AI Prompt Workflow Templates and Checklist

A prompt workflow is a short sequence of prompts you run in a fixed order to finish one task, with a review step in between. This page gives you five complete AI prompt workflow templates to copy, a checklist for writing your own prompts, and a blank template for building a new workflow.

How to use the templates: run each workflow in one chat, top to bottom. Replace anything in [brackets]. Do the "You check" step before moving on.

The pattern behind every prompt workflow

All five templates follow the same four moves. Once you see the pattern, you can build your own.

Move	Prompt's job	Why it comes here
1. Frame	Give context, ask what is missing	Stops the AI guessing
2. Structure	Get an outline or plan	Cheap to fix before drafting
3. Draft	Produce the content in parts	Detail holds up better in small pieces
4. Critique	List problems against the goal	You decide what to change

Template 1: research brief workflow

Finishes: a one-page brief on a topic you need to understand.

Prompt 1 (frame)

I need to understand [topic] well enough to [purpose].
I already know: [what you know].
Before answering, ask me up to 3 questions that would change
what you include.

Prompt 2 (structure)

List the 6-8 sub-questions I need answered to reach that purpose,
in a sensible order. One line each.

Prompt 3 (draft)

Answer each sub-question in 3-5 sentences. After each answer add:
"Confidence: high / medium / low" and "Verify: [what I should check
and where]". Do not invent statistics, quotes, or sources.

Prompt 4 (critique)

What are the 3 most likely errors or oversimplifications in what
you wrote, and what would a specialist add?

You check: every "Verify" line against a primary source. Treat the brief as a map of what to look up, not as the facts.

Template 2: blog post workflow

Finishes: an edited article draft.

Prompt 1 (frame)

Article question: [exact query]
Reader: [who, and what they already know]
Promise: after reading they can [outcome]
My own material to include: [examples, experience, verified facts]
Do not write yet. Tell me what is unclear or missing.

Prompt 2 (structure)

Propose an outline: 5-8 plain headings with 2-3 bullets each.
The first section answers the question directly. Mark any point
that depends on a fact I must verify.

Prompt 3 (draft, repeat per section)

Write the section "[heading]" in about [number] words. Short
paragraphs, plain words. Use my material where relevant. Write
[NEEDS SOURCE] in place of any fact you are not given.

Prompt 4 (critique)

Review the full draft against the promise. Do not rewrite.
List: vague sentences, repeated points, unsupported claims,
and steps a beginner could not follow.

You check: facts, links, and the introduction, which is better written by hand. The full seven-step version is in the AI content workflow guide.

Template 3: email workflow

Finishes: an email ready to send.

Prompt 1 (frame and draft)

Write an email.
To: [who they are, how well I know them]
I need them to: [action or information]
Background they need: [2-3 points]
Tone: [friendly / formal / direct]. Under [number] words.
Put the request in the first two sentences. End with one next step.

Prompt 2 (critique)

Read this as the recipient. What is unclear, what could be read
the wrong way, and what would make it easier to say yes?

Prompt 3 (revise)

Apply only these changes: [the ones you agree with].
Keep everything else word for word.

You check: names, dates, amounts, and attachments.

Template 4: summary and action items workflow

Finishes: a summary you can send after a meeting or long read.

Prompt 1 (draft)

Summarize the notes below.
1. Summary: 5 bullets or fewer.
2. Decisions made.
3. Action items as a table: task, owner, deadline. Write
   "not stated" where the notes do not say.
4. Open questions.
Use only what is in the notes.

[paste notes]

Prompt 2 (critique)

Compare your summary with the notes. List anything in the notes
that you left out, and anything in the summary that the notes
do not directly support.

You check: the action item table against the original notes, line by line. Do not paste confidential material into a tool you are not permitted to use for it.

Template 5: blog post to Pinterest pins workflow

Finishes: five pin titles and descriptions for one article.

Prompt 1 (frame and structure)

Here is my article: [paste text or outline]
Main keyword: [keyword]
Suggest 5 pin angles that each promise something the article
delivers: a checklist, a mistake to avoid, steps, a quick answer,
a template.

Prompt 2 (draft)

For each angle write:
- a title under 100 characters with the key words first
- a description of 2-3 sentences saying who it is for and what
  they get, using the keyword once
- 4-6 words of text for the image
No hashtag lists. No claims the article does not support.

Prompt 3 (critique)

For each pin: would a reader who clicks feel the article delivered
what the pin promised? Flag any that overpromise.

You check: character counts. Pinterest's specs allow titles up to 100 characters and descriptions up to 800, and AI tools often miscount. More on this in the Pinterest for bloggers checklist.

Prompt checklist: run this before saving any prompt

• Task: it asks for one job, not three.
• Context: it says who the output is for and why.
• Input: the material the AI needs is pasted in or clearly marked as a blank.
• Format: it states the shape of the output (bullets, table, word count).
• Limits: it says what to leave out or not do.
• Unknowns: it tells the AI what to do when it lacks a fact (ask, or mark it) so it does not guess.
• Blanks: every part that changes is in [brackets].
• Tested: you ran it on at least two different real inputs.
• Review step: you wrote down what a person must check afterwards.

Blank prompt workflow template

WORKFLOW NAME: [task this finishes]
FINISHED OUTPUT: [what exists at the end]
INPUT I PREPARE FIRST: [notes, text, facts, examples]

PROMPT 1 - FRAME
[context] + "Ask me up to 3 questions before you start."

PROMPT 2 - STRUCTURE
"Give me an outline/plan as [format]. Mark anything I must verify."
  -> I review: [what I check or change]

PROMPT 3 - DRAFT (repeat per part)
"Write [part] in [length/format]. Mark missing facts as [NEEDS SOURCE]."
  -> I review: [what I check or change]

PROMPT 4 - CRITIQUE
"Review against [goal]. List problems in priority order. Do not rewrite."
  -> I fix: [which problems]

FINAL HUMAN CHECKS
[ ] Facts verified   [ ] Sounds like me   [ ] Delivers the promise

LAST UPDATED: [date]  WHAT I CHANGED: [note]

What these templates will not do

They organize the work. They do not make the AI accurate. Google's guidance on generative AI describes it as "critical to manually factcheck and review all AI-generated content" before publishing, and that applies to anything you send to a client or reader too. Expect the first run of a new workflow to be slower than doing the task by hand.

FAQ

What is a prompt workflow?

A short sequence of prompts run in a fixed order to finish one task, with a review step between or after them. Each prompt does one job, such as clarifying, structuring, drafting, or critiquing.

How many prompts should a prompt workflow have?

Most everyday tasks need three to five. Fewer than three usually means one prompt is doing too much. More than six usually means the task should be split into two workflows.

Do these prompt workflow templates work in any AI tool?

Yes. They are plain text and work in general AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Run each workflow in a single chat so the tool keeps the earlier steps as context.

Why ask the AI to critique instead of rewrite?

A critique shows you the problems and lets you choose which to fix. A rewrite silently changes things, including parts that were correct, and makes it harder to check what moved.

How do I save prompts so I reuse them?

Keep one document per workflow with the steps in order, blanks in square brackets for the parts that change, and your review checklist at the bottom. Note the date and what you changed each time you improve it.

Next step

Copy one template into a document and run it on a real task today. For the idea behind these templates, read what an AI workflow is, and browse the prompt library for single prompts to slot in. If you want to turn a workflow into a first offer, see Your First $100 Online System With AI.