The beginner’s AI prompt library

A prompt library is like a cookbook. If you follow it blindly, it might be “fine,” but if you adjust for your ingredients (your context), you’ll get something you actually want to eat.

Use the five lines below as your “customization checklist.” The goal is not to write long prompts. The goal is to write specific prompts.

Writing (5)
1) Outline: Create an outline for [topic] for [audience]. Output: H2/H3 structure.
2) Rewrite: Rewrite this to be clearer and shorter by 30%. Keep meaning. Tone: [tone].
3) Executive summary: Summarize this for leadership in 7 bullets + 1 recommendation.
4) Headline options: Generate 15 titles focused on [keyword] for [audience]. Avoid hype.
5) Editing pass: Critique this draft for clarity, risks, and missing context. Suggest edits.

Emails (5)
6) Reply draft: Draft a reply. Context: [facts]. Rules: [tone/length]. Output: subject + body.
7) Follow-up: Write a follow-up after [event]. Include 1 CTA. Under 120 words.
8) Polite decline: Decline politely while offering 2 alternatives.
9) Firm boundary: Say no firmly but respectfully. Keep it short.
10) Apology + solution: Apologize, take ownership, propose next steps, and confirm timeline.

Meetings (4)
11) Agenda: Create a 30-min agenda with timeboxes and desired outcomes.
12) Minutes: Summarize this transcript/notes into decisions + actions + owners + deadlines.
13) Decision log: Extract decisions made and what remains open.
14) Prep questions: List the 8 best questions to ask before this meeting to avoid confusion.

Learning (4)
15) Explain simply: Explain [topic] like I’m new. Then give 3 practical examples.
16) Quiz me: Create 10 questions to test understanding of [topic], with answers hidden at end.
17) Study plan: Build a 7-day plan to learn [topic] with 30–60 min/day.
18) Practice tasks: Give 10 practice tasks for [skill], increasing difficulty.

Job search (4)
19) Resume bullets: Turn my experience into 6 impact bullets for [role]. Avoid exaggeration.
20) Cover letter: Draft a short cover letter for [job]. Match tone to [company style].
21) Interview prep: Generate likely questions for [role] + strong answers + follow-up questions.
22) Fit analysis: Compare my background to this job description. Output: strengths + gaps + plan.

Business planning (2)
23) Offer positioning: Create 3 positioning angles for [offer] for [audience], with proof points.
24) Weekly plan: Create a weekly plan for [goal] with milestones and risks.

Fact-checking (1)
25) Verification: Highlight the key claims in this answer, list assumptions, and give what to verify first.