These are the prompts we use to test whether ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity and Muse recommend a product. Free for anyone to copy.
The 25-prompt template below follows how real people ask. Two-thirds of prompts are 15 words or fewer. About a quarter use the word “best”. 28% name a price limit, and 32% include something personal about the asker (Stella Rising, n=524).
The five prompts marked ★ are the free check. Below the template are six category sets. Each has the assistants to weight, the sources to check and five example prompts.
Everything on this page is CC BY 4.0: reuse it with a link to this page. CSV and JSON downloads and a GitHub repository are coming in November 2026.
How to use the library
Replace every bracket with your real category, competitors, budget and buyer. Use your customers’ words (support emails, sales calls, forum threads), not your marketing words.
Clean templates already flatter you. A real conversation’s final prompt keeps only about 36% of the asker’s earlier wording (Tannenbaum).
Run each prompt three times per assistant in a fresh, signed-out chat. The same prompt gives the same brand list less than 1 time in 100 (SparkToro). Record whether you were named, who was named instead, the sources cited and what was said about you. The full method is in how to check if ChatGPT recommends you.
Include one or two prompts where your product is a weak fit. A good audit shows where the assistant is right to leave you out.
The 25-prompt template (any category)
Five shapes, five prompts each. ★ marks the five free-check prompts.
| # | Shape | Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ★ | Best for use case | best [category] for [main use case] |
| 2 | Best for use case | what’s the best [category] for [audience] in [year] |
| 3 | Best for use case | top [category] tools right now |
| 4 | Best for use case | which [category] should I use for [specific job] |
| 5 | Best for use case | recommend a [category] that [key feature] |
| 6 ★ | Price-capped | best [category] under $[budget] a month |
| 7 | Price-capped | cheap or free [category] that actually works |
| 8 | Price-capped | is there a one-time-payment [category], no subscription |
| 9 | Price-capped | affordable alternative to [big competitor] |
| 10 ★ | Persona | I’m a [role] with [constraint], what [category] should I use |
| 11 | Persona | I run a [business type] alone and need [outcome], what tool |
| 12 | Persona | I’m not technical, easiest [category] to set up |
| 13 | Persona | [category] for a team of one that works with [tool they already use] |
| 14 ★ | Alternatives | alternatives to [competitor 1] |
| 15 | Alternatives | [competitor 2] alternatives for [audience] |
| 16 | Alternatives | something like [competitor 1] but simpler |
| 17 | Alternatives | what do people use instead of [competitor 3] |
| 18 | Comparison | [brand] vs [competitor 1] |
| 19 | Comparison | [competitor 1] vs [competitor 2] (does the brand get added?) |
| 20 | Comparison | compare the top [category] tools on price and features |
| 21 ★ | Problem first | how do I [problem the product solves] (no category word) |
| 22 | Problem first | [pain point] keeps happening, how do I fix it |
| 23 | Problem first | what’s the fastest way to [outcome] without [cost or effort] |
| 24 | Branded check | is [brand] any good / [brand] reviews |
| 25 | Branded check | what is [brand] and who is it for |
Prompts 19 and 21 to 23 matter most for small products. They show whether the assistant adds you when nobody asked for you by name.
Prompts 24 and 25 check what it says once a buyer already knows you. Buyers verify AI advice before buying, so that answer has to be accurate.
Example, filled in for Ledgerly (an invented invoicing app for freelancers, used only as an example): “best invoicing app for freelancers” · “best invoicing app under $10 a month” · “I’m a freelance designer who hates accounting, what invoicing app should I use” · “alternatives to FreshBooks” · “how do I get clients to pay invoices faster”.
Category sets
Each set gives the assistants to weight (from usage research), the sources to check (pages those assistants cite for the category) and five example prompts. Competitor names in brackets are placeholders. Where a line rests on practice rather than a study, it says so.
Developer tools and APIs
- Assistants to weight: Claude and ChatGPT. Claude is the top paid subscription among startup builders (59%, Supabase, n=2,000). 69.9% of developers ask an AI agent when solving problems (Stack Overflow 2026).
- Sources to check: GitHub, documentation sites, Reddit, Hacker News, YouTube tutorials.
- Example prompts: 1. best [API type] API for a side project, free tier 2. alternatives to [incumbent] that are cheaper at low volume 3. I’m building in [framework], what should I use for [job] 4. [brand] vs [incumbent] for a solo dev 5. how do I add [capability] to my app without running my own servers
B2B micro-SaaS
- Assistants to weight: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini. 51% of software buyers now start research in an AI chatbot more often than in Google (G2). ChatGPT sends 65% of AI referrals to B2B SaaS sites (Usermaven). Perplexity is the only engine with G2 in its top five cited domains (Peec, vendor).
- Sources to check: G2, Capterra, “best X” lists, Reddit (r/SaaS and niche subreddits).
- Example prompts: 1. best [category] for small agencies under $50 a month 2. [incumbent] alternatives for freelancers 3. I run a [business] alone, how do I automate [task] 4. [competitor 1] vs [competitor 2] vs [brand] 5. is [brand] worth it
AI tools and wrappers
- Assistants to weight: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini (practice; no usage study specific to buyers of AI tools).
- Sources to check: Product Hunt, YouTube reviews, Reddit, AI tool roundups.
- Example prompts: 1. best AI tool for [task] in [year] 2. free AI [task] tool with no watermark 3. which AI [task] tool do creators actually use 4. alternatives to [popular AI tool] for [niche] 5. how do I [task] with AI quickly
- Note: models lean toward AI-flavoured options when asked for “the best” (an 8-point lift in one 2026 study). Test with and without the word “best”.
Consumer and mobile apps
- Assistants to weight: Gemini, ChatGPT, Meta AI. Consumers use Gemini (63.5%) and ChatGPT (60%) for purchase research (Product.ai, n=550). Gemini use rose from 36% to 58% of US AI users in a year (Menlo Ventures). Meta’s assistant draws on creators and communities people already follow.
- Sources to check: App Store and Google Play reviews, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram and Threads creators.
- Example prompts: 1. best app for [habit or goal] on iPhone 2. free [app type] app with no ads 3. I have ADHD, what [app type] actually helps 4. [big app] alternatives that respect privacy 5. how do I stick to [goal]
Ecommerce and DTC products
- Assistants to weight: Gemini, ChatGPT, Amazon’s assistant. ChatGPT and Gemini are the top stand-alone tools for shopping. Amazon’s is the most-used retailer assistant (McKinsey, about 21,000 consumers).
- Sources to check: Wirecutter-style reviewers, Reddit, YouTube, retailer reviews. A single Wirecutter or Reddit source can override an agent’s pick (Wharton GAIL).
- Example prompts: 1. best [product] under $[budget] 2. [product] for [persona, for example “flat feet, running”] 3. most durable [product] reviews 4. [brand] vs [big brand] 5. is [brand] legit
- Note: also check your product data. ChatGPT lists price, availability, reviews and structured product data among its shopping inputs (OpenAI Help).
Local and service businesses
- Assistants to weight: ChatGPT and Gemini, always with a location set. ChatGPT follows the location the app reports. Gemini follows the network’s country. Recommended businesses change with it (Chen and Koudas, 2026). Local prompts trigger a web search 59% of the time (Nectiv).
- Sources to check: Google Business Profile, Yelp, local press, city subreddits (practice).
- Example prompts: 1. best [service] near [city] 2. affordable [service] in [neighborhood] 3. [service] that does [specialty] in [city] 4. [business] reviews 5. who should I hire for [job] in [city]
Licence and downloads
The prompt library is published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Copy it, adapt it, build on it, including commercially. Credit “Heard of You, heardofyou.io/prompts” with a link.
CSV and JSON versions and a public GitHub repository are planned for November 2026. They will be linked here when live, and the change will appear in the changelog.
What to do next
Pick the five starred prompts, fill in your brackets, and run them three times each on five assistants.
Or send us your product and we run those five for you, free. Results in 2 working days, and a person checks every report: free check. The full 25, on five assistants, is the audit.
Questions
Can I use these prompts commercially?
Yes. The library is CC BY 4.0. Use it, change it, sell a service built on it. Just credit Heard of You with a link.
Why 25 prompts and not 100?
Twenty-five across five shapes, run three times on five assistants, is 375 answers. Enough to see a pattern per shape, and still repeatable monthly. More prompts mostly add noise and hours.
Which five should I start with?
The five marked with a star: one per shape. They are the free check.
Where is the download?
The CSV and JSON files and a GitHub repository are in preparation. They will be linked here in November 2026. Until then, copy the tables.