long list of headings.

If the first answer misses: Remove any section that does not help the reader reach the stated outcome. Merge headings that answer the same question.

ChatGPT Prompts for Planning and Decisions

5. Turn a Goal Into a Seven-Day Plan

Use it for: starting a small project when the goal still feels too large.

Fill before pasting: goal, current position, time, resources, and constraint.

Turn this goal into a seven-day plan: [goal].

Current position: [what is already done]
Time available each day: [minutes or hours]
Resources I have: [people, tools, files, budget]
Main constraint: [constraint]

Give me one meaningful task per day. Each task must include:
- a visible finish line;
- the input needed;
- the expected output;
- the most likely blocker;
- what to do if that blocker appears.

Do not assume I can work longer than the time stated.

A useful answer should: give you seven finishable outputs, not seven vague themes.

If the first answer misses: Day [number] is too large. Break only that day into a version I can finish in [time], while keeping the same final goal.

6. Compare Options Using the Same Criteria

Use it for: choosing between tools, courses, vendors, plans, or approaches.

Fill before pasting: options, criteria, evidence, and deal-breakers.

Compare these options: [option A], [option B], and [option C].

My goal: [goal]
Decision criteria, in priority order:
1. [criterion]
2. [criterion]
3. [criterion]
Deal-breakers: [conditions that rule an option out]
Evidence you may use: [paste facts, attach files, or provide links]

Create a comparison table. For every judgment, show the supporting fact or write "unknown." Do not fill missing information with a guess.

After the table, recommend:
- the best option under my stated priorities;
- the best alternative if the top option fails a deal-breaker;
- the one missing fact most likely to change the decision.

A useful answer should: apply the same criteria to every option and show where evidence is missing.

If the first answer misses: You changed the criteria between options. Rebuild the table using the same definition and evidence standard for every column.

7. Find Weak Points Before Committing

Use it for: challenging an idea without asking ChatGPT to be negative for sport.

Fill before pasting: proposal, success condition, assumptions, and limits.

Review this proposal before I commit to it.

Proposal: [proposal]
It succeeds if: [measurable outcome]
Assumptions I am making: [assumptions]
Constraints: [time, money, people, policy, or technical limits]

Identify:
1. The three assumptions most likely to be wrong.
2. An early warning sign for each one.
3. A low-cost check I can run before committing fully.
4. One reason the proposal may still be worth doing.

Separate evidence from inference. Ask questions when a missing fact would change the review.

A useful answer should: give you checks and warning signs, not a dramatic list of everything that could go wrong.

If the first answer misses: Rank the risks by likelihood and impact. Keep only risks I can detect or reduce before the decision date.

8. Prepare for a Difficult Meeting

Use it for: entering a meeting with a clear outcome, questions, and boundaries.

Fill before pasting: people, situation, outcome, facts, and non-negotiables.

Help me prepare for a meeting with [person or group] about [situation].

Outcome I want: [outcome]
Facts I can support: [facts]
What I do not know: [unknowns]
My non-negotiables: [boundaries]
What I can offer: [concessions or alternatives]

Create:
1. A 30-second opening.
2. Five questions in the order I should ask them.
3. Likely objections and calm responses that do not invent facts.
4. A closing that confirms the decision, owner, and date.

Do not write manipulative language or pretend to know the other person’s motives.

A useful answer should: make the desired decision and next step clear without scripting the entire conversation.

If the first answer misses: Make the opening less defensive. State the shared problem, the confirmed fact, and the decision needed—nothing else.

9. Turn Meeting Notes Into a Decision Record

Use it for: stopping the same decision from being debated again next week.

Fill before pasting: meeting notes and the project name.

Turn these meeting notes into a decision record for [project].

Use this format:
- Decision made
- Why it was made
- Alternatives considered
- Evidence mentioned
- Owner
- Due date
- Open risks
- Questions not resolved

Use only information in the notes. Write "not recorded" when a field is missing. At the end, list the three fields I should confirm with the group before circulating the record.

Notes:
"""
[paste notes]
"""

A useful answer should: preserve what was actually decided and expose missing owners or dates.

If the first answer misses: You treated discussion points as decisions. Keep a decision only when the notes show agreement, approval, or an assigned action.

10. Turn a Rough Process Into a Checklist

Use it for: documenting a repeated task so another person can follow it.

Fill before pasting: process notes, user skill level, and finish condition.

Turn the rough process below into a checklist for [beginner / experienced user].

The process is complete when: [finish condition]
Tools or access required: [tools and permissions]

For each step, write one action. Include:
- what to do;
- what successful completion looks like;
- what not to change;
- where to stop and ask for help.

Do not hide multiple actions inside one step. Do not invent buttons, menu names, file paths, or permissions that are not in my notes.

Process notes:
"""
[paste notes]
"""

A useful answer should: let a new person perform the process and recognize when something is wrong.

If the first answer misses: Split every step that contains “and” into separate actions, then add a visible completion check to each action.

ChatGPT Prompts for Learning and Analysis

11. Explain Something at the Right Level

Use it for: learning a difficult idea without getting either a dictionary definition or a graduate lecture.

Fill before pasting: topic, current knowledge, use case, and confusing term.

Explain [topic] to me.

What I already know: [current knowledge]
Why I need it: [real use case]
The part that confuses me: [specific point]

Start with a plain explanation under 120 words. Then give one concrete example related to my use case. End with three questions that check whether I understood the idea, not whether I memorized your wording.

Define each technical term when it first appears.

A useful answer should: connect the explanation to something you need to do.

If the first answer misses: Your explanation still depends on the term “[term].” Explain that term with an everyday example before continuing.

12. Learn by Answering Questions, Not Reading a Lecture

Use it for: learning interactively instead of receiving a wall of text.

Fill before pasting: topic, level, goal, and time.

Teach me [topic] through questions.

My level: [beginner / intermediate / advanced]
My goal: [what I want to do with it]
Time available: [time]

Ask one question at a time. After each answer:
1. Tell me what I understood correctly.
2. Correct one mistake or missing idea.
3. Give a short example.
4. Ask the next question at the right difficulty.

Do not reveal every answer before I try. Stop after [number] questions and summarize what I should practice next.

A useful answer should: adapt to your answers instead of printing the whole lesson at once.

If the first answer misses: That question assumes knowledge I have not shown. Ask a simpler question that tests the idea immediately before it.

13. Build a Study Plan Around a Real Finish Line

Use it for: learning enough to produce something, not merely collecting resources.

Fill before pasting: skill, deliverable, time, current ability, and resources.

Create a [number]-week study plan for [skill].

Finish line: by the end, I will produce [specific deliverable].
Current ability: [what I can already do]
Weekly time: [hours]
Resources I already have: [books, course, software, mentor]

For each week, include:
- one concept to understand;
- one exercise;
- one visible output;
- one way to check the output;
- what to skip for now.

Keep the plan inside my weekly time. Do not recommend a new paid resource unless an existing resource cannot cover a required skill.

A useful answer should: produce weekly evidence that you are improving.

If the first answer misses: The plan contains too much reading and no proof of skill. Replace half the reading with a small output I can review or show.

14. Create a Quiz From Your Own Material

Use it for: checking what you actually understood from notes, a chapter, or a document.

Fill before pasting: source material and desired difficulty.

Create a quiz from the source material below.

Difficulty: [basic understanding / application / advanced]
Number of questions: [number]

Use a mix of:
- short-answer questions;
- one scenario where I must apply the idea;
- one question that exposes a common misunderstanding.

Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. Score my answer against the source material, explain the correction, and quote the short passage that supports it. Do not use facts outside the supplied material.

Source:
"""
[paste text or attach file]
"""

A useful answer should: test application and point back to the source.

If the first answer misses: The questions can be answered by copying a sentence. Replace them with questions that require me to apply or compare the ideas.

ChatGPT Prompts for Research and Sources

15. Compare Two Source Documents Without Blending Them

Use it for: comparing proposals, policies, contracts, research papers, or reports.

Fill before pasting: the decision, comparison criteria, and both documents.

Compare Source A and Source B for this decision: [decision].

Criteria:
1. [criterion]
2. [criterion]
3. [criterion]

Create a table with one row per criterion and separate columns for Source A, Source B, and what remains unknown.

For every statement, cite the source name and section, page, or short quote. Do not combine claims from the two sources into one claim. If they conflict, show the conflict rather than choosing a side without evidence.

Source A: [paste or attach]
Source B: [paste or attach]

A useful answer should: make the source of every comparison visible.

If the first answer misses: Audit the table. Remove every claim that has no source location, then list those removed claims as questions to verify.

16. Check a Current Claim With Search

Use it for: prices, dates, rules, product features, public figures, or other information that may have changed.

Fill before pasting: claim, target date, region, and acceptable sources.

Verify this current claim: [claim].

Target date: [today or another date]
Region: [country or market]
Prefer these sources: [official organization, government site, company documentation, or named primary source]

Use web search if it is available. Return:
1. Verdict: supported, contradicted, partly supported, or not verifiable.
2. The exact source link and publication or update date.
3. The evidence in your own words.
4. Any scope, region, plan, or date limitation.

If search is unavailable or the primary source cannot be opened, say so. Do not answer from memory and present it as current.

A useful answer should: show a source, date, scope, and clear verdict.

If the first answer misses: You used a summary page. Recheck the claim against the original organization’s page or mark it not verifiable.

17. Brief a Deep Research Report

Use it for: a question that needs several sources, comparison, and a report you can inspect.

Fill before pasting: decision, scope, date range, sources, and deliverable.

Research this question: [question].

The decision this research supports: [decision]
Scope: [included topics, market, audience, or geography]
Exclude: [topics outside scope]
Date range: [range]
Prioritize: [official sources, research papers, filings, datasets, or named sites]

Before researching, show me a short plan with the subquestions and source types you will use.

Final report requirements:
- a direct answer first;
- a comparison table when sources describe different options;
- citations or source links next to factual claims;
- disagreements and missing evidence shown clearly;
- a final section called “What would change this conclusion?”

Do not treat repeated secondary articles as independent confirmation of the same original claim.

A useful answer should: give you a reviewable research plan and a sourced report, not a long unsourced essay.

If the first answer misses: Separate primary sources from commentary. Rebuild the conclusion using primary sources first, then show where secondary analysis adds interpretation.

ChatGPT Prompts for Recurring Work and Projects

18. Write Useful Instructions for a ChatGPT Project

Use it for: keeping repeated work consistent across several chats.

Fill before pasting: project purpose, users, sources, output rules, and boundaries.

Draft project instructions for this recurring work.

Project purpose: [purpose]
Typical tasks: [tasks]
Audience for the outputs: [audience]
Sources inside the project: [files, notes, or reference material]
Output rules: [length, structure, tone, language, citation style]
Boundaries: [what it must not assume, change, publish, or decide]

Write the instructions in six short sections:
1. Purpose
2. Source priority
3. How to handle missing information
4. Output format
5. Quality checks
6. Actions that require my confirmation

Do not include facts about this project that I have not supplied.

A useful answer should: give the Project stable rules while leaving task-specific details for each chat.

If the first answer misses: Remove task details that will change every week. Keep only rules that should apply across the whole project.

19. Run a Weekly Review From Project Notes

Use it for: deciding what matters next without losing unresolved work.

Fill before pasting: weekly notes, current goal, and capacity.

Turn these weekly notes into a review for [project].

Current goal: [goal]
Capacity next week: [days or hours]

Return:
1. Completed outcomes, not just activity.
2. Decisions made.
3. Unresolved blockers and who can resolve them.
4. Work that no longer supports the goal.
5. The three highest-value tasks for next week, each with a finish line.

Use only the notes and project sources. Mark missing evidence instead of assuming progress.

Weekly notes:
"""
[paste notes]
"""

A useful answer should: reduce the week to three defensible priorities.

If the first answer misses: You ranked urgent-looking activity above the stated goal. Re-rank the tasks by their direct contribution to [goal].

ChatGPT Prompts for Coding and Problem Solving

20. Diagnose a Problem Before Suggesting a Fix

Use it for: code errors, software problems, broken workflows, or technical symptoms.

Fill before pasting: expected behavior, actual behavior, environment, error, and recent changes.

Help me diagnose this problem before changing anything.

Expected behavior: [expected]
Actual behavior: [actual]
Environment: [software, version, operating system, device, or relevant setup]
Exact error or symptom: [paste exact text]
Recent changes: [changes]
What I already tried: [attempts and results]

First return:
1. The three most likely causes, ranked.
2. The evidence for and against each cause.
3. The smallest read-only check that would distinguish them.
4. Any action that could delete data, expose secrets, or interrupt service.

Do not write a final fix until I provide the check results. Do not invent files, commands, settings, or error messages.

A useful answer should: narrow the cause with safe checks before changing the system.

If the first answer misses: That check changes the system. Replace it with a read-only check and explain what result would support or reject each cause.

How to Fix a Bad ChatGPT Answer

Do not paste the same prompt again and hope for luck. Name the failure.

The answer is…	Paste this next
Too vague	Replace general advice with three actions. For each action, state the input, owner, and visible finish line.
Too long	Keep the conclusion and evidence, but reduce the answer to [number] words. Remove background I did not ask for.
Based on guesses	Separate confirmed facts, reasonable inferences, and unknowns. Ask me for the unknown that matters most.
In the wrong format	Keep the content, but return it as [table / checklist / email / numbered plan] with [required columns or sections].
Too agreeable	Challenge the two assumptions most likely to fail. Give evidence, an early warning sign, and a low-cost check for each.
Missing sources	Add a source link and date for every current factual claim. If you cannot verify a claim, mark it unverified.
Written in fake corporate language	Use ordinary words. Remove slogans, filler openings, inflated adjectives, and claims stronger than the evidence.

This is iterative refinement: review the response, identify one failure, and adjust the instruction. It is one of the general practices OpenAI recommends for ChatGPT prompts.

Common Questions

What are some good ChatGPT prompts?

Good ChatGPT prompts give a specific job, the facts ChatGPT needs, a checkable output, and instructions for missing information. A prompt such as “compare these three options using the same criteria and mark missing evidence as unknown” is more useful than “which option is best?”

What are 10 prompting tips to improve ChatGPT results?

Use these ten:

Ask for one job at a time.
Supply facts ChatGPT cannot know.
Name the audience.
Define the output format.
Set a length or number of items.
State what must remain unchanged.
Tell it what to do when information is missing.
Ask it to separate facts, inferences, and unknowns.
Check current or important claims against sources.
Repair the specific failure instead of restarting blindly.

What are the five types of AI prompts?

There is no single official list of five types. A practical grouping is: generate something new, transform supplied material, extract information, compare or evaluate options, and guide a conversation or process. The job matters more than the label.

What is the three-word rule in ChatGPT?

There is no official three-word rule that makes ChatGPT work better. Three words can start a task, but they rarely provide enough context for a useful result. Add the facts, output, and limits the task actually needs.

Pick One Real Task

Do not save all 20 prompts and use none of them. Pick a task already sitting on your desk. Replace every bracket. Paste the prompt. Then use one repair line if the answer misses.

For a clearer explanation of why these details work, read What Is Prompt Engineering? or compare the before-and-after prompt engineering examples.

You can also browse or share reusable prompts in the Yepsoso Prompt Community.