AI prompt cheat sheet
An AI prompt cheat sheet is a short list of phrases that change what a model gives back. These are the ones that do the most work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini: a role, the audience, one task, a length, hard rules, permission to say UNKNOWN, a format, examples and a self-check. Each line below is wording you can paste. It is not a jailbreak list.
They map onto the five parts of a structured prompt — Role, Context, Task, Constraints, Output — which is the format every prompt in the library uses.
Paste this → it changes that
| Write this | What it changes | Part |
|---|---|---|
You are a [job title] who [standard you hold]. | Vocabulary, depth and what “good” means. | Role |
Audience: [who will read it and what they know]. | Register, jargon and what gets explained. | Context |
What I already have: [draft / notes / data]. | Stops it inventing a starting point. | Context |
Wrap material: <doc>…</doc> | Separates your instructions from the text it works on. | Context |
Your task: [verb] [one deliverable]. | One clear job instead of a topic. | Task |
Think step by step, then give the final answer. | Better results on multi-step problems. | Task |
Max [N] words. / Exactly [N] bullets. | Length you can predict. | Rules |
Never [X]. Always [Y]. | Hard rules it can check itself against. | Rules |
If you don’t know, write UNKNOWN. | Permission not to guess — fewer confident inventions. | Rules |
Mark estimates as EST. | Separates guesses from facts. | Rules |
Cite the source for every figure, or leave it out. | Numbers you can verify. | Rules |
If something essential is missing, ask me one question first. | A question instead of a wrong assumption. | Rules |
Output as a table with columns: [A, B, C]. | A shape you can paste into a doc or sheet. | Output |
Return only valid JSON matching: { … } | Machine-readable output for tools and code. | Output |
Example of good output: [one example] | Shows the pattern — often better than describing it. | Example |
Give three options, then recommend one and say why. | Breadth first, then a decision. | Output |
Check your draft against every rule above, then give the corrected version. | A self-check pass before you see it. | Output |
Put the parts in this order: Role, Context, Task, Rules, Output — then any example. The Studio builds exactly that order for you.
Three habits the phrases don’t replace
- Say what the output is for and who acts on it. A model can’t optimise for a goal it wasn’t told.
- Give it the material. A pasted draft, a table or three real examples beat any adjective.
- Review what comes back. A structured prompt is a professional starting point, not a guarantee — see why models invent things.
Prompts that use these phrases (free to read)
- Staff-Engineer Code ReviewReviews a PR like a senior who optimizes for the next reader, not style nits.Free
- Calm + Concrete Investor UpdateMonthly update that earns trust by being honest about misses.Free
- Cold Outbound — Peer-to-PeerReach a busy founder without AI-slop tone. Four lines, one ask, no hedging.Free
- Sales Discovery — 7 Questions That Surface PainAsk the questions that surface pain, not features. Seven questions, no leading the witness.Free
- Rubric Design — Creative WorkDesign a rubric for grading creative work that doesn't kill the creativity.Free
This sheet and the prompts above are free to read. The free prompt set is free with an account; the full library is on a plan.
Questions
What is an AI prompt cheat sheet?
A short reference of phrases that reliably change what a model returns — how to set a role, give context, fix the length, add rules, ask for a format and add a self-check — with wording you can paste.
Are there secret codes that unlock better AI answers?
No. There are no hidden commands. What works is clear structure: who the model should be, the situation, one task, the rules and the shape of the answer. The phrases on this page are simply the clearest ways to say those things.
Does this work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini?
Yes. The phrases are plain language and the structure is the same for every chat model. Exact results differ by model, so check the output — especially numbers and facts.
What is the most useful single line?
Usually the audience and the material: who it is for and what you already have. After that, “If you don’t know, write UNKNOWN” removes a lot of confident guessing.