Another month, another collection of AI prompt hacks that'll make you wonder how you ever survived without them.
June was the month AI finally started feeling less like magic and more like that reliable friend who always knows exactly what to say. We've been road-testing these prompts in the wild, and honestly? Some of these might just change how you think about AI conversations forever.
This isn't your typical "AI will solve everything" listicle. These are battle-tested techniques we've actually used, refined, and occasionally face-palmed over. From getting ChatGPT to remember what it said three responses ago (finally!) to turning any AI into your personal Socrates, June's tips are pure gold.
🧠 Pro tip: Don't just read these—actually try them. The difference between knowing a good prompt and using one is about as big as the gap between reading a recipe and eating the cake.
Grab your favorite AI tool and let's dive into June's best prompt discoveries.
For more:
June 2, 2025
Ever wanted your AI to teach you something instead of just spoon-feeding you answers? This Socratic tutoring prompt from a DeepMind research scientist turns any AI into your personal philosophy professor—minus the tweed jacket and existential dread.
The setup is brilliant: instead of explaining everything at once, your AI becomes that professor who actually checks if you're paying attention. It asks probing questions, waits for your responses, and won't move on until you prove you get it.
Copy this prompt:
I would benefit most from an explanation style in which you frequently pause to confirm, via asking me test questions, that I've understood your explanations so far. Particularly helpful are test questions related to simple, explicit examples. When you pause and ask me a test question, do not continue the explanation until I have answered the questions to your satisfaction. I.e. do not keep generating the explanation, actually wait for me to respond first. Thanks!
Why this works: Your brain learns better when it has to actively recall information, not just passively absorb it. This prompt hack turns AI into your personal quiz master, forcing you to actually engage with the material.
Just start a new chat, paste this prompt, then ask about whatever you want to learn. Fair warning: you might actually retain what you're studying this time.
June 3, 2025
Stop settling for AI's first idea. Seriously—your chatbot isn't a genie with only one wish to grant.
Most people ask "What should I do?" and accept whatever the AI spits out first. That's like ordering the first thing on a menu without reading the rest. You're missing out on the good stuff.
Try this instead:
"Give me 15+ alternative titles for my novel" or "List two completely different approaches I could take to solve this problem."
The magic: More options = better ideas. When you force AI to come up with multiple solutions, it digs deeper into its training and often surfaces those "oh wow, I never thought of that" moments.
We tested this with everything from email subject lines to business strategies. The 8th suggestion is usually better than the 1st, and the 15th might just be genius.
June 4, 2025
Tired of AI summaries that sound like they were written by a robot having an identity crisis? We've been experimenting with a phrase that completely transforms how AI condenses information.
The secret sauce: Ask your AI to summarize "with 100% fidelity to the original."
This simple addition helps the AI maintain the original meaning, tone, and even emotional resonance while still making things shorter. It's like having a really good editor instead of a meat grinder.
Level up with this extended prompt:
You must condense [this document] without summarizing, without deleting key examples, tone, or causal logic, while maintaining logical flow and emotional resonance. Fidelity to meaning and tone always outweighs brevity.
Why this matters: Regular summaries often strip away the soul of the original content. This approach keeps the essence while cutting the fluff—perfect for when you need the Cliffs Notes but don't want to lose what made the original worth reading.
June 5, 2025
OpenAI's own prompting best practices boil down to two rules that'll instantly upgrade your ChatGPT game. (And yes, these work for other AI models too.)
Rule 1: Set the stage with context.
Instead of "How to improve my sales?" try "As a small online retailer looking to boost Q4 sales, what strategies would you recommend?"
Rule 2: Be explicit about what you want.
Rather than "Write me 5 social posts," ask "Give me 5 social media marketing tips for a new cafe aimed at local customers."
The principle: Vague questions get vague answers. The more details you give about your situation and desired outcome, the better your AI performs. Think of it like the difference between asking a stranger for directions versus asking your local friend who knows exactly where you're trying to go.
Reality check: These seem obvious, but we all forget them when we're in a hurry. Next time you're about to fire off a quick prompt, pause and add just one more sentence of context. The difference is dramatic.
June 6, 2025
Two more prompting fundamentals that sound basic but will revolutionize your AI conversations:
Tip 1: Tell your AI exactly how to answer you.
Define the format upfront. Need a bulleted list? A table? Tweet-length response? Say so.
Example: "List the output as 3 bullet points." The model will structure its answer exactly how you asked.
Tip 2: Big request? Break it down.
Complex prompts work better when split into smaller tasks. You can do this across multiple prompts OR within a single prompt by being explicit about steps.
Single-prompt breakdown example:
First, create an outline, in <outline>. Then, analyze the outline against my research, and see if there are any opportunities or additional angles you've missed that fit with my goal, in <analysis>. Based on that analysis, put your findings in an updated outline, in <updated outline>. And finally, write the first draft, in <first draft>.
The insight: AI models are like really smart people who need clear instructions. They can handle complexity, but they perform better when they know exactly what you want and how you want it delivered.
Pro note: Thinking models like Gemini 2.5 Pro or ChatGPT's o3 do this step-by-step planning automatically, but manual breakdowns give you finer control over the output.
June 9, 2025
Ever tried referencing something your AI said three responses ago, only to watch it completely lose the plot? Here's a genius hack from Web Webster that solves the "AI amnesia" problem once and for all.
The problem: You're deep in conversation and want to combine ideas from different parts of your chat. Unless you're using the highest-tier models, your AI will get confused about what you're referencing.
The solution: Cornell-style numbering.
The prompt:
Output: Please number your output sections using Cornell-style numbering so I can refer back to specific parts of your responses.
Now your AI will structure responses like:
- 1.1 First main point
- 1.2 Supporting detail
- 2.1 Second main point
- 2.2 Related example
The payoff: Instead of saying "that thing you mentioned earlier," you can say "combine section 1.2 with 2.1" for surgical precision. Add "verbatim as written without changing anything" if you want exact quotes.
Why this works: You're giving the AI's attention mechanism precise coordinates instead of making it hunt through conversation history. It's like the difference between saying "that blue house" versus giving someone a GPS address.
June 10, 2025
STOP Using ChatGPT Normally. Use Projects Like This Instead
We don't talk about this enough, but using Projects with ChatGPT or Claude is one of the best ways to organize your AI workflows.
Projects maintain context across new chats, so you're not starting from zero every time—it's like giving ChatGPT a focused pattern to work from for everything in that project.
We use Projects every day (via Claude tho), with different projects for every recurring task we do.
If you’ve never used them before, this 14-minute tutorial covers:
- How to set up projects with uploaded files and custom instructions.
- Use case: Generating a video sales letter and landing page copy.
- Creating a 5-email nurture sequence within the same project.
- When to create separate projects vs. keeping tasks together.
- And moving your chats in and out of projects.
We also love that it covers when to use a Project vs. when to use a Custom GPT. The TL;DR?
- Projects = organized personal workspace for ongoing work (keeps context across chats, supports multiple models).
- Custom GPTs = specialized AI tools you can share and reuse.
June 11, 2025
If a problem has you stumped, have the AI probe for overlooked factors. Ask “What might I be missing?”
Example: "Our project keeps getting delayed despite our best efforts. What might we be missing?"
Or better yet, have it brainstorm “at least 15 things I might be missing, ranked from most obvious to most unexpected, in a bullet point list. If there are less than 15 potential missing factors, include as many elements approaching 15 as there are.”
Often, an outside perspective (even an artificial one) can spot a missing angle you haven't considered.
This might be the best use of “artificial” intelligence—sparking real intelligence.
June 12, 2025
Our editor Corey Noles wrote a guide to working with o3-Pro you can check out here. The best prompt tip is for how to structure any “thinking” model tasks (via Ben Hylak):
- Goal: Open with the single‑sentence mission.
- Return Format: Tell the model how to hand the work back.
- Warnings / Constraints: Add key guardrails like “Cite every stat” or “If unsure, say ‘INSUFFICIENT DATA’.”
- Context: Give the models as much context as they can handle to avoid hallucinations.
- Capabilities (new for o3-Pro): Explicitly ask it to use tools, such as Web search, File search, Code interpreter, and MCP (here are the tools available via API).
June 13, 2025
Here’s two search prompt tips for you.
First, Perplexity: Try this prompt in Perplexity with the following settings: Toggle on “Research” and under “Sources” (the little globe), toggle on “Social” only.
What’s the most popular / widely used [XYZ, example: leaderboard for benchmarking web browser agents and their abilities to complete web tasks ]? Give me the link to the [XYZ]. I want what people posting on websites like reddit say and the top upvoted resource.
Next up, Claude: Claude with “extended thinking” and “web search” enabled is one of the best ways to look up multiple things at one time. Previously, it would get to about 4 before tapping out, but now it’s able to do a max of 20 searches in a row in one prompt. However, it gets a bit finicky going all the way to 20, so 10 is safer. Here’s the prompt:
Think hard and use web search to comprehensively research [YOUR TOPIC HERE]. I want you to conduct 10 sequential searches on this topic. Search different angles, sources, and perspectives until you hit your search limit. Give me a thorough analysis with citations. At the end, double check your work to make sure you completed all 10 searches. If less than 10 searches individual searches were conducted, conduct the remainder.
You can try 20 if you like, but our UI got a bit fishy trying to push it there multiple times…
June 16, 2025
Anyone notice how much hate the em dash is getting these days? That’s because the em dash has become public enemy #1 for identifying (rightly or wrongly) the use of AI writing.
Now, Reddit users are calling out the latest AI writing tell: the annoying “It's not just X, it's Y” pattern (aka “negation”). The phrase has become the new em dash (a dead giveaway for AI written content). The problem? AI creates fake opposition where none exists, making sentences sound thoughtful but actually just following a predictable formula.
Blake Stockton shared a simple prompt fix to kill this phrase:
“Avoid any sentence structures that set up and then negate or expand beyond expectations (like 'X isn't just about Y' or 'X is more than just Y'). Instead, use direct, affirmative statements. Feel free to be creative with your sentence structures and expression styles.”
Another Redditor shared their solution as part of a whole prompt that’s great for fixing AI’s many bad habits. The poster also included this sage advice: “Keep in mind with prompting: the shorter it is, the harder it hits.”
The pro tip: Now, multiple studies show it’s better to tell AI what TO do instead of what NOT to do. Direct instructions like “write with authority using clear, direct sentences” work better than just saying “don't use negation.” Here’s a phrase you can try to add to your prompt to “negate” negation with a positive:
“If you're making an argument, provide supporting facts in favor of the argument rather than negating an argument no one is making.”
June 17, 2025
You know by now that how you ask a question to an AI is just as important as what you’re asking. Well, this Hacker News thread breaks down exactly why your prompts are getting positively biased responses—and how to fix it.
The main culprit? Today’s AI are trained to be helpful and agreeable, so they'll validate your ideas by default. Stop asking “Is our marketing strategy solid?” and start asking “why does this idea suck?”
See, even “neutral” prompts have bias, so always test by removing yourself from the equation. Try something like: “Bob loves this idea, but Sarah hates it. Who's right?” When you frame a question as a neutral third party (or multiple parties debating), you get actual analysis.
Our favorite tip: Use the “double-check method”… ask the same question twice in two separate conversations, once positively (“ensure my analysis is correct”) and once negatively (“tell me where my analysis is wrong”).
Only trust results when both conversations agree.
Another pro tip from the thread: Language models (like ChatGPT) tend to favor the first option you present, so always test your results by swapping the order of options.
June 18th, 2025
We’ve got two useful resources for you today! First up, check out this collection of prompt tips from Matt McCarthy, who breaks down exactly why most people get mediocre AI outputs—and how to fix it.
We liked Matt’s metaphor: AI language models like ChatGPT are like preschoolers following sandwich-making instructions. If you don't specify to use bread, they'll smear peanut butter all over themselves instead.
The guide covers several useful techniques, but the most immediately helpful is the one about “Self-Induced Context,” a clever trick where you prime the AI by asking it background questions first, then hit it with your real request. Think of it as giving the AI a crash course before the actual assignment.
The second resource is this collection of agent tutorials from dev Nir Diamant that covers the hard stuff of working with AI: multi-agent coordination, memory systems, deployment, security guardrails, and observability.
June 19, 2025
Try, try again (with a twist). If an approach isn’t working, rephrase your question or approach from a different angle. Sometimes asking "What should I have asked to get XYZ?" can even prompt the AI to give you the question and answer you need.
The wording and approach in a prompt can produce surprisingly different outputs, so a little experimentation can go a long way. Don’t be afraid to reword and retry in a new chat (or edit your prompt and rerun it). It's all part of the process!
June 23, 2025
K, so remember that post about the woman whose ChatGPT told her to leave her husband after one complaint? One of the replies had a great prompt tip in it:
They’re a process documentation specialist, and they said they use ChatGPT exclusively to break out of creative bottlenecks by forcing different perspectives.
They doubled their efficiency using one simple prompt technique, which another user described as: “Argue the opposite position entirely.” Instead of getting stuck in your own assumptions, AI becomes your instant devil's advocate.
Try it when you're stuck on any decision, workflow design, or problem-solving challenge. The opposite perspective often reveals blind spots and solutions you'd never see otherwise.
If you want something a little more robust, try this:
"Present 3 perspectives on [your situation/decision, presented in a neutral way]:
1) Someone who strongly supports the position.
2) Someone who completely disagrees.
3) A neutral expert who weighs both sides.
Be specific with reasoning for each."
Plug this into ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini/Grok
Remember to present the decision in a neutral way: Today’s AI models are designed to gas you up, so if you tip the AI off to your preference, it’ll make sure to prioritize it.
June 24, 2025
If you want help getting started using AI, there’s probably no better source from a beginners perspective than Ethan Mollick. He just put together an excellent guide on on which AI systems to use and how to actually use them effectively.
Source: Ethan Mollick.
The TL;DR is that most people are using AI like Google—quick questions, no context, default settings—when they should be treating it more like a smart assistant.
Here's his key advice:
- Pick one of the big three: ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini ($20/month for full features).
- Switch to the powerful models for serious work (not the default fast ones).
- Try Deep Research for comprehensive reports and analysis.
- Use voice mode with your camera/screen sharing for real-time help.
- Give the AI context with documents and clear instructions.
- Ask for lots of options (50 ideas instead of 10; AI be lazy if you aren’t specific).
- Use branching to explore different conversation paths.
- Test three things right away: a complex work challenge, Deep Research, and voice mode.
Our favorite insight: The difference between casual and power users is not actually prompting skill… it's knowing all these features exist and actually using them on real work!
June 25, 2025
Need help working with AI video, like Google’s Veo 3? Here’s a video from Tao Prompts with 30 tips on how to better use these tools.
This 36-minute deep dive into Google Veo 3 might be the most comprehensive AI video tutorial we've seen all year.
The tutorial covers everything from creating vlog-style content and consistent characters to adding ambient sounds and camera movements. What's particularly impressive is how detailed the prompting strategies get—like using "self camera angle shot from an extended arm" for vlog content, or "muted color cinematic film" to avoid that video game aesthetic.
Here are all 30 tips from the tutorial:
- Vlog Style Videos: Use "self camera angle shot from an extended arm" + character details + dialogue.
- Street Interviews: Start prompts with "man on the street interview" + location + character dialogue.
- Remove Subtitles: Crop in video editor or use AI subtitle remover (V-make recommended).
- Character Accents: Consider environment plausibility (medieval = British works, Star Wars = doesn't).
- Tone of Voice: Control with descriptors like "aggressively shout" or "nervous stuttering".
- Ambient Sounds: Add "sound of waves" or "wind rustling and cars honking" to prompts.
- Background Music: Specify instruments like "suspenseful music" or "relaxed piano."
- Upscale Videos: Free HD upscaling available with Veo 3 subscription.
- Flow TV Prompts: Use "show prompt" feature for inspiration from existing videos.
- Vertical Videos: Upload rotated horizontal image, generate, then rotate back.
- Consistent Characters (Text): Extremely detailed character descriptions + scene variations.
- Green Screen Hack: Use "instantly jump/cut to on frame one" with green screen character image.
- Ingredients Method: Upload multiple images to combine (uses older Veo 2 model).
- Image Reference Method: Create consistent character images first, then animate in Veo 3.
- Lip Sync: Use external tools like Design.com for character dialogue.
- Consistent Objects: Generate product images first, then animate into videos.
- Fight Scenes: Simply add "kung fu fight scene" or "lightsaber duel" to prompts.
- Fast Mode: Cheaper, faster option but no character dialogue capability.
- Camera Shots: Use "close-up shot," "full body shot," "side profile," "extreme long shot."
- Cinematic Keywords: Add "muted color cinematic film" to avoid video game look.
- Camera Motions: "Tilt up to reveal," "pan to show," "zoom in on face."
- Complex Movements: Combine multiple camera directions like "crane shot behind character."
- Camera Lens: Specify "fisheye lens," "macro lens," or "infrared camera" for effects.
- First Person POV: Add "first-person POV shot" for immersive perspective.
- Movie Genres: Change video style with "horror movie," "comedy," or "sci-fi movie."
- Animation Styles: Put style keywords like "3D Pixar style" or "2D anime" at prompt start.
- Lighting & Color: Specify "soft sunlight," "harsh moonlight," or color palettes like "desaturated."
- Infinite Looping: Create in editor by copying clip + reversing second copy.
- Image Generator: Use built-in generator for video previews before full generation.
- Extend Videos: "Add to scene" feature (currently limited to older Veo 2 model).
Our favorite insight: The environment determines accent success. Medieval settings support British accents, but sci-fi universes often reject real-world regional accents entirely. Which is just one of those totally weird things that happens with AI training...
This one's also pretty important: Style keywords at the prompt beginning carry more weight than those buried at the end—think like a director and put your aesthetic choices first, people!!
June 26, 2025
Forget “prompt engineering”, it’s time to focus on “context engineering.” AI experts like Andrej Karpathy are pushing this term to reframe how to work with AI because it better describes the challenge: giving your AI all the context it needs to solve your task.
He says what matters the most when getting AI to help you is assembling the right context (examples, background info, tools, conversation history) to reduce the “fog of war” for your model.
Think of it like prepping for a presentation: too little info and you'll fumble; too much irrelevant stuff and you'll lose focus.
So don’t spend too much time trying to craft the most clever prompt. Focus on giving it thoughtfully curated context that sets your model up to win.
June 27, 2025
Tina Huang shared a TON of valuable insights in this video on the skills you need to learn to build AI agents, including why learning “prompt engineering” is still one of the highest leverage skills you can learn, what type of AI company to develop (vertical AI agents), her own personal prompt framework, and how to think about AI prompting for developing AI agents (she also suggests watching this video).
The other tip she recommends you learn besides prompting? Writing evals, or tests to assess if the prompts you use actually work.
She has a great breakdown on the common types of evals you might create, and why evals are actually the most important “IP” AI companies have…
June 30, 2025
It’s time to stop trying to craft a “perfect prompt” and start letting AI gather the context it needs by asking you questions first.
The technique is simple: add “ask me any clarifying questions before you begin” to the end of your prompts. Instead of guessing what information your AI needs, let it interview you.
This aligns with what industry leaders are calling “context engineering”—the shift from perfect instructions to providing AI with the right background information.
Why? Because even the most perfectly worded prompts fail without proper context.
Example:
- Before: “Help me meal prep” = generic tips.
- After: “Help me meal prep, but ask clarifying questions first” = AI asks about cooking skill, dietary restrictions, time constraints, to create a personalized plan.
Now, if you want a little help in the prompt department, someone on Reddit shared their “perfect prompt” for implementing this process in action. It’s a bit over-written for our tastes, but try it out and see if it helps you!
Looking Ahead
June showed us that the best AI prompts aren't just about getting answers—they're about getting the right answers in the right format at the right level of detail.
These techniques work because they align with how AI models actually process information. Instead of fighting against their natural tendencies, you're working with them to create better conversations.
Our biggest takeaway? The future of AI isn't about replacing human thinking—it's about amplifying it. These prompts don't just save time; they help you think better, learn faster, and solve problems more creatively.
Try these out this week and let us know which ones click for you. Some might feel awkward at first, but once they become habit, you'll wonder how you ever had AI conversations without them.
🧠 Check out the May 2025 Prompt Tips of the Day
