78 ChatGPT Prompt Codes:
What They Do and How to Use Them
A quick, searchable guide to 78 practical ChatGPT
prompt codes. Find out what each shortcut does,
when to use it and how to turn it into a clear,
copy-ready prompt. No hidden commands or magic words.
George Papatheodorou23 September 2026Practical guide and searchable reference
The short answer:
codes such as /human:,
/seo: and /critic:
are informal prompt shorthand. In an ordinary chat
they are words you write, not universal ChatGPT
functions. They can help communicate your intention
quickly, but they do not unlock a secret mode,
guarantee specialist accuracy, start a research tool
or perform an action on your behalf.
That distinction changes how you should use them.
A one-word instruction usually leaves ChatGPT to
guess what good looks like. A short code paired
with a clear task, useful context and a specified
result can save time. That is the point of this guide.
First, clear up the biggest misconception
What are ChatGPT prompt codes, and are they real commands?
ChatGPT prompt codes are short, memorable instructions
that help you tell ChatGPT exactly what you need.
For example, /brief: asks for a concise
answer, /critic: asks for a critical
review, and /table: asks for information
to be organised into a table. They make prompting
quicker and more consistent, particularly when you
regularly use ChatGPT for similar tasks.
Think of them as shortcuts for better communication,
not secret commands.
Most of these codes are simply shorthand for
instructions written in everyday language. You
don't need to memorise them or use any special
syntax. What matters is combining the right
instruction with a clear task, relevant context
and the result you want. That's what turns a
simple prompt into something genuinely useful.
Prompt shorthand
/factcheck: tells the assistant what
you want it to do with text you supply. It needs
sources, browsing or documents to substantiate
its answer.
A real tool or action
Search, Deep research and connected services have
their own controls, access and limits. A typed
label does not grant capabilities or permission.
The useful idea is not a magic word.
It is a repeatable way to tell ChatGPT
what job you need done and what a good result
looks like.
A two-minute setup
How to use any ChatGPT code properly
Start with ordinary language. Add a shortcut if it
saves you typing or reminds you of a useful
requirement. You can place it at the start of your
message, after your task or in a follow-up. There
is no need to memorise punctuation.
The five-part prompt formula
1
Task
Say exactly what you want: rewrite a client
email, compare two quotes, diagnose a traffic
drop or plan a post.
2
Context and input
Give the audience, your situation and the
actual text, file, figures or URL it should
work from. Do not expect it to know facts
you have not supplied.
3
Constraints
Set length, tone, location, budget, exclusions
and any facts that must stay unchanged.
4
Output format
Ask for the thing you need: a three-column
table, a customer-ready email, numbered steps,
valid JSON or an editable outline.
5
Quality check
Tell it what to verify, what uncertainty to flag
and when to ask a question rather than fill a gap.
Here is the difference in practice
Too vague
/seo: Write my homepage.
A useful version
/seo: Create an outline for an Essex roof-repair service page. Audience: homeowners who need to understand repair options before requesting a quote. Include the questions they are likely to ask, useful evidence to collect from the business and a clear enquiry CTA. Do not invent prices, response times or customer reviews. Output: H1, proposed H2s and one-sentence purpose for each section.
The longer example is still a short prompt. It removes
guesswork and makes the response easier to judge.
OpenAI’s
prompting guidance
recommends clear, specific requests, relevant context
and iteration when a first draft misses the mark.
Three ways to use the shortcuts
One-off:
paste a code and a task into a normal chat.
For example, /simplify: followed by
the paragraph you want explained.
Follow-up:
after the first answer, say
/critic: identify three weaknesses
or /brief: cut this to 100 words.
You do not need to start again.
Repeatable work:
save your preferred tone and standing rules in
Custom Instructions or relevant Project instructions,
then use shortcuts only for the task-specific parts.
Custom Instructions
apply across chats, while
Project instructions
apply within their project.
A shortcut does not overrule your existing instructions.
If you repeatedly need “British English, direct tone,
no invented figures”, put that in your standing
instructions. Keep the code for the part that changes
from task to task.
A practical, edited library
Why this guide focuses on 78 useful shortcuts
This library brings together
78 practical ChatGPT prompt shortcuts
for writing, research, learning, marketing, business
planning and everyday problem-solving. Each code has
a clear purpose, an explanation of when to use it and
a copy-ready example you can adapt to your own work.
You'll also find useful instructions such as
/sources: for supporting evidence,
/askfirst: for clarifying a task and
/test: for checking whether a result
works as intended.
Some instructions have different names but achieve
much the same thing. For example, you might see
/friendly: or /professional:
used to describe the tone of a response. In this
guide, /tone: covers both, allowing
you to specify exactly how you want the answer
to sound. The table below shows other common
alternatives and helps you find the right
shortcut without learning several codes
for the same task.
Separate generating useful options
from testing an opposing argument.
/viral:,
/ultimate:
No direct replacement.
Engagement and quality cannot be guaranteed
by a dramatic label. Set an audience,
goal and quality criteria instead.
If you only save one section
Start with these eight prompts
You do not need 78 instructions in your head.
For everyday work, I would begin with
/askfirst:
to avoid missing context,
/brief:
for a quick answer,
/simplify:
for unfamiliar topics,
/critic:
for better drafts,
/factcheck:
for claims,
/stepbystep:
for unfamiliar tasks,
/template:
for repeat work and
/sources:
when evidence matters.
My practical habit:
write a first draft for the real audience,
review it with /critic:,
correct only the genuine issues and use
/factcheck: with sources
before publishing claims. Do not keep sending
“make it better” until the copy becomes generic.
Your practical reference library
Find the right ChatGPT prompt code for the job
Browse all 78 shortcuts by category, or search for
a particular task. Each entry explains what the
instruction does, when it is useful and how to
write it as a proper prompt. Open any example
and copy it into ChatGPT.
Remember:
these labels are optional shorthand.
You can achieve the same result using an ordinary
sentence. The important part is the instruction
that follows the code.
Ask ChatGPT to remove stiff, repetitive or
unnatural wording. Use it to improve readability
without losing the original meaning.
When to use it:
Client emails, articles, LinkedIn posts and
content that sounds too polished or generic.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/human: Rewrite the text below so it sounds like an experienced UK consultant speaking naturally to a business owner. Use short, varied sentences and straightforward language. Remove generic AI phrases and unnecessary adjectives. Keep every factual claim unchanged.
Text:
[Paste your text]
Specify the relevant discipline, technical
depth and assumptions. A specialist perspective
can make an answer more useful, but the label
itself does not guarantee expert accuracy.
When to use it:
Technical SEO, software development, financial
analysis or any topic where basic explanations
are not enough.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/expert: Explain this issue from the perspective of a technical SEO consultant with experience in WordPress and JavaScript rendering. Distinguish documented Google guidance from your own analysis. Give me diagnostic steps, possible causes and the evidence needed to confirm each cause.
Issue:
[Describe the issue]
Limit the response to the essential information.
Specify a word count or number of points when
the length matters.
When to use it:
Quick explanations, meeting summaries,
short emails and decisions that do not
require a long report.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/brief: Explain the difference between SEO and PPC in no more than 100 words. Write for a small business owner who has never used digital marketing. Include one practical example of when each could be useful.
Request greater depth, examples, qualifications
and relevant exceptions. Explain which areas
deserve the most attention rather than
simply asking for more words.
When to use it:
Learning complex subjects, researching business
problems and creating substantial guides.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/detailed: Explain how Google Search Console can help diagnose a sudden fall in organic traffic. Cover the main reports, what each metric can and cannot tell me, common interpretation mistakes and the order in which you would investigate. Include practical examples.
Ask ChatGPT to teach a subject at your current
level. It can introduce concepts progressively,
check understanding and provide examples.
When to use it:
Learning a new platform, understanding technical
concepts or helping someone study.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/teacher: Teach me how Google Tag Manager works. Assume I understand basic website analytics but have never configured GTM. Start with tags, triggers and variables. Use one realistic example, then ask me three questions to check my understanding before moving on.
Replace jargon and complicated explanations
with accessible language while preserving
important distinctions.
When to use it:
Technical documents, reports, contracts,
unfamiliar terminology and customer education.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/simplify: Explain the following technical paragraph to a business owner with no programming knowledge. Use plain British English and a practical analogy if helpful. Preserve the important technical meaning and explain any term that cannot be removed.
Text:
[Paste the paragraph]
Break a process into an ordered sequence.
Ask for prerequisites, checks and what to
do if a step fails.
When to use it:
Software setup, troubleshooting, website
changes and unfamiliar administrative tasks.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/stepbystep: Show me how to set up a GA4 event for clicks on a telephone link using Google Tag Manager. Explain the prerequisites, each configuration step, how to test the event and how to confirm that GA4 is receiving it. Do not assume I have already created the relevant trigger.
Ask for realistic examples showing how an
idea works in practice. Specify the industry,
audience or situation to avoid generic examples.
When to use it:
Understanding concepts, training colleagues
and turning abstract advice into something
you can apply.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/examples: Give me five realistic examples of how an Essex service business could use an AI chatbot on its website. For each, explain the visitor's question, what the chatbot could do and when a human should take over. Do not assume the chatbot has access to booking or customer systems.
Condense a document or conversation while
preserving its meaning. Specify whether you
need key facts, decisions, actions or unresolved
questions.
When to use it:
Long emails, meeting notes, research papers,
reports and lengthy conversations.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/summarize: Summarise the meeting notes below into four sections: key decisions, agreed actions, responsible people and unresolved questions. Preserve all dates and figures exactly. Do not infer decisions that were not explicitly made.
Notes:
[Paste meeting notes]
Turn unstructured information into rows
and columns. Name the columns and tell
ChatGPT how to handle missing information.
When to use it:
Comparisons, project tracking, research
findings and organising information from
multiple sources.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/table: Organise the following website audit findings into a table with these columns: Issue, Affected URL, Evidence, Business impact, Recommended action and Priority. Preserve the findings exactly and mark missing information as "Not provided".
Findings:
[Paste findings]
02
Research and critical thinking
10 shortcuts for investigating claims,
analysing evidence and testing ideas.
Define the research question, scope,
evidence requirements and output.
Use ChatGPT Search or Deep research when
current external information is needed.
When to use it:
Industry research, technical investigations,
competitor analysis and exploring an unfamiliar
subject.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/research: Research how UK small businesses are using AI for customer service. Focus on practical applications, implementation costs, limitations and measurable outcomes. Use current, credible sources where browsing is available. Distinguish survey findings from vendor claims and provide source links.
Output: an executive summary, key findings, a comparison table and practical implications for an owner-managed business.
Separate verifiable facts from interpretations,
unsupported assertions and outdated information.
Ask for evidence rather than a simple
true-or-false verdict.
When to use it:
Articles, presentations, marketing claims,
statistics and information that could affect
an important decision.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/factcheck: Review the claims in the article below. For each factual claim, identify the supporting evidence, source and publication date where available. Flag unsupported or misleading wording. Suggest a more accurate replacement where necessary. Do not invent citations.
Article:
[Paste article]
Find gaps that prevent you from trusting
or acting on an answer. This is particularly
useful when full verification is not yet
possible.
When to use it:
Before publishing research, implementing
technical changes or relying on third-party
information.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/verify: Review the following implementation plan before I make changes to a live WordPress website. Identify assumptions, missing information, dependencies and claims that need checking. Separate confirmed information from items that require testing.
Plan:
[Paste plan]
Ask for relevant source links, dates and
a clear distinction between source-backed
findings and the assistant's interpretation.
When to use it:
Research, industry statistics, SEO guidance,
product information and anything you plan
to publish as fact.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/sources: Support each substantive factual claim in your answer with a relevant source. Prefer original documentation, official data or primary research. Include publication dates where relevant. Explain when a source is outdated, inconclusive or does not directly support the claim. If you cannot access or verify a source, say so rather than inventing a reference.
Ask for a constructive review against
specific criteria. A useful critique
identifies the issue, explains its
consequences and suggests a correction.
When to use it:
Reviewing website content, proposals,
presentations, business ideas and
important emails.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/critic: Review this service page as a potential customer who is comparing three providers. Identify unclear claims, missing information, weak explanations and anything that could reduce trust. Prioritise genuine issues rather than making changes for the sake of it.
Page content:
[Paste content]
Ask ChatGPT to examine a proposal from
a credible opposing perspective. This
exposes objections and evidence you
may have overlooked.
When to use it:
Business proposals, strategic decisions,
negotiations and testing the strength
of an argument.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/devilsadvocate: Challenge my proposal to rebuild our business website. Present the strongest reasonable argument for improving the existing website instead. Examine cost, disruption, performance, SEO risk and expected commercial benefit. Identify what evidence would help us decide between the options.
Proposal:
[Paste proposal]
Identify the things a proposal depends
on but does not explicitly establish.
Ask which assumptions are critical
and how they could be tested.
When to use it:
Forecasting, marketing plans, business
cases and investigating why something
has not worked.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/assumptions: Examine my plan to increase our Google Ads budget by 50%. Identify the assumptions about demand, conversion rate, lead quality, capacity and profitability. Explain which assumptions need evidence before increasing spend.
Current figures and plan:
[Paste figures and plan]
Explore what could go wrong, the
consequences and practical ways
to reduce exposure. Distinguish
evidence-backed risks from hypothetical ones.
When to use it:
Software deployments, website migrations,
business investments and operational changes.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/risks: Assess the risks of moving a WordPress website to a new hosting provider. Cover downtime, DNS, email, SEO, security, backups and rollback. For each risk, explain the potential consequence, a preventative action and how to confirm the migration was successful.
Ask ChatGPT to examine figures, identify
patterns and explain their implications.
Provide the underlying data and avoid
drawing conclusions from percentages alone.
When to use it:
GA4 reports, Search Console exports,
advertising results and business data.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/analyst: Analyse the attached Google Search Console export. Compare the latest 28 days with the previous 28 days. Identify changes in clicks, impressions, CTR and average position. Separate branded and non-branded queries where the data allows. Highlight meaningful changes and possible explanations without presenting correlation as proof of causation.
Put alternatives side by side using
the factors that matter to your situation.
Separate documented differences
from assumptions and preferences.
When to use it:
Choosing software, reviewing suppliers,
comparing proposals and evaluating
different approaches.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/compare: Compare the two hosting proposals below for a WordPress business website. Use a table covering total cost, storage, backups, support, security, migration, performance information and contract terms. Mark anything not specified. Explain the practical trade-offs without inventing features.
Proposal A:
[Paste proposal]
Proposal B:
[Paste proposal]
03
Writing and editing
10 shortcuts for improving drafts,
adjusting tone and writing clearer copy.
Review the structure, clarity, flow
and usefulness of a piece of writing.
Ask for purposeful changes rather than
rewriting everything automatically.
When to use it:
Articles, client proposals, reports,
website copy and important correspondence.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/editor: Edit the article below for clarity, structure and readability. Keep the author's natural voice and preserve all facts. Remove repetition and improve transitions where needed. First identify the three most important editorial issues, then provide the revised article.
Article:
[Paste article]
Check spelling, punctuation, grammar
and consistency while keeping your
wording and style intact.
When to use it:
Final drafts, professional emails,
reports and content that has already
been approved.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/proofread: Check the text below for spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency using British English. Correct errors only. Do not change the meaning, tone or structure unless a sentence is grammatically incorrect.
Text:
[Paste text]
Change the wording, structure or emphasis
to serve a clear purpose. Specify what
the original version is failing to do.
When to use it:
Outdated service pages, unclear emails,
weak introductions and content aimed
at a new audience.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/rewrite: Rewrite the introduction below for a service page aimed at Essex business owners. Make the service and its benefits clear within the first two sentences. Use direct, confident British English. Preserve the factual claims and avoid exaggerated promises.
Original:
[Paste introduction]
Change how a message sounds while keeping
its facts and purpose intact. Describe
the audience and the tone you want
rather than relying on a single adjective.
When to use it:
Brand copy, sensitive emails, customer
communication and adapting content
between different platforms.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/tone: Rewrite this email so it sounds friendly, professional and straightforward. I know the recipient well, so avoid corporate language and excessive formality. Keep the request clear and do not make the message unnecessarily long.
Email:
[Paste email]
Tighten existing copy without removing
information the reader actually needs.
Unlike /brief:, this instruction is
particularly useful for editing a draft.
When to use it:
Overlong emails, introductions,
proposals, social posts and
website sections.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/concise: Reduce this email to approximately 120 words. Remove repetition, unnecessary introductions and filler. Preserve the requested action, deadline and any important qualifications. Keep the tone polite and natural.
Email:
[Paste email]
Create marketing copy around a real
audience, problem, offer and next step.
Effective copy needs credible reasons
to act, not exaggerated claims.
When to use it:
Landing pages, service pages,
advertisements and enquiry-focused
website sections.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/copywriter: Write a landing page introduction for a local accountant in Southend. The audience is owner-managed limited companies looking for ongoing accounting support. Focus on their practical concerns, explain the service clearly and end with a natural enquiry CTA. Do not invent credentials, prices, reviews or guarantees.
Generate titles that communicate
the subject and give the intended
reader a reason to continue.
Different channels need different
headline styles.
When to use it:
Blog posts, landing pages, newsletters,
LinkedIn posts and social carousels.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/headline: Generate 12 headline options for an article explaining why a small business website may lose Google traffic. The audience is UK business owners. Make the titles specific, useful and natural. Avoid clickbait and claims that the article cannot support. Include a short explanation of the angle behind each headline.
Create a first sentence or opening
that makes the topic relevant to
the intended audience. A good hook
should lead naturally into the
actual content.
When to use it:
Instagram carousels, Reels, LinkedIn
posts, newsletters and article introductions.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/hook: Write 10 opening lines for an Instagram carousel about common mistakes small businesses make with Google Ads. The audience is UK business owners, not marketing professionals. Use practical observations rather than exaggerated promises. Each hook must naturally lead into an educational carousel.
Give content a narrative structure,
with a situation, challenge, action
and outcome. Supply real details when
writing about actual people or businesses.
When to use it:
Case studies, personal posts, customer
stories and explaining how a problem
was solved.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/storyteller: Turn the project notes below into a short customer case study. Use the structure: initial problem, what was done, challenges encountered and verified outcome. Keep the story natural and commercially relevant. Do not invent dialogue, customer reactions, figures or results.
Project notes:
[Paste notes]
Explain who the recipient is, your
relationship, what you need to communicate
and what action you want them to take.
Specify the tone and approximate length.
When to use it:
Client updates, enquiries, follow-ups,
proposals and professional correspondence.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/email: Draft a friendly, professional email to a client explaining that I have completed their website audit. Mention that the attached report includes findings and recommended next steps. Ask them to suggest a convenient time for a short call. Keep it under 150 words and avoid sales language.
04
Marketing and content
10 shortcuts for SEO, social media,
audience research and content planning.
Ask ChatGPT to help with search intent,
content structure, topic coverage and
on-page improvements. Supply actual
search data or research when available.
When to use it:
Blog briefs, service pages, content
audits and improving existing pages
around relevant search queries.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/seo: Create a content brief for a UK article targeting the search query "why has my website traffic dropped". Identify the likely informational intent, questions the page should answer and useful evidence to include. Suggest an H1, H2 structure, title tag and meta description. Clearly separate assumptions about search intent from anything verified through live SERP research.
Adapt an idea to Instagram's format,
audience and intended action. Specify
whether you need a carousel, Reel,
Story or single-image post.
When to use it:
Educational carousels, behind-the-scenes
content, service explanations and
practical business tips.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/instagram: Create an eight-slide educational carousel for UK small business owners explaining three ways to improve their Google Business Profile. Give each slide one clear message, concise on-slide copy and a practical example. Use a straightforward tone and finish with a useful takeaway rather than a generic engagement question.
Turn an observation, lesson or
experience into a useful professional
post. Give it a specific audience
and avoid generic motivational content.
When to use it:
Sharing professional experience,
industry observations, case studies
and lessons from client work.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/linkedin: Turn the following observation into a LinkedIn post for owner-managed businesses. Open with the practical problem, explain what I learned and give one actionable takeaway. Write in first person using British English. Avoid exaggerated claims and artificial engagement questions.
Observation:
[Paste your observation]
Ask for video concepts that suit
your audience, recording resources
and preferred format. Include
the opening, visual idea and
main takeaway.
When to use it:
Instagram Reels, TikTok videos,
YouTube Shorts and simple faceless
educational content.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/reels: Suggest 10 faceless Instagram Reel ideas for a freelance digital marketing consultant speaking to UK business owners. Each idea must be practical, possible to produce in under 30 minutes and suitable for a 20–40 second video. Include the opening hook, visuals, main teaching point and closing line. Avoid ideas that require filming clients or inventing results.
Add context, explanation or a practical
next step without repeating every
word already shown in the visual.
When to use it:
Instagram posts, carousels, Reels
and other social media content.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/caption: Write an Instagram caption for the carousel below. The audience is UK small business owners. Add useful context that is not already on the slides, keep the tone conversational and end with a relevant reason to save the post. Avoid generic motivational phrases and unnecessary hashtags.
Carousel content:
[Paste slide copy]
Structure a video or presentation
around its audience, duration and
main message. Write for spoken
delivery rather than an essay.
When to use it:
Educational videos, short presentations,
webinars and occasional voiceover content.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/script: Write a 60-second educational video script explaining why a business should check its Google Ads conversion tracking before increasing its budget. Use conversational British English and short spoken sentences. Include a clear opening, two practical points and a natural closing. Suggest simple screen recordings to accompany each section.
Turn your actual positioning,
services, experience and customer
needs into clear messaging.
Ground the work in facts rather
than invented brand attributes.
When to use it:
Website copy, brand guidelines,
service positioning and keeping
content consistent across channels.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/brand: Develop a concise messaging guide for the business described below. Include its core proposition, target customer, three evidence-backed differentiators, preferred tone, words to avoid and example homepage messaging. Do not invent credentials, customer results or services.
Business details:
[Paste business information]
Explore the audience's likely
questions, needs, constraints and
objections. Treat inferred insights
as hypotheses until supported
by real customer evidence.
When to use it:
Campaign planning, service pages,
content strategies and developing
customer research questions.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/audience: Help me understand the information needs of UK homeowners searching for emergency boiler repairs. Identify likely questions, practical concerns, decision criteria and useful information a service page should provide. Separate reasonable hypotheses from anything that would require customer interviews or search data to verify.
Compare publicly visible services,
positioning, content and customer
experience. Use current source
material and avoid guessing
private performance figures.
When to use it:
SEO research, service differentiation,
website planning and identifying
gaps in your own content.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/competitor: Compare the three competitor service pages below with our own page. Assess the publicly visible service information, content structure, evidence, FAQs and customer journey. Identify useful content gaps and opportunities to differentiate. Do not estimate their traffic, conversions or revenue without supporting data.
Our page:
[URL or content]
Competitors:
[URLs or content]
Connect content topics to audience
needs, business goals and existing
resources. Ask for a plan that avoids
repeating what your website already covers.
When to use it:
Blog planning, SEO topic clusters,
social content planning and
updating an existing content library.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/content: Create a three-month content strategy for an Essex-based roofing company. The goals are to answer common customer questions, support the main service pages and generate relevant enquiries. Use the existing page and article list below to avoid duplicate topics. For each proposed article, include its audience, search intent, main question, suggested internal links and business purpose.
Existing content:
[Paste page and article list]
05
Business and planning
10 shortcuts for making plans, setting priorities,
developing proposals and organising work.
Ask ChatGPT to examine your current situation,
objectives, available resources and possible
approaches. A useful strategy explains not only
what to do, but also why and what to leave out.
When to use it:
Business planning, marketing strategy, entering
a new market and reviewing how resources are spent.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/strategy: Help me develop a six-month digital marketing strategy for the business described below. Consider our current position, commercial objectives, budget, available time and target customers. Compare the practical options, identify dependencies and explain what should be prioritised. Do not invent market demand or forecast results without supporting data.
Business information:
[Paste business details]
Break a project into manageable tasks,
milestones and dependencies. Include deadlines,
responsibilities and the information needed
before work can begin.
When to use it:
Website projects, marketing campaigns, launches
and organising work across several weeks.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/planner: Create an eight-week project plan for redesigning a small business WordPress website. Include discovery, content, design, development, testing, SEO checks and launch. Identify dependencies and the decisions the business owner must make. Present the plan as a weekly table with tasks, expected outputs and completion checks.
Compare tasks using criteria such as business
impact, urgency, effort and dependencies.
Ask for the reasoning behind the order rather
than an unexplained priority score.
When to use it:
Managing a backlog, deciding which website
problems to fix and allocating limited time.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/prioritize: Help me prioritise the website improvements below. Consider potential business impact, urgency, implementation effort and dependencies. Explain the proposed order and identify any missing information that could change it. Present the result as a practical action table.
Improvements:
[Paste your list]
Reduce an overwhelming list to a small number
of immediate actions. Provide the time available,
deadlines and constraints so the plan is realistic.
When to use it:
Busy workdays, competing deadlines and projects
that have become difficult to move forward.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/focus: I have three hours available today and the tasks listed below. Help me identify what I can realistically finish. Consider deadlines, dependencies and the consequences of delaying each task. Give me a simple schedule with no more than three main priorities.
Tasks:
[Paste task list]
Define what success would actually look like,
how it can be measured and what is realistically
within your control.
When to use it:
Business growth, marketing campaigns, personal
development and quarterly planning.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/goals: Help me turn "get more enquiries from our website" into a measurable three-month objective. Identify the baseline data I need, suitable KPIs, practical milestones and the difference between leading indicators and business outcomes. Do not invent targets before assessing the current figures.
Current information:
[Paste available data]
Clarify who an offer is for, what is included,
the problem it addresses and the boundaries
of the service. A clear offer reduces uncertainty
without relying on exaggerated promises.
When to use it:
Service packages, landing pages, proposals
and launching a new product or service.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/offer: Help me clarify the website maintenance service described below. Define the target customer, the main problem addressed, what is included, what is excluded and the practical benefit of the service. Write a short customer-facing description using straightforward British English. Do not add features or guarantees I have not supplied.
Service details:
[Paste details]
Build a short, relevant explanation around
the audience's needs, the proposed solution
and the evidence supporting it.
When to use it:
Client meetings, introductions, presenting
ideas and explaining a new service.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/pitch: Write a 60-second spoken pitch for my website SEO audit service. The audience is small business owners who know their website could perform better but do not understand technical SEO. Explain the problem, what I actually do and what they receive. Keep it conversational and avoid guarantees about rankings.
Service information:
[Paste details]
Turn discovery notes into a clear proposal
covering the client's needs, proposed work,
scope, responsibilities, pricing and next steps.
When to use it:
Freelance projects, consulting engagements
and preparing a proposal after a client meeting.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/proposal: Turn the discovery notes below into a professional SEO proposal. Include the client's current situation, objectives, proposed work, scope boundaries, reporting, commercial terms and next steps. Use straightforward British English. Do not invent prices, timelines or commitments. Flag any information I need to confirm before sending.
Discovery notes:
[Paste notes]
Create an agenda, useful questions or
structured meeting notes. State which
you need and identify decisions and
follow-up actions separately.
When to use it:
Client calls, project reviews, discovery
meetings and internal planning.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/meeting: Prepare a 30-minute discovery meeting agenda for a business owner considering Google Ads management. Include the questions needed to understand their services, target locations, current advertising, budget, lead handling and definition of success. Group questions by topic and allow five minutes for next steps.
Review the structure, relevance and clarity
of a CV against an actual job description.
Highlight genuine experience without
inventing qualifications or achievements.
When to use it:
Job applications, updating a CV and
explaining transferable experience.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/cv: Review my CV against the job description below. Identify relevant experience that should be more prominent, unclear wording and information that may be missing. Rewrite my professional summary and suggest improvements to the experience section. Do not invent employment history, qualifications, responsibilities or results.
CV:
[Paste CV]
Job description:
[Paste description]
06
Learning and practice
10 shortcuts for learning new skills, testing
understanding and practising real situations.
Ask ChatGPT to generate questions at a
suitable difficulty level. Request feedback
and explanations rather than simply
revealing all the answers immediately.
When to use it:
Exam revision, professional training
and checking your understanding of a subject.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/quiz: Test my understanding of Google Analytics 4. Ask me 10 questions covering events, conversions, attribution and reports. Start with basic questions and gradually increase the difficulty. Ask one question at a time, wait for my answer and explain any mistakes before continuing.
Convert your notes into focused
question-and-answer pairs. Keep one
main idea per card so the material
is useful for active recall.
When to use it:
Studying terminology, learning facts
and preparing revision material.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/flashcards: Turn the notes below into 20 revision flashcards. Each card should test one specific concept. Put the question on the front and a concise answer on the back. Include a practical example where it would help understanding. Use only the supplied notes and flag anything that appears unclear.
Notes:
[Paste study notes]
Ask for exercises that match your current
ability. Request feedback after each
attempt and increase the difficulty
as you improve.
When to use it:
Language learning, coding, presentations,
writing and developing professional skills.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/practice: Help me practise explaining technical SEO problems to non-technical business owners. Give me one realistic client question at a time. Wait for my explanation, then provide feedback on clarity, accuracy and unnecessary jargon. Gradually introduce more difficult scenarios.
Simulate a realistic interaction so you
can practise responding. Define the
other person's role, concerns and
likely questions.
When to use it:
Customer conversations, presentations,
interviews and handling objections.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/roleplay: Act as the owner of a small plumbing company who is considering SEO but is sceptical about monthly marketing costs. Ask me realistic questions about pricing, timelines, reporting and expected results. Ask one question at a time and respond naturally to my answers. After the conversation, give me constructive feedback.
Practise answering questions relevant
to the role. Ask for follow-up questions,
feedback and suggestions for clearer
examples.
When to use it:
Job interviews, client discovery calls
and preparing to present your experience.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/interview: Conduct a mock interview for the role described below. Ask one question at a time, including behavioural and role-specific questions. Wait for my answer before moving on. At the end, assess how clearly I demonstrated my actual experience and suggest improvements without inventing examples for me.
Job description:
[Paste description]
Ask for the underlying explanation
rather than just a definition.
Specify what you already understand
and where you are getting stuck.
When to use it:
Learning technical concepts, understanding
unfamiliar processes and interpreting
complex information.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/explain: Explain how a website's robots.txt file differs from a noindex directive. Assume I understand basic SEO. Cover what each controls, how search engines encounter them and common implementation mistakes. Include two practical WordPress examples.
Understand a concept through a familiar comparison
Ask for an analogy that makes an unfamiliar
idea easier to grasp. A useful answer
should also explain where the comparison
stops being accurate.
When to use it:
Explaining technology, teaching complex
ideas and communicating with non-specialists.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/analogy: Explain how a CDN works using an analogy that a small business owner would understand. Then explain the actual technical process and identify where the analogy becomes inaccurate. Keep the explanation clear without oversimplifying important details.
Organise a subject into the knowledge
and skills you need to develop,
in a practical sequence.
When to use it:
Learning software, preparing for a
qualification or developing a new skill.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/roadmap: Create a 12-week learning roadmap for someone who knows basic HTML and CSS but wants to learn JavaScript for website development. I can study for five hours per week. Organise the plan by week with learning objectives, practical exercises and a small project to demonstrate progress. Identify useful prerequisites.
Ask for feedback against clear criteria.
A useful response identifies what
works, what needs improvement and
what to try next.
When to use it:
Writing practice, presentations,
interview answers and developing skills.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/feedback: Review my answer to the interview question below. Evaluate clarity, relevance, structure and how well I used specific examples. Identify two strengths and three improvements. Suggest how I could make the answer more effective without inventing experiences.
Question:
[Paste question]
My answer:
[Paste answer]
Translate meaning rather than individual
words. Specify the language variant,
audience, tone and any terminology
that must remain unchanged.
When to use it:
Multilingual websites, customer emails,
marketing content and language learning.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/translate: Translate the following English product description into natural Greek for an online jewellery shop. Preserve the product specifications, materials and measurements exactly. Use a polished but approachable retail tone. Avoid literal phrasing that sounds unnatural in Greek.
Text:
[Paste description]
07
Problem-solving and reusable formats
13 shortcuts for diagnosing problems, writing
code, generating ideas and creating repeatable work.
Ask ChatGPT to examine the relevant code,
error message and expected behaviour.
Supply enough information to reproduce
the problem where possible.
When to use it:
JavaScript errors, WordPress problems,
broken forms and software development.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/debug: Help me diagnose the JavaScript error below. Explain the likely cause, what information is missing and how to reproduce the issue. Suggest the smallest appropriate fix and show how to test it. Do not rewrite unrelated parts of the code.
Expected behaviour:
[Describe]
Actual behaviour:
[Describe]
Error:
[Paste error]
Relevant code:
[Paste code]
Work through possible causes instead of
jumping to the first explanation. Ask
for low-risk checks before making
potentially disruptive changes.
When to use it:
Website performance, tracking problems,
software issues and operational failures.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/troubleshoot: My WordPress homepage has become noticeably slower after a recent update. Help me investigate the problem systematically. Start with safe diagnostic checks and ask for any missing information. Explain what each test would confirm or rule out. Do not recommend disabling important security features or making live changes without a rollback plan.
Specify the language, framework, environment,
expected behaviour and constraints.
Request complete, usable code when you
need something ready to implement.
When to use it:
Website components, scripts, calculators
and development tasks.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/code: Write a responsive HTML, CSS and JavaScript calculator that estimates monthly advertising management fees as a percentage of ad spend. It will be added to a WordPress page using an Elementor HTML widget. Use scoped CSS, accessible form labels and input validation. Provide the complete copy-and-paste code, with no document-level HTML wrappers.
Ask for a review of correctness, security,
accessibility, performance and maintainability.
Request specific findings rather than
an automatic rewrite.
When to use it:
Reviewing AI-generated code, checking
website changes and preparing code
for production.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/reviewcode: Review the code below before I add it to a live WordPress website. Check for functional errors, security concerns, accessibility issues, unnecessary dependencies and possible CSS conflicts with Elementor. Explain each genuine issue and suggest a targeted correction. Do not claim to have tested the code unless you actually executed it.
Code:
[Paste code]
Identify unnecessary work, inefficiencies
and potential improvements. Define the
outcome you want to improve and the
constraints that must remain unchanged.
When to use it:
Improving website code, streamlining
recurring tasks and reducing manual work.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/optimize: Review the workflow below and identify ways to reduce repetitive manual work without sacrificing quality. Separate quick improvements from changes that require software or automation. Estimate time savings only where the supplied information supports them.
Current workflow:
[Describe each step]
Describe the trigger, required inputs,
actions, exceptions and expected result.
Include failure handling and any
approval requirements.
When to use it:
Lead handling, reporting, notifications,
data processing and recurring business tasks.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/automate: Design a workflow that sends new website enquiries to a CRM and notifies the business owner by email. Describe the trigger, data fields, processing steps, duplicate handling, error logging and privacy considerations. Identify the integrations and permissions required. Do not assume the workflow can access an external account without a connection.
Turn a task you repeat into a consistent
template. Use placeholders for information
that changes and clear instructions
for completing each section.
When to use it:
Client reports, project briefs, case
studies, emails and operating procedures.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/template: Create a reusable monthly SEO reporting template for small business clients. Include an executive summary, organic performance, enquiries, completed work, observations and next month's priorities. Use plain English and placeholders for client-specific figures. Explain what information belongs in each section and avoid vanity metrics without business context.
Create a practical list of checks for
a repeatable process. Each item should
be specific enough to confirm whether
it has been completed.
When to use it:
Website launches, publishing articles,
client onboarding and quality control.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/checklist: Create a pre-publication checklist for a WordPress blog article. Cover factual accuracy, search intent, title and headings, internal links, images, mobile layout, accessibility, metadata, structured data and final testing. Make each item a specific action that can be marked complete. Separate essential checks from optional improvements.
Ask for data in a consistent format
that another application can process.
Define the required fields, types
and how missing values should appear.
When to use it:
APIs, custom applications, data
processing and repeatable automation.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/json: Extract the business details from the text below and return a valid JSON object with these fields: business_name, website, telephone, email, town and services. Use an array for services. Use null for missing values. Return JSON only, without Markdown fences or explanatory text. Do not invent missing details.
Text:
[Paste business information]
Request comma-separated data with
consistent columns. Specify how to
handle commas, line breaks and
missing values.
When to use it:
Importing information into spreadsheets,
CRM systems and other applications.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/csv: Convert the following task list into CSV with the columns Task, Client, Priority, Due Date and Status. Use YYYY-MM-DD for dates. Quote fields containing commas and leave genuinely missing values empty. Include one header row and return only the CSV data.
Task list:
[Paste list]
Describe the calculation, relevant
cell references and spreadsheet software.
Ask for an explanation and test cases,
not just a formula to paste.
When to use it:
Excel, Google Sheets, reporting,
budgeting and analysing business data.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/formula: Write a Google Sheets formula that calculates cost per lead using advertising spend in column B and leads in column C. The result goes in column D. Handle rows with zero leads without producing an error. Explain the formula and show how to apply it to the entire column.
Explore a range of possible approaches.
Define the audience, objective and
available resources so the ideas
are relevant rather than random.
When to use it:
Content ideas, business improvements,
product features and solving
creative problems.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/brainstorm: Generate 15 practical content ideas for an Essex electrician who wants to answer common homeowner questions. Avoid repeating the existing topics below. Group the ideas by customer need and explain the useful angle behind each. Prioritise topics the electrician can support with genuine experience.
Existing content:
[Paste topics]
Turn a process into a sequence of
questions and conditional actions.
Identify what information is required
at each decision point.
When to use it:
Troubleshooting, customer support,
qualifying enquiries and designing
business processes.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/decisiontree: Create a decision tree for investigating why a website contact form is not generating enquiries. Start by distinguishing between no traffic, visitors not submitting the form and submissions not reaching the business. For each branch, identify a practical check and the next action based on the result. Present it as a clear text-based flowchart.
08
Five extra workflow and quality codes
Five additional shortcuts for reducing
guesswork, checking work and making
complex tasks easier to continue.
Why I added these:
A useful prompt should do more than generate
an answer. It should help you recognise missing
information, define quality, test the result,
protect sensitive details and preserve
the work already completed.
Tell ChatGPT to identify essential missing
information rather than making assumptions.
This is especially useful when a task
depends on details you have not supplied.
When to use it:
Complex projects, proposals, website development,
research and tasks where incorrect assumptions
could waste significant time.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/askfirst: I want you to develop a complete content strategy for my business. Before starting, ask me up to eight essential questions about the business, audience, objectives, existing content, resources and constraints. Do not begin the strategy until I have answered. Avoid asking questions that are already answered in the information I provide.
Business information:
[Paste available details]
Create explicit quality criteria before
producing or reviewing work. This gives
you a more useful basis for feedback
than simply asking ChatGPT to improve
something.
When to use it:
Content production, website projects,
presentations, reports and
evaluating draft materials.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/rubric: Create a quality checklist for reviewing a local SEO service page before publication. Cover search intent, factual accuracy, service clarity, location relevance, evidence, readability, internal links and conversion elements. For each criterion, explain what acceptable work looks like and how to identify a genuine weakness. Do not use an arbitrary overall score.
Request test cases, acceptance criteria
and edge cases. Distinguish between
tests that have actually been executed
and tests that are only proposed.
When to use it:
Software development, website forms,
calculators, automations and
validating structured output.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/test: Create a testing plan for the website calculator below. Include normal inputs, boundary values, invalid inputs, keyboard accessibility and mobile behaviour. Provide expected results for each test. Clearly distinguish tests you have actually executed from tests that still require manual verification.
Calculator requirements and code:
[Paste requirements and code]
Ask for help identifying personal,
confidential or unnecessary information
before using material in a prompt.
This does not change ChatGPT's
data-handling settings or permissions.
When to use it:
Working with client documents,
customer records, contracts and
confidential business information.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/privacy: Help me prepare the document below for use in an AI-assisted editing workflow. Identify personal information, confidential business details and unnecessary identifiers that should be removed or replaced with placeholders. Preserve the information needed to complete the editing task. Do not claim that redaction alone makes the document anonymous or guarantees compliance.
Document:
[Paste only material you are authorised to share]
Create a structured record of what has
been completed, what decisions were made,
what remains outstanding and what
another person or AI assistant needs
to continue the work.
When to use it:
Long development projects, research,
client work and transferring a project
between tools or conversations.
See a practical example
+
Copy-ready prompt
/handoff: Create a detailed project handover document using the information available in this conversation and the files I have provided. Include the project objective, architecture, completed work, important decisions, current status, outstanding issues, next steps and verification commands. Separate confirmed facts from assumptions and untested changes. Do not invent information or claim access to files you cannot inspect. Write the document so another developer or AI assistant could continue the project.
Put the library to work
How to combine ChatGPT prompt codes in practice
The real value of these shortcuts comes when you
combine them into a sensible workflow.
You do not need to put six codes at the beginning
of every prompt. In fact, that often makes the
instruction less clear. Instead, use each
shortcut when it serves a particular purpose
in the task.
Think of it as a sequence:
understand the problem, produce the work,
review it and verify the result.
A good prompt gets you a useful first answer.
A good workflow helps you produce something
you can actually use.
A simple example: improving a website page
1
Understand the task
Use
/askfirst:
to identify missing information before
starting work.
2
Plan the content
Use
/seo:
and
/audience:
to understand what the page needs
to communicate.
3
Produce the first draft
Use
/copywriter:
to write the page for the intended
audience and business objective.
4
Challenge the result
Use
/critic:
to find genuine weaknesses rather
than automatically requesting another
complete rewrite.
The following three workflows show exactly
how this approach works with real business tasks.
Each includes prompts you can copy, adapt and
use in a normal ChatGPT conversation.
Workflow 01
Research and write an article worth publishing
Imagine you are preparing an article about how
small businesses can use AI chatbots.
You want something useful and accurate,
not a generic article assembled from
familiar talking points.
Here is how you could approach the task
using several of the shortcuts.
Step 1: Research the subject
Select ChatGPT Search or Deep research
if you need current external information.
The /research: label below defines the
task; it does not activate a research
tool by itself.
Prompt 1: Research brief
/research: Research how UK small businesses can use AI chatbots on their websites.
Audience: Owner-managed businesses with limited technical knowledge.
Cover:
- Practical use cases
- Customer service and lead handling
- Integration requirements
- Implementation costs and ongoing work
- Privacy and data protection considerations
- Limitations and situations requiring human involvement
/sources: Use relevant, credible sources. Distinguish independent evidence from vendor claims. Include publication dates for time-sensitive information.
Output: A research summary, key findings, source links and a list of questions that the available evidence does not answer.
Do not write the article yet.
Step 2: Turn the research into a content brief
Once you have reviewed the findings, turn
them into a structure that serves the
reader's actual needs.
Prompt 2: Content structure
/seo: Using the research we have just completed, create a detailed content brief for an article about AI chatbots for small business websites.
Focus on informational search intent.
Identify:
- The main question the article must answer
- Important supporting questions
- The practical information readers need
- Where original examples would improve the article
- Claims that require supporting evidence
- Relevant internal linking opportunities
Output a proposed H1, H2 and H3 structure.
Do not invent keyword volumes, search rankings or competitor findings.
Step 3: Write, challenge and verify
Write the article using the approved structure.
Then use a separate review prompt to identify
weaknesses and check the factual claims.
Prompt 3: Editorial review
/critic: Review the completed article from the perspective of a UK business owner considering an AI chatbot.
Identify:
1. Questions the article does not adequately answer.
2. Claims that need stronger evidence.
3. Sections that repeat information.
4. Technical explanations that are unnecessarily complicated.
5. Practical information that would help a reader make a decision.
/factcheck: Check the substantive factual claims against the research and available sources.
Do not invent evidence or rewrite the article merely to make it longer.
Give me a prioritised list of genuine improvements before making changes.
Why this workflow works:
it separates research, planning, writing
and reviewing. That makes it easier to
catch unsupported claims and weak content
before the article is published.
Workflow 02
Compare two suppliers without overlooking the details
Suppose you have received two website hosting
proposals. Both look attractive, but the
packages have different limits, pricing
arrangements and support terms.
Instead of asking ChatGPT which provider is
better, give it the actual proposals and
ask for a structured comparison against
your requirements.
Step 1: Extract the information
Prompt 1: Supplier comparison
/compare: Compare the two website hosting proposals below.
My requirements:
- WordPress hosting
- Reliable technical support
- Daily backups
- Suitable performance for a business website
- Clear renewal pricing
- A straightforward migration process
Create a table covering:
- Initial cost
- Renewal cost
- Storage and resource limits
- Backups
- Security
- Support arrangements
- Migration
- Contract terms
- Important exclusions
Use only information supported by the proposals.
Mark missing information as "Not specified".
Proposal A:
[Paste proposal A]
Proposal B:
[Paste proposal B]
Step 2: Identify the risks and missing information
Prompt 2: Risk and evidence check
/risks: Using the comparison above, identify the practical risks and trade-offs associated with each hosting proposal.
Focus on:
- Unexpected costs
- Resource restrictions
- Backup and recovery arrangements
- Migration risks
- Support limitations
- Contract restrictions
/assumptions: Identify anything we are assuming without evidence.
Finish with a list of specific questions I should send to each supplier before making a decision.
Step 3: Prepare the follow-up email
Prompt 3: Supplier follow-up
/email: Draft a concise, professional email to each hosting supplier asking for clarification on the outstanding points identified above.
Use a friendly but direct tone.
Group related questions together and avoid asking for information already provided in the proposal.
Create a separate email for each supplier.
Why this workflow works:
ChatGPT helps organise the information
and expose gaps, while you retain control
of the purchasing decision. The comparison
is based on the proposals you actually received.
Workflow 03
Improve a local service page without generic SEO copy
This workflow is particularly useful for
local businesses. Imagine an electrician
in Chelmsford whose service page needs
clearer information and a stronger
reason for visitors to enquire.
The aim is to create content that reflects
the actual business and helps local customers,
rather than repeating the location and
service keyword in every paragraph.
Step 1: Collect the missing business information
Prompt 1: Discovery questions
/askfirst: I want to improve a service page for an electrician in Chelmsford.
Before writing, ask me the essential questions needed to understand:
- The electrical services actually provided
- The areas covered
- The types of customers served
- Relevant qualifications and experience
- Availability and response arrangements
- The business's enquiry process
- Genuine customer evidence
- Any services or claims we must exclude
Do not invent business information.
Once I have answered, summarise the confirmed facts before creating the page.
Step 2: Build the page around the customer
Prompt 2: Page content
/audience: Identify the information a Chelmsford homeowner is likely to need when looking for the electrical services confirmed above.
Separate reasonable assumptions from questions that require customer or search data.
/seo: Develop a page structure that answers those needs and supports relevant local search intent.
/copywriter: Write the page in clear British English.
Use the confirmed business information, explain the actual service and make the next step easy to understand.
Avoid keyword stuffing, generic claims, invented reviews and unsupported response times.
Step 3: Review the finished page
Prompt 3: Publication review
/critic: Review the finished page for clarity, usefulness, local relevance and trust.
Check whether the page answers the questions a potential customer would reasonably ask.
/factcheck: Identify every business-specific claim that needs confirmation.
/checklist: Create a final publication checklist covering headings, metadata, internal links, contact actions, mobile readability and factual accuracy.
Do not make changes unless you identify a genuine reason for them.
Why this workflow works:
the content starts with real business information.
ChatGPT helps structure and communicate that
information, rather than manufacturing a
convincing-sounding version of the business.
Avoid the common traps
Eight mistakes that make ChatGPT prompts less useful
Prompt shortcuts can make your work faster,
but they can also create false confidence.
Most problems come from unclear instructions,
missing context or expecting a prompt to
do something that requires a real tool.
1. Treating shorthand as a secret command
Writing /expert: does not activate
a hidden expert model. Writing
/factcheck: does not automatically
verify a claim against reliable sources.
The actual task, supporting information and
available tools still matter.
Better approach:
specify the expertise or type of analysis
you need, provide relevant material and
explain how the result should be checked.
2. Using too many codes in one prompt
An instruction containing
/brief:,
/detailed:,
/human:,
/expert: and
/simplify: may contain
competing requirements.
Better approach:
decide what the immediate task requires.
For example, ask for a specialist explanation
written in plain English, with a maximum
of 300 words.
3. Leaving ChatGPT to invent the context
A prompt such as "write my business proposal"
leaves important questions unanswered.
ChatGPT may produce a plausible proposal
that does not reflect your actual services,
pricing or client requirements.
Better approach:
supply your discovery notes, services,
commercial terms and objectives.
Use /askfirst: when essential
information is missing.
4. Mistaking a convincing answer for a verified one
Clear writing does not establish factual
accuracy. A confident explanation can
still contain outdated information,
incorrect figures or unsupported claims.
Better approach:
request relevant sources, inspect the
supporting evidence and independently
check important claims.
5. Asking for research without providing access to sources
A request for current competitor pricing,
the latest platform documentation or
recent industry statistics needs current
source material.
Better approach:
use ChatGPT Search or Deep research where
available, provide the relevant documents
or supply the actual data.
Do not assume that adding
/research: gives ChatGPT
access to information it cannot retrieve.
6. Asking ChatGPT to keep making the answer better
Repeatedly asking for improvements without
identifying a problem can make content longer,
more generic and less faithful to its original
purpose.
Better approach:
review the draft against clear criteria.
Fix specific weaknesses and leave
effective sections alone.
7. Sharing sensitive information unnecessarily
Not every task requires full customer records,
private correspondence or confidential
business details. A prompt label does
not change your account's privacy settings
or your obligations when handling information.
Better approach:
share only the information needed for
the task, use appropriate account controls
and remove unnecessary identifiers.
8. Publishing the first response without reviewing it
AI-generated material still needs human
editorial judgement. This is particularly
important for published articles, client
communications, technical instructions
and claims about your business.
Better approach:
check whether the content is useful,
accurate, consistent with your actual
expertise and appropriate for its audience.
The purpose of a prompt is not to remove
your judgement. It is to make the work
clearer, faster and easier to review.
One template to bookmark
The reusable ChatGPT prompt template
If you do not want to remember all 78
shortcuts, save this template.
It contains the essential information
that makes most prompts more useful.
Replace the placeholders, remove anything
that does not apply and add one or two
shortcuts from the library where useful.
Universal prompt template
MY TASK
[Explain exactly what you want ChatGPT to do.]
CONTEXT
[Describe the situation, audience and relevant background.]
INPUT
[Provide the text, figures, notes or other material needed.]
REQUIREMENTS
[Specify the tone, length, scope and important constraints.]
OUTPUT
[Describe the format you want the result in.]
QUALITY CHECK
[Explain what should be verified and what must not be invented.]
OPTIONAL PROMPT SHORTCUTS
[Add one or two relevant shortcuts from the library.]
If essential information is missing, ask me before proceeding. Otherwise, state any important assumptions and complete the task.
How to get more from this template
For writing:
add your audience, tone, examples of
preferred writing and factual boundaries.
For research:
specify the questions to investigate,
relevant dates, source requirements
and what counts as sufficient evidence.
For technical work:
provide your environment, existing code,
error messages, expected behaviour
and testing requirements.
For recurring work:
save your standing preferences in
Custom Instructions or a relevant
ChatGPT Project.
For important decisions:
ask for the evidence, assumptions,
trade-offs and information that
still needs checking.
A useful rule:
the more consequential the task,
the more important the context,
evidence and review process become.
A quick caption needs far less
checking than a contract, financial
calculation or technical change
to a live website.
Frequently asked questions
ChatGPT prompt codes: common questions
Are ChatGPT prompt codes real commands?
Most codes in this guide are informal
prompt shorthand, not built-in ChatGPT
commands. They communicate an instruction
using ordinary language. A label such as
/human: can be useful, but
it does not activate a special hidden
feature or model.
ChatGPT also has actual product controls
and shortcuts for supported tools.
These should not be confused with
informal prompt labels.
Do I need to include the slash and colon?
No. For the informal shortcuts in this
guide, the punctuation is optional.
You could write
/simplify:
or simply say "explain this in
straightforward language".
The slash format is useful because it
gives you a short, recognisable label
for an instruction you use regularly.
Do prompt codes work in every version of ChatGPT?
Ordinary language instructions can be
understood across ChatGPT models, although
the quality and consistency of the response
may vary.
Features such as Search, Deep research,
connected applications and other tools
have their own availability and access
requirements. A prompt shortcut cannot
activate an unavailable feature.
Can I use several ChatGPT codes in one prompt?
Yes, provided the instructions are compatible
and serve a clear purpose. For example,
/research: and
/sources: work naturally
together when investigating a topic.
Avoid stacking labels that introduce
conflicting instructions. You will
often get a clearer result by using
different shortcuts at different
stages of the task.
What are the most useful ChatGPT prompt codes for beginners?
These help you control the explanation,
ask for practical instructions and
provide missing context before
ChatGPT starts working.
Which prompt codes are useful for business owners?
Business owners can use
/email:
for correspondence,
/compare:
for evaluating options,
/planner:
for organising projects and
/critic:
for reviewing proposals or important
documents.
The most useful shortcut depends
on the task rather than the
person's job title.
Can ChatGPT prompt codes improve SEO?
A shortcut such as
/seo: does not directly
improve search rankings. It can help
you research a topic, structure a page,
review existing content and identify
potential improvements.
SEO work still needs relevant search
data, accurate business information,
useful content, appropriate technical
implementation and measurement.
No. A fact-checking instruction can help
identify questionable claims, but
important information needs supporting
evidence and an appropriate review.
Use current, credible sources where
necessary. Ask ChatGPT to identify
uncertainty and distinguish verified
facts from interpretations or assumptions.
Can I save my favourite prompt codes?
Yes. You can keep frequently used prompts
in a document, a notes application
or a relevant ChatGPT Project.
For repeatable work, it is useful
to save the complete prompt rather
than only its shorthand label.
Keep the reusable instructions separate
from client-specific information so
you can use the same template safely
across different projects.
What is the difference between prompt codes and Custom Instructions?
Prompt codes are instructions you include
in an individual message. Custom Instructions
allow you to specify preferences and
relevant information that ChatGPT should
consider across conversations.
For example, you might use Custom Instructions
to establish your preferred writing style,
then use /email: in a particular
conversation to request a client email.
Can I use these shortcuts with other AI assistants?
Most of the instructions are ordinary
language and can be adapted for
other conversational AI assistants.
However, each product has its own
tools, instructions, context handling
and supported features. A label
that helps organise a prompt in
ChatGPT should not be assumed to
activate a feature in another product.
Do longer prompts always produce better results?
No. A longer prompt is useful when
it provides relevant context or
removes ambiguity. Unnecessary
instructions can make a task
harder to follow.
Aim for enough information to define
the task, audience, constraints,
output and relevant quality checks.
Leave out anything that does not
help ChatGPT complete the work.
Save this for later
The five things I would remember
You do not need to memorise 78 shortcuts
to get more useful results from ChatGPT.
The principles behind them are far
more important.
1
Start with a clear task
Explain what you actually need,
not just the type of answer
you would like.
2
Provide the context
Share relevant information,
explain the intended audience
and identify important constraints.
3
Use shortcuts selectively
Choose the instructions that genuinely
improve the immediate task.
More codes do not automatically
mean a better prompt.
4
Ask for evidence when it matters
Important claims need reliable
sources and appropriate checking.
A convincing explanation is
not proof of accuracy.
5
Keep control of the finished work
Use ChatGPT to support your work,
then apply your own knowledge
and judgement before acting,
sharing or publishing.
Save the library, use the shortcuts
that genuinely help your work and
remember that the most useful prompt
is usually the one that gives ChatGPT
less room to guess.
Further reading
Official resources and useful references
This guide is a practical collection
of informal prompt shortcuts.
For ChatGPT's actual features,
prompting guidance and account
settings, refer to the official
OpenAI documentation.
How Projects can organise
related conversations, files
and project-specific instructions.
About this guide:
the 78 codes are practical shorthand
for writing better instructions.
They are not presented as an official
OpenAI command reference. Actual
product capabilities and availability
can change, so check the current
documentation when using a
specific ChatGPT feature.
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