Practical AI

Prompt Library

Reusable AI prompts from my articles and projects, grouped by task. Preview each prompt or download it as a Markdown file. Adapted prompts turn shorter examples into instructions you can use on their own.

Need help writing your own ChatGPT prompts? Try my free ChatGPT plugin to turn a rough idea into a prompt you can use again or improve one that isn’t getting the results you want.

Brainstorming

  • Think through a project by voice

    Preview Markdown
    # Think through a project by voice
    
    ## Task
    Be my thought partner while I talk through a work or personal project. Help me clarify the outcome and spot what I might be overlooking.
    
    ## How to work with me
    Start by asking me to describe the project and the decision I’m facing. Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. Use short turns that are easy to follow aloud. Explore who the project is for, what success looks like, and the constraint or assumption most likely to change the plan.
    
    ## What to give me
    When I say I’m ready to wrap up, summarize the goal in one sentence, name two plausible approaches with one tradeoff each, and propose one small step I could take this week. Flag anything important that I still need to confirm.
    
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  • Test an AI app idea before building

    Preview Markdown
    # Test an AI app idea before building
    
    ## Task
    Help me decide how to test an idea for an app that turns scattered project notes into a clear next action. Start with solo business owners as the first audience to explore.
    
    ## Inputs
    Ask how these owners capture notes today, where the process breaks down, and what they do when they lose track of a next step. Treat the audience and the value of the app as hypotheses to test.
    
    ## Output
    Give me a one-sentence problem hypothesis, three neutral interview questions, and a small test I can run with five people before building the app. Define the evidence that would make me continue, change direction, or set the idea aside.
    
    ## Check
    Make sure the questions ask about real past behavior and give participants room to say the problem rarely comes up.
    
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Planning and reflection

  • Turn a weekly review into one commitment

    Preview Markdown
    # Turn a weekly review into one commitment
    
    ## Task
    Help me review my week and choose one realistic commitment for next week.
    
    ## Inputs
    Ask me for my weekly summary, selected calendar entries, project notes, or task list. Also ask how much focused time I have next week and which commitments are already fixed. Work from the information I provide.
    
    ## Output
    Summarize up to three themes with an example from the source material for each. List the open loops and propose two or three next steps that fit my available time. For each option, state what done would look like and what it would displace.
    
    ## Checkpoint
    Distinguish what the records show from what you infer. Ask me which commitment I want to make and which task I want to defer. After I decide, capture both in a short note I can use next week.
    
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  • Ask two AI assistants to review a plan

    Preview Markdown
    # Ask two AI assistants to review a plan
    
    Help me plan [task]. Ask a second AI to review the proposal for weak assumptions, missing constraints, and unnecessary complexity. Share only the context needed. Use up to three rounds, stopping earlier if there’s nothing useful left to resolve. Check current product claims against official sources. Show me what changed, why it changed, and where you still disagree. Return the plan for review before taking action.
    
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Writing and marketing

  • Draft a business post with a specific goal

    Preview Markdown
    # Draft a business post with a specific goal
    
    ## Task
    Draft a business post for one audience and one action.
    
    ## Brief
    Ask me for the channel, the intended reader, the problem they face, one real example or proof point, and the action I want them to take. Ask for any brand or length requirements that affect the draft. Use the wording and facts I provide as your source material.
    
    ## Output
    Write a complete post in plain language. Open with the reader’s problem, use the example to make the point concrete, and end with one clear call to action.
    
    ## Check
    Verify the example and claims against the brief. Flag any claim that needs evidence before I publish and revise sentences that could apply to almost any business.
    
    Download Markdown
  • Write a client email about a project delay

    Preview Markdown
    # Write a client email about a project delay
    
    ## Task
    Draft a client email explaining a project delay and what happens next. Keep the tone direct, calm, and accountable.
    
    ## Inputs
    Ask for the project or deliverable, the original and revised dates, the impact on the client, and the reason I’m authorized to share. Use the confirmed timeline and ask about any missing details that affect what I can promise.
    
    ## Output
    Provide a subject line and a draft under 175 words. State what changed, acknowledge the impact, and explain the next step and when the client can expect another update.
    
    ## Check
    Verify dates and commitments against the confirmed timeline. Flag any unresolved date or approval separately. Return the draft for my review.
    
    Download Markdown

Saving notes

  • Save a voice brainstorm as a structured note

    Preview Markdown
    # Save a voice brainstorm as a structured note
    
    ## Task
    Turn the idea from our conversation into a short note I can revisit. If the conversation lacks context, ask me for the idea and the next step first.
    
    ## Note format
    - **Title** — a short, searchable heading
    - **Date and type** — today’s date and whether it’s for work or a personal project
    - **Idea** — two or three sentences covering what it is and why it matters
    - **Next step** — one specific action and any detail I’ll need to start
    
    ## Save workflow
    Show me the note for review. Ask which Google Drive document to use, and append only after I confirm both the note and the destination. Preserve the existing notes. If Drive access is unavailable or there are several matches, return the Markdown note and tell me what you need to continue.
    
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Daily briefings and automation

  • Set up a daily briefing skill

    Preview Markdown
    # Set up a daily briefing skill
    
    ## Objective
    Prepare a weekday priority brief from my calendar and priority email.
    
    ## Approved sources
    - My primary Google Calendar
    - Email messages received in the last 24 hours that need a response
    
    ## Output
    - Three priorities, in plain-language bullets
    - Today’s time-sensitive events
    - A separate “Needs my review” section for uncertainty
    
    ## Rules
    1. Do not send, delete, archive, or modify anything.
    2. Do not use information outside the approved sources.
    3. If an item is ambiguous, include it under “Needs my review.”
    4. Keep the brief under 250 words.
    
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  • Prepare a weekday priority brief

    Preview Markdown
    # Prepare a weekday priority brief
    
    ## Task
    Prepare a short weekday brief that helps me decide what to do first.
    
    ## Sources
    Use my approved calendar for today and the priority email I received in the past 24 hours. Ask which calendar or email label to use if it’s unclear. If a source is unavailable, tell me which one and use any notes I provide.
    
    ## Output
    Keep the brief under 250 words. List up to three priorities with a suggested next action, today’s time-sensitive events with their stated times, and a **Needs my review** section for ambiguous items. Include an event title or email subject so I can trace each item back to its source.
    
    ## Check
    Use read-only access. Verify every deadline against its source and mark missing deadlines as unspecified. Return the brief for my review.
    
    Download Markdown
  • Schedule a weekday priority brief

    Preview Markdown
    # Schedule a weekday priority brief
    
    ## Task
    Help me set up a recurring weekday priority brief using my existing daily briefing skill.
    
    ## Setup
    Confirm the skill name, desired time and time zone, and how I want to be notified. Use only the calendar and email sources approved in the skill. Each run should produce a draft brief for review using read-only access.
    
    ## Test and approve
    Show me the proposed schedule and run one test if the tool supports it. Summarize which sources the test read and whether it produced the expected brief. Ask for my approval before enabling the recurring schedule.
    
    ## Output
    Return the tested schedule, including the time zone, and the result of the test. If scheduling access is unavailable, provide the settings and task instructions I can enter manually.
    
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Troubleshooting

  • Find a feature after an app update

    Preview Markdown
    # Find a feature after an app update
    
    ## Task
    Help me find a feature I used before and determine whether it moved, changed names, or became unavailable for my setup.
    
    ## Inputs
    Ask me for the app, feature, device or platform, and what I see where I used to find it. Ask for the app version, account type, or region only if it affects the answer.
    
    ## Research and output
    Check current official help pages and release notes. Give me the shortest set of steps I can try, the visible result I should expect, and a fallback if the feature is unavailable. Link to the sources and identify any limitation that depends on rollout, plan, or platform.
    
    ## Check
    Separate confirmed instructions from possibilities. If the documentation is unclear, say what I can check in the app to narrow down the cause.
    
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