The Claude Prompt Playbook

56 prompts. 4 tiers. Beginner to power user.

A leveling system for getting real work out of Claude — learn it, use it efficiently, build things with it, and turn it into your own operating system.

How to use this playbook

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Tier 1

First Steps

Who it's for: total beginners. Goal: get comfortable talking to Claude and let it handle everyday thinking, writing, and learning.

1.1

Your onboarding coach

Use when: it's your very first time.

You are my friendly coach for learning to use you well. I am brand new to Claude and not technical. In plain language: explain what you are great at, give me your 5 best tips for getting good answers, then ask me what I want to use you for.
1.2

Explain it simply

Use when: you hit a word or idea you don't understand.

Explain [TOPIC] to me like I am smart but completely new to it. Use plain words, short sentences, and a real-world comparison if it helps.
1.3

Improve my question

Use when: you're not sure how to ask well.

I want to ask you something but I am not sure how to ask it well. Here is roughly what I want: [DESCRIBE IT]. Rewrite that as a clear, detailed prompt, show it to me, then answer it.
1.4

Step-by-step how-to

Use when: you need to do something unfamiliar.

Walk me through how to [TASK] step by step. I am a beginner. Give me ONE step at a time and wait for me to say "done" before the next. Tell me exactly what to do.
1.5

Write a message for me

Use when: you need to send an email, text, or DM.

Help me write a [email / text / message] to [WHO] about [WHAT]. Tone: [friendly / professional / casual]. Keep it short and human. Give me 2 versions to choose from.
1.6

Summarize this

Use when: something is too long to read.

Summarize the following in plain language. Give me the 5 key points and anything I need to act on. Here it is:

[PASTE TEXT]
1.7

Brainstorm with me

Use when: you need fresh ideas.

Brainstorm [NUMBER] ideas for [GOAL]. For each, give a one-line description and why it could work. Then tell me your top pick and why.
1.8

Help me decide

Use when: you're torn between options.

Help me decide between these options: [OPTION A] versus [OPTION B]. List the pros and cons of each, then give me your recommendation and the single biggest trade-off I am making.
1.9

Fix my writing

Use when: you wrote something and want it polished.

Proofread and improve this. Fix spelling, grammar, and flow, but keep it sounding like me. Show me the improved version. Here it is:

[PASTE TEXT]
1.10

Practice a conversation

Use when: you have a call or talk coming up.

I have a [conversation / call / interview] coming up about [TOPIC]. Roleplay as the other person so I can practice. Make it realistic. When we finish, give me honest, kind feedback on how I did.
1.11

Clean up my notes

Use when: you have messy notes to organize.

Turn these messy notes into something clear and organized. Tell me if anything important looks missing. Here they are:

[PASTE NOTES]
1.12

Have Claude interview you

Use when: you want help but don't know what to say.

I want help with [GOAL] but I am not sure what to tell you. Ask me questions one at a time until you have everything you need, then give me your answer.
1.13

Get unstuck

Use when: you're stuck and don't know the next move.

I am stuck on [PROBLEM]. Ask me a few questions to understand it properly, then give me 3 possible ways forward, simplest first.
1.14

Learn something new

Use when: you want to actually learn a topic.

I want to learn [TOPIC] from scratch. Build me a simple beginner learning plan, then teach me lesson 1. Check that I understood it before moving on to the next.
Tier 2

Getting Productive

Who it's for: you're comfortable chatting and want to work faster. Goal: use Claude efficiently every day with reusable setups.

2.1

Build a reusable template

Use when: you do the same kind of task often.

Help me create a reusable prompt I can use every time I need to [RECURRING TASK]. Ask me what stays the same and what changes each time, then write the template with [BRACKETS] for the changing parts.
2.2

Give Claude a role

Use when: you want expert-level, focused answers.

For this conversation, act as [ROLE, e.g. "an experienced marketing strategist"]. Context to keep in mind the whole time: [CONTEXT]. Confirm you understand, then I will give you my task.
2.3

The refinement loop

Use when: an answer is close but not quite right.

Here is a draft you made: [PASTE DRAFT]. Give me 3 specific ways it could be better, then rewrite it applying the best one.
2.4

Control format and length

Use when: you need the answer in a specific shape.

Answer in exactly this format: [DESCRIBE FORMAT, e.g. "a 5-row table", "bullets, max 10 words each", "under 100 words"]. The task: [TASK]
2.5

Use a Project for context

Use when: you keep re-explaining the same background.

Explain how Projects work and walk me through setting one up for [PURPOSE]. Tell me exactly what information to put in it so every chat starts with the right context.
2.6

Save my preferences

Use when: you want Claude to work your way by default.

Remember these preferences for how you work with me from now on: [LIST, e.g. "be concise", "always give me options", "no jargon", "ask before assuming"]. Confirm exactly what you have saved.
2.7

Work from a file or screenshot

Use when: you have something to show Claude.

I am uploading [a screenshot / a document]. Look at it carefully and [TASK, e.g. "tell me what is wrong with it", "summarize it", "rewrite it better"]. Ask me anything you need first.
2.8

Batch a repetitive task

Use when: you have many similar items to process.

I have a repetitive task. I will give you a list of [ITEMS], and for each one I want you to [ACTION]. Keep the output consistent and clearly labeled. Here is the list:

[PASTE LIST]
2.9

Think before answering

Use when: the task is tricky and accuracy matters.

Before you answer, think through this step by step and show your reasoning. Then give me your final answer clearly marked at the end. The task: [TASK]
2.10

Ask for variations

Use when: you want choices, not one answer.

Give me [NUMBER] genuinely different versions of [WHAT], each taking a different angle or tone. Label them clearly so I can compare.
2.11

Make Claude critique itself

Use when: you want a higher-quality result.

Answer this, then honestly critique your own answer — what is weak, what is missing — and give me an improved version. The task: [TASK]
2.12

Create a checklist or SOP

Use when: you want a repeatable process.

Help me turn [RECURRING TASK] into a simple checklist I can follow every time so I never miss a step. Ask me how I currently do it first, then write the checklist.
2.13

Research assistant

Use when: you need real, current information.

Research [TOPIC OR QUESTION] using the web. Give me the key findings in plain language, clearly flag anything uncertain, and list your sources. Do not guess.
2.14

Plan my day

Use when: you have too much on your plate.

Act as my planning assistant. Here is everything on my plate: [BRAIN DUMP]. Help me sort it into what matters most today, what can wait, and what to drop. Give me a clear order to work in.
Tier 3

Builder

Who it's for: you're ready to make real things. Goal: plan properly, build websites, tools, content, and systems — and have Claude scope before it acts.

3.1

Plan before building

Use when: you're about to build something real.

I want to build [WHAT]. Before we start, ask me every question you need to understand exactly what I want. Do not build anything yet. Once you have enough, give me a clear plan for my approval.
3.2

Make a roadmap

Use when: a goal is big and you need a path.

My goal is [BIG GOAL]. Break it into a step-by-step roadmap with clear milestones. For each step tell me what "done" looks like. Flag the riskiest step and why.
3.3

Build a website or landing page

Use when: you need a page built.

Build me a [single-page website / landing page] for [PURPOSE]. Details: [BUSINESS OR PROJECT INFO, the sections I want, the style and feeling]. Make it clean, modern, and mobile-friendly. Ask me anything you need before you start.
3.4

Build a tool

Use when: you want something that does a job for you.

Build me a simple [tool / app / script] that [DOES WHAT]. I am [not technical / technical]. When it is done, explain in plain language what you built and exactly how to use it.
3.5

Scope before building

Use when: you want Claude to ask, not assume.

I will describe something I want built. Your FIRST response must be only clarifying questions — do not build anything yet. Keep asking until you are confident. Here is the idea: [IDEA]
3.6

Create a Project with full context

Use when: you want a permanent home for a body of work.

Help me design a Claude Project for [PURPOSE]. Tell me exactly what instructions and knowledge to put in it so every future chat is fast and accurate. Then write the project instructions for me, ready to paste in.
3.7

Design and iterate

Use when: you want to refine something together.

Help me design [WHAT]. Start with a first version, then ask me what to change. We will go back and forth until it is exactly right.
3.8

Debug something

Use when: something isn't working.

Something is not working: [DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM AND WHAT YOU EXPECTED INSTEAD]. Ask me questions to narrow it down, then tell me the most likely cause and the exact fix.
3.9

Produce content at scale

Use when: you need many pieces, consistent in voice.

I need [NUMBER] pieces of [CONTENT TYPE] for [PURPOSE]. Here is the information and the style to follow: [DETAILS]. Produce them all, clearly labeled and consistent in voice.
3.10

Turn an idea into a spec

Use when: a rough idea needs to become a real plan.

Turn this rough idea into a clear, organized spec I could hand to someone to build: [IDEA]. Include the goal, the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and what is out of scope.
3.11

Review and improve existing work

Use when: you have something and want it better.

Review this critically, the way a demanding expert would. Point out the top issues in priority order, then show me an improved version. Here it is:

[PASTE THE WORK]
3.12

Build a decision framework

Use when: you make the same kind of decision repeatedly.

Help me build a simple framework for making [TYPE OF DECISION] consistently. Give me the key criteria to weigh and a quick way to score options against them.
3.13

Design a workflow

Use when: a process you run is messy.

I do [PROCESS] regularly and it is messy. Help me design a clean, repeatable workflow for it. Map out the steps, the tools, and exactly where I could save time.
3.14

Pressure-test a plan

Use when: you want the flaws found before you commit.

Here is my plan: [PASTE PLAN]. Play devil's advocate. Find the weak points, the wrong assumptions, and what could realistically go wrong. Then suggest a fix for each.
Tier 4

Power User

Who it's for: you want leverage. Goal: create and use Skills, design custom workflows, and turn Claude into a system that runs your work. Most powerful in Claude Code.

4.1

Understand Skills

Use when: you keep hearing "skills" and want to get it.

Explain what a Claude Skill is, in plain language — what it does, when it is worth making one, and how it is different from just writing a good prompt. Give me 3 examples of skills genuinely worth creating for someone in my line of work: [YOUR WORK].
4.2

Create a Skill

Use when: you want to package a repeatable task.

Help me create a Claude Skill for [REPEATABLE TASK]. Interview me about exactly how the task should work, step by step. Then write the complete skill for me, and explain how to install and use it.
4.3

Use a Skill well

Use when: you have a skill but get mixed results.

I have a skill called [SKILL NAME] that does [WHAT]. Walk me through how to invoke it properly and exactly what information to give it for the best possible result.
4.4

Improve an existing Skill

Use when: a skill works but could be sharper.

Here is an existing skill: [PASTE SKILL]. Review it and tell me how to make it more reliable, clearer, and more useful. Then give me the improved version.
4.5

Plan parallel work

Use when: a big task has independent parts.

This is a big task with independent parts: [DESCRIBE IT]. Break it into pieces that could be worked on in parallel, identify what depends on what, and give me a plan to run it efficiently.
4.6

Design a custom workflow

Use when: you want a repeatable engine for a goal.

Act as a workflow architect. I want to [GOAL]. Design a complete, repeatable workflow — the steps, the prompts to use at each step, and exactly where Claude fits — that I can run again and again.
4.7

Set up a recurring assistant

Use when: you want a standing daily or weekly routine.

Help me set up a recurring [daily / weekly] routine where you [DO WHAT]. Write the exact prompt I should run each time, and tell me what to keep in memory between runs so it improves over time.
4.8

Build a second brain

Use when: you want a knowledge system that compounds.

Help me design a personal knowledge system — a "second brain" — for [PURPOSE]. Recommend the structure, what to capture, how to organize it, and the habit that keeps it useful over time.
4.9

Architect your Projects

Use when: you're juggling several efforts at once.

I am running several related efforts: [LIST THEM]. Help me design how to structure my Projects and memory so nothing gets mixed up and everything is easy to find. Give me the exact setup.
4.10

Learn what Claude just did

Use when: you want to level up, not just get output.

You just did [WHAT]. Now teach me how to do it myself next time — explain the thinking, the steps, and the exact prompt you would use. Assume I genuinely want to learn it.
4.11

Audit your AI workflow

Use when: you suspect you're using Claude inefficiently.

I want to use you more efficiently. Ask me how I currently work with you, then audit it: where I am wasting time, what I should automate, and which skills or projects would help me most. Be direct.
4.12

Chain prompts into a pipeline

Use when: a process has clear, ordered stages.

I want to turn [MULTI-STEP PROCESS] into a prompt pipeline — a set of prompts I run in order, each one feeding the next. Design the pipeline and write every prompt in it, in sequence.
4.13

Build a team prompt library

Use when: more than one person needs to work this way.

Help me build a prompt library for [TEAM OR USE CASE]. Identify the 10 most valuable prompts we would need, write them out fully, and organize them so the team can actually find and use them.
4.14

Design your AI operating system

Use when: you want Claude running your whole operation.

Act as my AI strategist. My goals are [GOALS]. Design a complete system for how I should use Claude — projects, memory, skills, recurring routines, and prompts — to run my work with the least effort and the best results. Give me a clear, step-by-step setup plan.