25 Useful Work Prompts You Can Copy Straight Away
Ready-made prompts for your work: emails, meetings, Excel, social media and planning. Copy, fill in and you're done. Plus tips for working safely.
You know AI can help you, but what do you actually type into that empty box? With these 25 work prompts, you no longer have to think about it. You copy a prompt, fill in your own situation and within a minute you have a first draft of your email, agenda or plan.
How do you use these work prompts?
Copy a prompt, replace everything in square brackets with your own situation and paste it into an AI chatbot. The prompts work in all the well-known chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot and Claude.
Not sure yet what a prompt is exactly? Then first read our explanation of what a prompt is. If you have never used a chatbot, our guide using ChatGPT for beginners will get you started.
Why do these prompts work well? They tell the AI what you want, who it is for and what it should look like. In its tips for better Copilot answers, Microsoft recommends exactly that: state your goal, give context and say what you expect. OpenAI also advises being clear and specific in its guidelines for ChatGPT.
| Part | What you fill in | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | What should the AI create? | Write a reminder |
| Context | For whom and why? | To a customer, invoice has been unpaid for 14 days |
| Expectation | Length, tone and format | Friendly, maximum 80 words |
| Source | Which text or data should the AI use? | Paste your earlier email below |
Which prompts help with emails and messages?
Mainly use AI for the first draft, for shortening and for finding the right tone. You remain responsible for what you send.
- Write a friendly but clear email to [person] about [subject]. Maximum 120 words.
- Make this email shorter and friendlier, without changing the content: [text].
- Write a polite reminder about [subject] that has been outstanding for [number] days.
- Help me say no to [request] in a friendly way, with an alternative.
- Translate this email into business English and keep the tone the same: [text].
How do you prepare a meeting with AI?
Let AI make an agenda, questions or minutes, so you have time left for the conversation itself. Always check that the action points are correct.
- Make an agenda for a [duration] meeting about [subject] with [number] participants.
- Turn these notes into minutes with a list of action points per person: [notes].
- Come up with five good questions I can ask in a meeting about [subject].
- Summarise this text in five points for someone who has no time to read everything: [text].
Can AI help you with Excel and numbers?
Yes, AI is good at coming up with and explaining formulas. Do test a formula on a copy of your file first, because AI sometimes makes mistakes.
- Give me an Excel formula that [what you want to calculate]. My data is in column [letter] starting at row [number]. Explain how the formula works.
- What does this formula mean and why does it give an error? [formula]
- Suggest a clear layout for a spreadsheet to keep track of [purpose].
Which prompts do you use for writing and presenting?
With these prompts you quickly get an outline, better titles or a text that everyone understands. Then add your own examples and experience, because the AI does not know those.
- Make an outline with headings for a [duration] presentation about [subject] for [audience].
- Rewrite this text in plain, easy-to-read language so that everyone understands it: [text].
- Give three possible titles for [piece] and explain why they work.
- Check this text for language errors and unclear sentences. Explain your changes: [text].
- Write a short introduction about myself for [situation]. I am a [profession] and good at [strengths].
How do you use AI for social media and marketing?
AI helps you with ideas and first drafts of posts, product descriptions and customer replies. Then make the text personal, so that it really fits your business.
- Write three LinkedIn posts about [subject] in a personal tone, each a maximum of 100 words.
- Come up with ten post ideas for a [type of business] for the coming month.
- Write a product description of [product] for [target group] in 80 words. Features: [list].
- Give five answers to customers’ frequently asked questions about [subject], in a friendly tone.
Are you a business owner and do you want to go beyond single prompts? Then also read the first steps with AI for business owners.
Which prompts help with planning and learning?
AI can organise your tasks, explain something new and look critically at your plans. The last prompt is especially useful: the AI points out things you overlook yourself.
- Make a weekly schedule for these tasks, with the most important first: [tasks].
- Explain [subject] as if I were a beginner, then ask me three questions to check that I understand it.
- I want to learn [skill] in four weeks, with one hour per week. Make a plan.
- Look at this plan critically. What am I missing and what could go wrong? [plan]
What should you better not put in a prompt?
Do not put personal data, customer data or confidential company information in a prompt. What you enter often ends up on the servers of the company behind the chatbot.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens) has already received reports of data breaches caused by AI chatbots, according to Security.NL. In one of those cases, an employee of a GP practice had put patients’ medical data into a chatbot. So replace names and details with general terms, such as the customer or project A. You can read more tips in our article on using AI safely and protecting your privacy.
Frequently asked questions
Do these prompts work in every AI chatbot?
Yes. The prompts are ordinary sentences. They work in ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Claude and other chatbots. The answer may differ a little from chatbot to chatbot.
What do I do if the answer is not good?
Keep asking in the same conversation. For example, say: make it shorter, write it more formally or give an example. Your first prompt does not have to be perfect.
Can I just send AI texts as they are?
Always read them first. AI can make up facts or get the tone slightly wrong. You remain responsible for what you send.
Do I have to pay to use these prompts?
No, you can also use them in the free versions of the well-known chatbots. If you use AI for work, do check which tools your employer allows.
Can I type the prompts in my own language?
Yes. The well-known chatbots understand many languages well and usually answer in the language you use. You can type these prompts in English or translate them into your own language. Just keep the square brackets so you remember what to fill in.
Ready to start? Pick a task you do often today, such as an email or an agenda, and try the prompt that fits it. Save the prompts that work. Do you want to use AI more widely? Then read how to get started with AI at work.
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