25 AI Prompt Templates for Beginners (Copy and Paste)

You don’t need to be a “prompt engineer” to get great answers from AI. You need a few good templates for the things you do most, and the habit of filling in the brackets properly.

Here are 25, grouped by task. Each one works in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and most other assistants. Replace everything in [brackets], and delete any line you don’t need.

If you want to understand why these work, read our six-part prompt framework first. If you just want to get going, copy away.

Writing

1. Rewrite to be clearer

Rewrite this so it's clearer and shorter, without changing the meaning.
Reader: [who]. Keep my tone. Text: [paste]

2. Change the tone

Rewrite this in a [friendlier / more formal / more confident] tone.
Keep it about the same length. Text: [paste]

3. First draft from notes

Turn these rough notes into a [blog post / report section / announcement]
of about [number] words for [audience]. Notes: [paste]

4. Headline options

Give me 10 headline options for this article. Mix styles: some direct,
some with a number, some as a question. Under 60 characters each.
Article summary: [paste]

5. Proofread only

Proofread this. Fix spelling, grammar and punctuation only. Don't rewrite
sentences. List every change you made. Text: [paste]

Summarizing and reading

6. Quick summary

Summarize this in 5 bullet points for someone who has 1 minute.
Include any numbers or deadlines. Text: [paste]

7. Summary for a purpose

I'm a [role] deciding [decision]. Summarize what in this document matters
for that decision, and list anything unclear or missing. Document: [paste]

8. Explain like I’m new

Explain this to me as if I'm new to [field]. Define any jargon. Then give
one real-world example. Text: [paste]

For long documents, our guide to summarizing long documents with AI has more detailed prompts.

Learning

9. Learn a topic step by step

I want to understand [topic]. I already know [what you know].
Teach me in 5 short steps, and check my understanding with one question
after each step. Wait for my answer before continuing.

10. Quiz me

Give me 10 multiple-choice questions on [topic] at [beginner/intermediate]
level. Show the answers and short explanations only after I reply.

11. Compare two things

Compare [A] and [B] in a table: what each is, main strengths, main
weaknesses, and when to choose each. Then give a one-line recommendation
for [my situation].

12. Study plan

Make a [number]-week plan to learn [skill], with [hours] hours a week.
Include a small practice project for each week.

See how to use AI to learn any skill faster for more on this.

Work

13. Email reply

Draft a reply to this email. My answer: [your rough points].
Polite, direct, under [number] words. Email: [paste]

14. Meeting action items

From these notes, list decisions, action items (task, owner, due date)
and open questions. Write "Unassigned" if no owner was stated.
Notes: [paste]

15. Prepare for a meeting

I have a meeting with [who] about [topic]. My goal is [goal].
List the questions they're likely to ask and short answers I could give.
Also suggest 3 questions I should ask them.

16. Give feedback

Help me write feedback for [person, role] about [situation].
What went well: [notes]. What needs to change: [notes].
Specific, kind, and clear about the next step. Under 150 words.

17. Spreadsheet formula

I'm using [Excel / Google Sheets]. Data is in [sheet], rows [2–500]:
A = [ ], B = [ ], C = [ ]. Write a formula for [cell] that [goal].
Explain each part.

Thinking and planning

18. Pros and cons

I'm deciding whether to [decision]. My situation: [details].
List the strongest arguments for and against, then the questions I
should answer before deciding.

19. Challenge my idea

Here's my plan: [plan]. Act as a skeptical expert. List the 5 biggest
weaknesses or risks, most serious first, and how I could reduce each.

20. Break a big task into steps

I need to [big goal] by [date]. Break it into small steps of no more than
1 hour each, in order. Mark which steps can be done in parallel.

21. Ask me questions first

I want help with [task]. Before you start, ask me up to 5 questions about
anything you need to know to do it well.

This one works with any other template. Add the last sentence to the end of any prompt.

Everyday life

22. Meal plan from what you have

I have [ingredients]. Suggest 3 dinners I can make in under 30 minutes.
[Dietary needs]. List any extra ingredients I'd need.

23. Plan a trip

Plan a [number]-day trip to [place] for [who] in [month].
Budget: [level]. Interests: [interests]. Keep travel time between stops
short. Suggest one backup option for bad weather each day.

24. Write a difficult message

Help me write a message to [person] about [situation]. I want to
[goal, e.g. set a boundary kindly]. Keep it short and calm.
Give me 2 versions with different tones.

25. Explain a bill, letter or form

Explain this [bill / letter / form] in plain language. What is it asking
me to do, by when, and what happens if I don't? Text: [paste]

For anything with legal, medical or money consequences, check the answer with the organization that sent it or a qualified person. Our fact-checking routine shows what to verify.

How to get even better results

• Follow up instead of starting over. “Shorter”, “more casual”, “drop the last point” are all perfectly good prompts.
• Paste examples. If you like a style, show it.
• Save your winners. Keep the templates that work in a notes file, and improve them each time.

Key takeaways

• Templates save time and give more consistent results than writing prompts from scratch.
• Always fill in the reader, the purpose and the length.
• Add “ask me questions first” to any prompt for bigger tasks.
• Save and improve the templates you use often.

Ready for the next step? Learn how to write professional emails with AI.