ChatGPT prompts: 40 ready-to-use examples for work and life

The best ChatGPT prompts are specific: they say what you want, give context, name the audience and set the format. Below are 40 prompts you can copy and adapt, grouped by task. Replace the parts in square brackets with your details; the more context you add, the better the result.

A simple formula for any prompt

Most effective prompts follow the same pattern: role or audience, task, context, format and limits. For example: “You are an experienced recruiter. Rewrite my CV summary for a junior data analyst role. Here is my current summary: [text]. Keep it under 60 words and avoid buzzwords.” For a full method, see how to write prompts.

Writing and editing prompts

1. “Rewrite this paragraph to be clearer and shorter, keeping my tone: [text]”
2. “Give me 10 headline options for an article about [topic] aimed at [audience].”
3. “Turn these notes into a 300-word blog introduction: [notes]”
4. “Edit this text for grammar only. Do not change the wording otherwise: [text]”
5. “Make this email more polite but still firm about the deadline: [email]”
6. “Explain [concept] in plain English for someone with no background, in under 150 words.”
7. “Suggest a structure with H2 headings for an article on [topic].”

Work and productivity prompts

8. “Summarize this meeting transcript into decisions, action items with owners, and open questions: [transcript]”
9. “Draft a project update for my manager: [bullet points]. Keep it to five sentences.”
10. “Create a weekly plan for these tasks, most urgent first: [tasks]”
11. “Write three ways to answer this customer complaint, from apologetic to neutral: [complaint]”
12. “Turn this process into a numbered checklist: [description]”
13. “What questions should I ask in a job interview for a [role] position?”
14. “Prepare me for a salary negotiation: list likely objections and good responses.”

Study and learning prompts

15. “Quiz me on [topic] with 10 questions, one at a time, and explain my mistakes.”
16. “Explain [concept] with an everyday analogy, then give a technical definition.”
17. “Create a two-week study plan for [exam] with one hour per day.”
18. “Summarize this chapter in key points and three possible exam questions: [text]”
19. “What are the most common misconceptions about [topic]?”

More ideas for school and university are in AI for students.

Coding prompts

20. “Explain what this code does, line by line: [code]”
21. “Find the bug in this function and explain the fix: [code + error]”
22. “Write a Python script that [task]. Add comments and handle errors.”
23. “Convert this function from JavaScript to TypeScript with types: [code]”
24. “Write unit tests for this function covering edge cases: [code]”
25. “Suggest how to make this SQL query faster: [query]”

See also the best AI for coding.

Research and analysis prompts

26. “List the main arguments for and against [position], with the strongest evidence for each.”
27. “Compare [option A] and [option B] in a table by price, features and drawbacks.”
28. “What would I need to know to make a decision about [decision]? Ask me questions first.”
29. “Read this document and list every claim that needs a source: [text]”
30. “Analyze this data and describe three trends: [data or uploaded file]”

Always check facts and numbers in the answer; read why in AI hallucinations.

Business and marketing prompts

31. “Write a product description for [product] for [audience], focused on [main benefit].”
32. “Give me 15 social media post ideas for a [type of business] in [month].”
33. “Create a simple customer persona for [product] based on these notes: [notes]”
34. “Draft a cold email to [type of prospect] about [offer]. Under 120 words.”
35. “List 10 frequently asked questions customers might have about [product].”

For company-wide uses, see ChatGPT for business.

Everyday life prompts

36. “Plan a three-day trip to [city] for [budget], with one free afternoon.”
37. “Suggest five dinners I can cook with [ingredients] in under 30 minutes.”
38. “Help me write a kind message declining an invitation.”
39. “Make a monthly budget template for an income of [amount] with these fixed costs: [costs]”
40. “Explain this letter from my bank in simple terms: [text]”

How to make any prompt better

If the answer is too generic, add context or an example of what good looks like. If it is too long, set a word limit. If it misses the point, ask ChatGPT to ask you clarifying questions before answering. For visuals, see our guide to AI image prompts.