ChatGPT Prompts: 40 Examples to Copy and the Method

You have probably copied a prompt you found online before, and got a lukewarm answer. The prompt was not bad: it just contained nothing about your situation. The examples on this page are built differently. Each one leaves in brackets the information only you know, and that is what makes the difference.

I start with a short definition, then the 40 prompts sorted by use case, then the method to write your own, with a free generator.

What is a ChatGPT prompt?

A prompt is the message you send to ChatGPT to get an answer: a question, an instruction, sometimes with a document attached. An AI prompt works the same way in Claude, Gemini or Le Chat: it is your only way to tell the model what you expect. If you are torn between the two most widely used assistants, I compared Claude vs ChatGPT on real tasks.

The difference between a weak prompt and a good one rarely comes down to wording. It comes down to the information the message contains. Compare:

• Weak prompt: "Write a follow-up email to a client."
• Good prompt: "I'm a sales rep at a small company that sells software to local governments. My client has not replied to two follow-ups (pasted below) even though the quote was approved verbally. Write an 8-line follow-up that recalls the agreement and offers two call slots."

The first one produces a one-size-fits-all email. The second one produces an email you can send after two small edits. A model cannot guess what it cannot see: that is the whole logic behind the examples that follow.

40 ChatGPT prompts to copy, sorted by use case

Every example follows the same structure: your situation, your documents, one task, one format. Replace everything in [brackets] with your own information, paste the document when the prompt asks for it, then send. The prompt still works if you leave gaps, but the answer goes back to being generic.

Prompts for writing professional emails

This is the most common use at work, and the one where context changes the result the most: an email is only worth something if it talks about the right deal.

1. Follow up with a client who has gone quiet

I'm [job title] at [company]. I sent a quote to [client] on [date], approved verbally, and I've had no reply despite [number] follow-ups, pasted below.
Write a follow-up of 8 lines max that recalls the agreement, offers two call slots and leaves a polite way out. Professional, direct tone, no "just circling back".
[Paste the previous follow-ups here]

2. Reply to a complaint

An unhappy customer sent me the message below. What actually happened: [facts]. What I can offer: [goodwill gesture].
Write a reply of 150 words max that acknowledges the problem without making it worse, explains what will be done and makes the offer. One apology, not three.
[Paste the customer's message]

3. Say no politely

I need to turn down [the request] from [client, colleague or partner] because [real reason]. I want to keep a good relationship.
Write a short email that says no by the second sentence, gives the reason in one line and offers [alternative]. Warm but clear tone.

4. Summarize a long email thread

Here is a thread of [number] emails about [topic]. I'm taking over the file tomorrow.
Summarize it in 5 bullet points: decisions made, open issues, who is waiting for what from whom, dates mentioned. Flag any contradiction between the messages.
[Paste the thread]

5. Write meeting minutes

Here are my raw notes from the [name] meeting on [date] with [attendees].
Turn them into meeting minutes: context in 2 lines, decisions, an action table (action, owner, deadline), points still to settle. Do not invent any decision that is not in my notes.
[Paste your notes]

6. Soften a message that sounds too blunt

Here is a message I'm about to send to [recipient]. I find it [too blunt, too long, too vague].
Suggest two versions: a shorter one and a more diplomatic one. Keep all the facts and numbers, change only the form, and tell me what you changed.
[Paste your message]

Prompts for work and productivity

Preparing, summarizing, organizing: these prompts do not produce a text to send, they save you the preparation time.

7. Prepare an important meeting

I'm meeting [person and role] from [company] on [date] to [goal]. What I know about them: [context].
List the 5 most likely objections with a short answer for each, then 5 questions to ask to understand their real need.

8. Summarize a long document

I'm attaching [a report, study, request for proposals] of [number] pages. I need to present the essentials to [audience], who has 5 minutes.
Write a 10-line summary, then the 3 numbers or facts to remember, with the page where each one appears. If something in the document is ambiguous, say so.

9. Build an action plan

Goal: [measurable goal] by [date]. Resources: [team, budget, tools]. Already tried without success: [actions].
Suggest a 4-week action plan as a table (week, action, owner, deliverable). Flag the two weakest assumptions in the plan.

10. Prioritize a to-do list

Here is my to-do list for the week with the known deadlines. I have [number] real hours available.
Sort the tasks into four groups (urgent and important, important, delegate, drop) and justify each choice in one line. Then suggest a day-by-day schedule.
[Paste your list]

11. Write an internal procedure

Below, in no particular order, I explain how I do [task] in [software or context].
Turn these explanations into a numbered procedure a new hire can follow alone: prerequisites, steps, common mistakes, who to ask when stuck. Ask me questions if a step is missing.
[Paste your explanations]

12. Compare offers or vendors

I need to choose between [option A], [option B] and [option C] for [need]. My criteria, in order of importance: [criteria]. The quotes are attached.
Build a comparison table on these criteria, using only the attached documents. Write "not specified" when the information is missing, then give your recommendation in 3 lines.

Prompts for marketing and social media

The trap with AI in marketing is the smooth text that sounds like everyone else's. The fix: give it your past content and your customers' own words.

13. Write a LinkedIn post

I'm a [profession] and I write for [audience]. Topic of the post: [real idea or anecdote, with the details].
Write a LinkedIn post of 1,200 characters max: a first line that makes people want to read on, a single idea, a concrete example, a closing question. No emojis, no strings of hashtags.
Here are two of my previous posts, for the style: [paste them]

14. Build a content calendar

My business: [description]. My audience: [who, what problems]. Channels: [blog, LinkedIn, newsletter]. Realistic pace: [number] pieces per week.
Suggest a one-month content calendar as a table: date, channel, topic, angle, format, goal. Vary the formats and tie each topic to a real question my audience asks.

15. Write a product description

Product: [name]. Features: [list]. Typical customer: [who, for what use]. Customer reviews: [paste 3 to 5 reviews].
Write a 150-word product description: a clear title, a paragraph on the main benefit, 5 bullet points that turn features into benefits. Use the customers' words rather than superlatives.

16. Write a newsletter

I send a monthly newsletter to [audience]. This month: [news, published content, offer].
Suggest 3 subject lines under 50 characters, then write the newsletter: a 3-line intro, 3 short blocks with one link each, a single call to action at the end. Tone: [tone].

17. Find titles and hooks

Here is the content I want to promote: [paste the text or a summary]. Audience: [who].
Suggest 10 titles under 60 characters: 3 informative, 3 with a number, 2 as a question, 2 that challenge a common belief. Rank them from clearest to catchiest.

18. Sketch your ideal customer profile

Here are [number] messages, reviews or call notes from conversations with my customers: [paste them].
Draw the profile of my typical customer: situation, problems in their own words, objections before buying, buying criteria. Keep only what appears in these documents.

ChatGPT prompts for SEO

ChatGPT helps structure SEO work, not measure it: it happily makes up search volumes and does not know your rankings. The data comes from your tools, the AI formats it. These prompts do not replace an SEO audit, and I gathered other use cases in Claude for SEO.

19. Find keyword ideas

My site: [URL or description]. I sell [offer] to [audience] in [area].
List 30 queries my audience would type into Google, grouped by intent: learn, compare, buy, local. Do not give any search volume, I will check them in an SEO tool.

20. Write an article brief

Target query: [keyword]. Here are the titles and subheadings of the top 5 Google results for this query: [paste them].
Write an article brief: search intent, the angle the top pages are missing, H2/H3 outline, questions to cover, approximate length, possible internal links to [list of my pages].

21. Write the title tag and meta description

Here is the content of my page: [paste the text]. Main query: [keyword].
Suggest 5 title tags under 60 characters that start with the query, and 5 meta descriptions of 120 to 155 characters that state a concrete benefit. Give the character count of each.

22. Find what a stalled page is missing

Here is an article stuck at [position] for the query [keyword]: [paste the text].
List what is missing to meet the search intent: unanswered questions, sections that are too vague, missing examples. Do not rewrite the article, give a list of fixes ranked by impact.

23. Generate an FAQ

Here is my page about [topic]: [paste the text]. Here are the questions my customers ask on the phone: [list].
Write 6 questions and answers for the page's FAQ. Answers of 2 to 4 sentences, understandable on their own, with no information that is not on the page or in my list.

For prompt 21, count the characters yourself: language models are bad at counting characters.

Prompts for your resume, cover letter and job interview

The golden rule here: forbid the AI from adding anything you have not done. An inflated resume shows in the interview.

24. Tailor your resume to a job ad

Here are my resume and the job ad I'm applying to: [paste both].
List the required skills my resume shows poorly or not at all, then rewrite my 3 most relevant experiences using the vocabulary of the ad. Do not add any skill I don't have.

25. Write a cover letter

Job ad: [paste the ad]. My background: [3 concrete achievements, with numbers if possible]. Why this company: [real reason].
Write a 250-word letter: a first paragraph about their need, not about me, a second one with two pieces of evidence, a closing that suggests a conversation. No phrases like "dynamic and motivated".

26. Prepare for a job interview

I have an interview for the [role] position at [company]. The job ad and my resume are below.
Ask me the 8 most likely questions, one at a time. After each of my answers, tell me what works, what is missing, and suggest an improved version.
[Paste the job ad and your resume]

27. Practice negotiating your salary

I'm aiming for [amount] for [role]. My arguments: [results, new responsibilities]. What I know about the context: [budget, company situation].
Play my manager and throw the most realistic objections at me, one at a time. At the end, sum up the three arguments that held up best.

Prompts for learning and studying

ChatGPT is an excellent tutor, as long as you give it your level and your course material.

28. Get a concept explained

Explain [concept] to someone who is [level: a high school student, two years of college with no background in X]. Start with a 2-sentence definition, then an everyday example, then the most common misunderstanding. End with 3 questions to check that I understood.

29. Create a review quiz

Here is my course on [topic]: [paste the course].
Create a 10-question quiz: 4 multiple choice, 4 short open questions, 2 case studies. Give the answers at the end, separate from the questions, with the part of the course that supports each one.

30. Build a learning plan

I want to learn [skill] for [concrete goal] by [date]. I have [number] hours a week. My current level: [description].
Build a week-by-week plan with, for each week, a goal I can check and a hands-on exercise. No reading lists without exercises.

31. Understand a contract or an official letter

Here is [a contract, terms and conditions, an official letter]: [paste the passage].
Explain in plain English what this text requires me to do, what it forbids, the dates and amounts that matter, and the points a professional should check. Quote the exact passage for each point.

Prompts for analyzing a situation and making decisions

These are the ones I use most. They do not produce a text to send: they improve your reasoning, or the answer the AI just gave you.

32. Get a real critique

Here is [a text, an offer, a project]: [paste it].
Critique it as if you had to reject it. Give the three strongest reasons, ranked by severity, and what would need to change to address each one.

33. Unblock a decision

I need to decide [decision] before [date]. Context: [situation, constraints, stakes].
Give the two most opposite options, each with the scenario in which it fails. End with the question I should ask myself to make the call.

34. Fact-check an AI answer

Go back over your previous answer. Which parts are uncertain or rest on an assumption? List them and say what should be checked, and where. Clearly separate what comes from my documents and what comes from your general knowledge.

35. Have ChatGPT improve your own prompt

Here is the prompt I plan to use: [paste your prompt]. The result I expect: [description].
Before running it, ask me, one at a time, the questions you need answered to do it well. With my answers, rewrite the full prompt in four parts: situation, materials, task, format.

ChatGPT image prompts

For an image, the logic flips: the model only has your words, with no document to read. Wording becomes decisive again. Describe, in this order, the subject, the framing, the lighting, the style, the format, then what you do not want.

36. A realistic photo

Realistic photo of [precise subject], [framing: wide shot, three-quarter view], [natural morning light through a large window], [warm] mood, colors [palette]. Landscape 16:9 format. No text, no logo, no person in the foreground.

37. A visual for an article or a post

Illustration for an article titled "[title]". Style: [flat illustration, muted colors], plain [color] background, a single central object representing [idea]. Square format. No text in the image.

38. The action figure in a blister pack, collectible toy style

From the attached photo, create the image of an action figure in its blister packaging, collectible toy style. On the packaging: "[first name]" and "[job]". Next to the figure, inside the blister: [3 objects related to the job]. [Color] background, studio lighting.

The "trending" image prompts going around social media (action figure, starter pack, cartoon portrait) all follow this pattern: a subject, a style, specific elements, a background. To fix an image, ask for a targeted edit in the same conversation ("same image, cooler light") rather than rewriting everything.

Prompts for everyday life

39. Plan the week's meals

The household has [number] people, with these constraints: [kids, vegetarian, allergy]. Budget: [amount] per week. Weeknight cooking time: [duration] max.
Suggest dinners from Monday to Friday, then the shopping list grouped by aisle. Reuse leftovers from one day to the next.

40. Plan a trip

I'm going to [destination] for [duration] in [month], with [who]. Budget excluding transport: [amount]. What I enjoy: [hiking, museums, local food]. What I want to avoid: [crowds, long drives].
Suggest a day-by-day itinerary with realistic travel times between stops, and flag the bookings to make in advance.

How to write a good ChatGPT prompt: the S·M·T·F method

All 40 examples rely on the same method. Once you get it, you no longer need a prompt library: you write your own prompt in a minute. Four blocks, in this order. None is optional, but they do not carry the same weight. The deeper debate, why context matters more than wording, is in my article on prompt engineering.

S for Situation

Who is speaking, to whom, and why now. Two to four sentences are enough. This is what prevents the generic answer.

I'm the sales manager at a 40-person company that sells management software to local governments. I'm writing to a client who has not replied to two follow-ups in six weeks, even though the quote was approved verbally.

M for Materials

This is the decisive block, and the one most often forgotten. Attach the document, paste the previous exchange, give three examples of what you have already written. An AI without materials makes things up; with materials, it rephrases and reasons on real facts.

• The quote, the specifications, the minutes, the PDF.
• Two or three samples of your own work, for the style.
• What has already been tried and did not work.

T for Task

One task per request, phrased with a precise action verb. "Help me with this file" is not a task. "Write an 8-line follow-up that offers two call slots" is one.

F for Format

Length, structure, register, what not to do. This block takes three seconds and saves you three rounds of back-and-forth.

To put it into practice, the generator below assembles the four blocks from your answers. You can start from one of the examples on the page, then adapt it.

The ChatGPT prompt template to copy

If you prefer writing by hand, keep this structure close. It covers most professional requests.

SITUATION
[Who I am, who I work for, who the deliverable is for, why now.]

MATERIALS
[Attached documents. Samples of my style. What has already been tried.]

TASK
[A single action verb, a single deliverable.]

FORMAT
[Length. Structure. Tone. What absolutely not to do.]

If you are missing any information to do this well, ask me
before you start writing.

That last line is worth it: it turns an order into a conversation, and it is often what surfaces the information you forgot to give.

Prompt example, before and after: the same request twice

I filmed the demo (in French): the same request sent twice, once without context, once with it. Eight minutes, raw result on screen.

▶ The same request with and without context, in 8:07 (in French)

Video chapters (in French): 0:19 the demo, two answers to the same request · 3:05 why the perfect prompt is dead · 4:38 the method, block by block · 7:31 what to remember.

Both versions went through the same model, in two fresh conversations:

The difference in writing time between the two versions is about forty seconds. The difference in usability is total.

5 mistakes that ruin a ChatGPT prompt

1. Copying a ready-made prompt without filling it in. Empty brackets or an instruction with no situation ("make a communication plan", without saying for whom or with what budget) give you the average answer that fits everyone.
2. Summarizing the document instead of attaching it. You describe from memory what the file contains, and the AI works from your rough summary.
3. Stacking several tasks. "Summarize, then translate, then turn it into a LinkedIn post": you get three half-results. Send three messages in a row instead.
4. Never giving examples of your work. It is the only reliable way to get your style back rather than an average style.
5. Starting a fresh conversation every time you are not satisfied. Correcting within the current conversation is almost always faster, because the context is already there.

Free ChatGPT prompts: what the free plan allows

Every prompt on this page works with a free ChatGPT account: the method costs nothing. What changes with a subscription are the quotas. The free version limits the number of files you can attach, access to the most advanced models and the number of images generated per day. And the "materials" block relies precisely on attached files: if you work a lot with documents, that is where you will feel the limit.

Two settings, available without a subscription, save you from retyping your context every time:

• Custom instructions, in the personalization settings: you describe your job, your audience and your style once, and ChatGPT takes them into account in every new conversation.
• Projects, opened to free accounts in September 2025: a folder that groups conversations, reference files and instructions specific to one topic. At launch, OpenAI announced 5 files per project for a free account, versus 25 with Plus. It is the "materials" block made permanent.

The same prompts work in the free version of Claude, whose limits I detailed in Claude AI free. And when the same request comes back every week with the same documents, a prompt is no longer the right answer: it is a candidate for AI automation. That is the kind of project I take on in an automation engagement.

Written by

Anthony Courtin

SEO, GEO & AI automation consultant

I help small businesses and independent professionals with their visibility (Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity) and with how they actually use AI at work. I go into companies to train teams and rethink their processes. Everything I write here, I use in my client work.

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