I keep a prompts.md file open in a tab all day. These are the 60 that actually earn their spot — the ones I paste into Claude two, three times a week and they just work.
Most prompt lists are garbage. "Act as a world-class expert in...", "Take a deep breath, think step by step..." — none of that here. The 60 below are short, specific, and battle-tested across emails, money decisions, hard talks, and the boring weekly admin nobody wants to do by hand.
Replace anything in [square brackets] with your own situation. That's it.
The inbox stuff you keep putting off — follow-ups, polite no's, cold pitches, apologies that don't read like a corporate template. I send some version of these every week.
Prompt 01
Write a follow-up email to [person] about [topic]. Under 60 words. No "I hope this finds you well" — start with something specific they'd actually remember.
Prompt 02
I got this email: [paste]. Draft 3 replies: short & friendly, polite decline, and buying-time. Match the sender's tone.
Prompt 03
Rewrite this email in my voice: [paste]. Make it sound like a real person wrote it at 11pm, not a robot at 9am. Cut the fluff.
Prompt 04
Draft a polite "no" email to [request]. One-sentence reason max. No over-explaining.
Prompt 05
I need to apologize for [situation]. Write the email. Own it, don't blame-shift, offer one concrete fix. Under 80 words.
Prompt 06
Write a cold email to [person] pitching [idea]. Subject line + 3-sentence body. Start with why them, not why me.
Force Claude to be a useful tutor instead of a textbook. Works for languages, frameworks, history — anything you can name. The "pretend I'm 12" prompt below is the one I use most.
Prompt 07
Explain [topic] like I'm smart but have zero background. Use everyday analogies. Skip jargon or define it inline.
Prompt 08
I'm learning [skill]. Build me a 7-day plan, 30 min/day. Day 1 is the most important thing. Day 7 I should be able to [outcome].
Prompt 09
Quiz me on [topic]. Start easy, get harder. After each answer, tell me what I got wrong AND what to study next.
Prompt 10
I just read this: [paste or link]. Summarize in 5 bullets. Then tell me what the author probably left out.
Prompt 11
Teach me [topic] using 3 real examples. No theory first — start with the examples and let me see the pattern.
Prompt 12
Pretend I'm 12. Explain [topic]. Then again like I'm a beginner adult. Then like I'm an expert. Compare the three.
Use Claude as the friend who actually does the homework before you make the call. I ran #16 on a hiring decision last month and the five questions it asked me back killed two of my own assumptions.
Prompt 13
I'm deciding between [A] and [B]. Real pros/cons — include the stuff salespeople hide. Then tell me which you'd pick and why.
Prompt 14
Research [topic]. Give me 5 facts I probably don't know and 2 common myths most people believe. Cite sources.
Prompt 15
I'm about to buy [product]. What 3 questions should I ask before paying? What red flags should I watch for?
Prompt 16
Help me decide: [situation]. Ask me 5 questions, one at a time. After my answers, tell me what to do.
Prompt 17
I'm considering [big life move]. List every risk I'm probably not thinking about. Don't soften it.
Prompt 18
Fact-check this: [paste claim]. What's true, what's misleading, what's flat-out wrong. Link the sources.
For the days the to-do list won't stop growing. Triage, agendas, status updates, unblocking yourself in 45 minutes. Prompt 24 has saved me from a lot of mediocre slide decks.
Prompt 19
Here are my tasks: [list]. Rank by actual impact, not urgency. Tell me the 2 to do today and which to drop entirely.
Prompt 20
Write the agenda for my [meeting type] with [person]. 4 items max. End with one decision I need to make.
Prompt 21
Summarize this meeting transcript: [paste]. What was decided, who owns what, what's still open.
Prompt 22
I've been stuck on [task] for 2 hours. Ask me 5 questions to figure out what's actually blocking me.
Prompt 23
Write my weekly update for my boss. Here's what I did: [list]. 3 bullets. Lead with outcomes, not activities.
Prompt 24
I have 45 minutes before [event]. What's the highest-leverage thing I can do right now? Don't suggest "organizing."
Personal finance without the "skip your daily latte" insults. Find leaks, decode contracts, negotiate like a grown-up. I used #29 on a contract renewal and walked away with 18% more without burning the relationship.
Prompt 25
Here's my monthly spending: [paste]. Find the 3 biggest leaks I'm not noticing. Be honest — don't be nice.
Prompt 26
Explain [financial term] like I've never heard of it. Use a real example with actual dollar amounts.
Prompt 27
I earn $[X] and want to save for [goal]. Build me a realistic 6-month plan. No "skip your latte" advice.
Prompt 28
Compare these two [investments/plans/cards]. Which is actually better for someone in [situation]?
Prompt 29
I'm negotiating [salary/price]. Give me the exact words to use. Include what to say if they push back.
Prompt 30
Help me understand this bill/contract: [paste]. What am I paying for? What's hidden? What can I cut?
Trips, weeks, moves, errands — the stuff that piles up. Six prompts that turn vague intentions into actual lists with timelines.
Prompt 31
I'm traveling to [place] for [days]. Build an itinerary that's not touristy — what a local would actually do.
Prompt 32
Plan my week. Here's what I need to do: [list]. Block my time realistically, including buffer.
Prompt 33
I need to [big annoying task]. Break it into 10 tiny steps. The first one should take 5 minutes.
Prompt 34
I have [event] coming up. What do I need to prep, in what order, and when should I start each thing?
Prompt 35
Write my grocery list for [meal plan] this week. Organize by store section. Estimate total cost.
Prompt 36
I'm moving to [place]. Give me a timeline — what to do 8 weeks out, 4 weeks, 1 week, day of.
When you know what you mean but not how to say it. Scripts for the talks you've been rehearsing in the shower for two weeks. The boundary one (#42) saved me a 3-hour family argument last Christmas.
Prompt 37
I need to bring up [issue] with [person]. Write the exact opening line. Direct but not aggressive.
Prompt 38
My [person] said [thing]. I'm upset but want to respond well. Draft 2 replies — one calm, one honest.
Prompt 39
I need to end [relationship / contract]. Write the script. Kind, clear, no room for negotiation.
Prompt 40
I said something I regret: [paste]. Help me apologize without making it about me. Under 100 words.
Prompt 41
Someone's asking me for [favor I want to decline]. Script a "no" that doesn't burn the relationship.
Prompt 42
I need to set a boundary with [person] about [behavior]. Write the message. Firm, not accusatory.
Tone-fixers, message versions, toasts and eulogies. The stuff you want to sound like you wrote it — only better.
Prompt 43
Rewrite this text so I don't sound passive-aggressive: [paste]. Keep the meaning, fix the tone.
Prompt 44
Draft 3 versions of this message: too cold, just right, too warm. Let me pick which one fits.
Prompt 45
Write a birthday message for [person]. Don't be generic. Reference something specific about them.
Prompt 46
Help me write a [wedding toast / eulogy / speech] for [person]. 2 minutes max. One story, one lesson, one thank-you.
Prompt 47
I wrote this: [paste]. Cut 40% of the words without losing anything important. Then tell me what you cut and why.
Prompt 48
Proofread this: [paste]. Flag anything unclear, awkward, or that sounds AI-generated. Suggest fixes.
Get unstuck. Devil's advocate, weird angles, expert role-play, naming things — the part of thinking AI is genuinely good at. I use #50 on every product decision before it ships.
Prompt 49
I'm stuck on [problem]. Give me 5 weird, unexpected angles most people wouldn't consider. No safe answers.
Prompt 50
Play devil's advocate on [my idea/plan]. Where could this fail? Assume I'm overconfident.
Prompt 51
I want to [goal] but [obstacle]. List 10 workarounds, from obvious to ridiculous. Rank by feasibility.
Prompt 52
Pretend you're [expert type]. How would they approach [my problem]? What would they do first?
Prompt 53
Brainstorm gift ideas for [person]. Here's what I know about them: [details]. No gift cards, no flowers.
Prompt 54
I need a name for [thing]. Give me 20 options across 4 styles: playful, professional, weird, simple. Explain each.
From "I have skills, what next" to pricing, offers, and doubling revenue without doubling hours. The grown-up version of side-hustle advice — no get-rich-quick nonsense.
Prompt 55
Based on these skills: [list], what are 5 side hustles I could start this weekend with $0? Be realistic.
Prompt 56
I have [X hours/week] free. What's the highest-paying use of that time for someone with [skill]?
Prompt 57
Help me price my [service]. What should I charge, what's too low, and how do I justify it?
Prompt 58
Write a one-page offer for selling [service] to [audience]. Include the hook, the price, and the guarantee.
Prompt 59
I made $[X] last month from [side gig]. How do I double it without working 2x more hours? Be specific.
Prompt 60
I have $500 and want to test if [business idea] is real. Give me a 30-day plan to find out.
Three things separate prompts that work from ones that don't.
Specificity. They tell Claude exactly what shape the answer should take. "Under 60 words." "3 versions." "Rank by feasibility." Vague in, vague out.
Voice. They ask for human output, not corporate. "Not touristy." "Don't be nice." "No skip-your-latte advice." The model has a default boring tone — you have to override it explicitly.
Friction. They invite pushback. "Don't soften it." "Play devil's advocate." "Where could this fail." Removes the trained politeness that makes most AI answers useless.
The whole trick: most people write prompts like search queries. The good ones look like instructions to a contractor — what you want, what you don't want, and what "done" looks like.
If Claude's first answer feels generic, your prompt was generic. Add one constraint — a word count, an audience, a tone, a "don't do X" — and watch it sharpen instantly.
Pick three prompts from this list — one easy (an email), one medium (a learning plan), one harder (a difficult conversation). Run them this week with your real situations. That's it. Don't try to use all 60 — use the same three for two weeks until they're muscle memory, then add three more.
For more on getting more out of Claude — agent workflows, skills, and the rest — check out Master Claude Skills: The Complete Guide or How to Stop Re-Explaining Yourself to Claude.
Got a prompt that earns its spot in your own prompts.md? Share it in the Knox Community — I'll add the best ones to the next version.
