AI Prompt Templates for 20 Common Business Tasks

You do not need to write a perfect prompt from scratch every time. This is a library of 20 ready-to-copy AI prompt templates for the tasks small businesses do every week, from replying to reviews to summarizing a contract for questions. Fill in the brackets, paste into the AI assistant your business uses and always check the result before it goes anywhere.

Half-open laptop glowing in the dark while resting on a black chair seat — A saved template turns a ten-minute task into a two-minute review.

Key takeaways

Each template follows the same pattern: role, context, task, constraints and format. Replace everything in [brackets].
Templates work with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot and most other assistants, though results vary between tools.
Never paste personal data, passwords, card details or confidential contracts into a personal AI account. Use an approved business account and remove details you do not need.
Treat every output as a draft. Check facts, numbers, prices and promises before sending or publishing.

Most people who try AI tools get mixed results because they type a short request and hope for the best. A template fixes that. It reminds you to include the details that make output useful: who it is for, what facts to use, what to avoid and what shape the answer should take.

The templates below are grouped by business area. Copy the ones you use often into a shared document, or save them inside your AI tool. Claude Projects and custom GPTs in ChatGPT, for example, let you store instructions and reference files so your team starts from the same setup. Features and plans change often, so check what your tool currently offers.

How to use these templates

Copy the template into your AI assistant or your own template document.
Fill every bracket with real, non-sensitive details. Delete lines that do not apply.
Add your own material, such as a policy, product sheet or past email, where the template asks for it.
Read the output critically. Check every fact, then ask for changes in plain words: "shorter," "less formal," "remove the second paragraph."
Save the improved version once a template works well for your business.

Pro tip

Add one line to the end of any template: "Before you answer, ask me up to three questions if anything important is missing." Many assistants will then ask for the detail you forgot instead of guessing.

Marketing templates

1. Social media post set

You are a social media writer for [business type] in [location].
Write [number] posts for [platform] about [topic or offer].
Audience: [who they are]. Tone: [e.g. friendly, expert, playful].
Facts to use: [details, dates, prices]. Do not invent anything else.
Each post under [word count] words, with one clear call to action.

2. Email newsletter draft

Write a newsletter for customers of [business]. Main story:
[news or offer]. Secondary items: [list]. Tone: [tone].
Length: about [word count] words. Include a subject line,
three alternative subject lines and one call to action: [action].

3. Repurpose content

Here is a [blog post / video transcript]: [paste text].
Turn it into: one LinkedIn post, three short social captions and
a 50-word summary for our newsletter. Keep our facts unchanged
and match this tone: [describe or paste an example].

4. Website page rewrite

Rewrite this page for [audience] so it is clearer and easier to
scan: [paste text]. Keep every fact and price. Use short
paragraphs, a headline, three subheadings and a closing call to
action. Flag any claims that might need evidence.

Sales and customer service templates

5. Reply to a customer email

You are replying for [business]. Customer message: [paste, with
names and account numbers removed]. Our policy: [paste policy].
Write a reply that [goal, e.g. apologizes and offers a fix].
Tone: [tone]. Under [word count] words. Do not promise anything
not in the policy.

6. Respond to an online review

Write a reply to this [positive / negative] review of our
[business type]: [paste review]. Thank them, address the specific
points, and for negative reviews invite them to contact us at
[channel]. No excuses, no arguments, under 80 words.

7. Follow-up after a quote

Write a short, polite follow-up email to a prospect who received
a quote for [service] [number] days ago. Key benefits for them:
[list]. Next step: [book a call / confirm a date]. Not pushy.
Under 100 words. Give two subject line options.

8. FAQ from customer questions

Here are questions customers asked us this month: [paste list].
Group similar questions, then write a clear answer for each group
using only this information: [paste policies and facts]. Mark any
question you cannot answer from the information given.

Vintage typewriter with a sheet of paper in it showing the typed words Artificial Intelligence — The best templates read like a clear brief to a capable new assistant.

Operations templates

9. Write a standard operating procedure

Turn these rough notes into a step-by-step procedure for
[task]: [paste notes]. Audience: a new [role] with no prior
knowledge. Use numbered steps, note tools needed and add a short
checklist at the end. List any step that seems to be missing.

10. Summarize meeting notes

Summarize these meeting notes: [paste notes]. Output: a three-line
summary, decisions made, action items as a table with owner and
due date, and open questions. Do not add anything not in the notes.

11. Plan a project

I need to [project goal] by [date] with [team size and budget
range]. Break it into phases, list tasks for each phase, suggest
who should own each type of task and highlight the main risks.
Present it as a table.

12. Supplier or tool comparison

I am comparing [options] for [purpose]. Here is what I know about
each: [paste notes or quotes]. Create a comparison table on
[criteria]. Do not add facts I have not given you. List the
questions I should ask each supplier before deciding.

Finance and admin templates

13. Explain a financial report

Here is a summary of our [profit and loss / cash flow] for
[period], with no account numbers: [paste figures]. Explain in plain
English what changed compared with [previous period], and list
five questions I should ask my accountant.

14. Polite payment reminder

Write a [first / second / final] reminder for an unpaid invoice.
Amount: [amount]. Due date: [date]. Days overdue: [number].
Payment options: [list]. Tone: polite but firm. Under 100 words.
Do not threaten actions we have not decided on.

15. Spreadsheet formula help

In [Excel / Google Sheets], column A has [data], column B has
[data]. I want to [goal, e.g. total sales per month]. Give me the
formula, explain how it works in one sentence and tell me how to
test it on a few rows.

16. Questions about a contract

Here is a contract clause with names removed: [paste clause].
Explain what it means in plain English, list anything unusual or
one-sided and suggest questions to ask a lawyer. This is not legal
advice and I will have it reviewed.

Hiring and team templates

17. Job ad

Write a job ad for a [role] at a [business type] in [location].
Responsibilities: [list]. Must-have skills: [list]. Pay and hours:
[details]. Tone: [tone]. Use inclusive, plain language and avoid
requirements not needed for the job.

18. Interview questions

Suggest eight interview questions for a [role] that test [skills].
Include two practical scenario questions and what a strong answer
would cover. Avoid questions about age, family, health or other
personal characteristics.

19. Onboarding plan

Create a first-two-weeks onboarding plan for a new [role].
Tools they will use: [list]. Key people to meet: [roles].
Show it day by day, with one clear goal per day and a short
check-in at the end of each week.

20. Team announcement

Write a short message to the team announcing [change]. Why it is
happening: [reasons]. What changes for them: [details]. When:
[date]. Who to ask: [name or role]. Tone: clear, honest and
respectful. Under 150 words.

Common mistake

Using AI output from templates 13, 16 and 18 as final answers. AI can help you understand a report, a clause or a hiring process, but financial, legal and employment decisions need a qualified person. Rules also vary by location and change over time, so check the official source or an adviser.

Make templates safe and reliable

A template saves time only if its output is trustworthy. Build these habits into how your team uses the library:

Use business accounts. Check whether your business plan excludes your data from model training and what admin controls it offers. Read the vendor's current terms.
Strip personal details. Replace customer names, emails, phone numbers and account numbers with placeholders before pasting.
Give facts, do not ask for them. "Use only this information" reduces made-up details.
Review before sending. A named person checks anything customer-facing.
Keep templates current. Give each template an owner and review it when your prices, policies or tools change.

Example

Imagine a small cleaning company that saves templates 5, 6 and 14 in a shared document. The office manager adds the company's refund policy and tone guide under each template. New staff now answer reviews and chase late payments in a consistent voice, and the owner spot-checks a few replies each week instead of writing them all.

5 parts Role, context, task, constraints and format: the structure behind every template in this library A practical prompting rule of thumb

Your template action plan

Pick the five templates that match your most frequent tasks
Fill them in with your real policies, tone and facts
Test each one on a non-sensitive example and refine it
Save the improved versions in one shared place
Assign an owner and a review date to each template
Agree who reviews customer-facing output before it is sent

Frequently asked questions

Do these templates work with every AI assistant?

They work with most general assistants, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Each tool responds a little differently, so expect to adjust wording after a few tries.

Why are the templates so specific?

Specific prompts give specific results. The brackets force you to supply the facts, audience and limits that stop the assistant from guessing or inventing details.

Where should my team store templates?

A shared document works well for most small businesses. Some AI tools also let you save instructions or reusable setups, which keeps templates one click away. Choose whichever your team will actually open.

The bottom line

A good prompt template is a clear brief you write once and reuse many times. Start with the handful that match your weekly work, fill them with your own facts and tone, and keep a person reviewing every output that reaches a customer, supplier or employee. AI tools change fast, so revisit your templates every few months and check current vendor terms on data handling. Templates involving money, contracts or hiring support your thinking but are not legal or tax advice.