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32 Shortcuts That Change How You Use ChatGPT In One Line
Most people never touch this. You will after today.
Diwas Basnet
December 11, 2025
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Most people use ChatGPT like a search box. Type a question. Get an answer. Move on.
What they do not know is that ChatGPT reacts very strongly to how you start your prompt. A single word or label at the top can completely change the style, depth, tone and structure of the answer.
So here is a 32-shortcut cheatsheet you can drop into any conversation to control ChatGPT on demand.
These are not “built in commands”. They are prompt prefixes. Short labels you put at the very beginning so your intent is impossible to miss.
How to use these shortcuts
Put the shortcut at the very start of your message.
Follow it with a colon, then your request.
Keep it on a single line.
Example:
/ELI5: What is AI?/CHECKLIST: Steps to launch a simple AI side project/TONE: funny. Rewrite this LinkedIn post:
You can also combine a couple of them, as long as it stays clear.
ChatGPT Shortcut Command Cheatsheet
Shortcut | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
/ELI5 | Explain like to a 5 year old |
|
/TLDL | Summarize long text in a few lines |
|
/STEP-BY-STEP | Show reasoning step by step |
|
/CHECKLIST | Turn answer into a checklist |
|
/EXEC SUMMARY | Give an executive style summary |
|
/ACT AS | Respond in a specific role |
|
/BRIEFLY | Force very short answers |
|
/JARGON | Use technical vocabulary only |
|
/AUDIENCE | Tailor answer to a specific audience |
|
/TONE | Change tone: casual, formal, dramatic, funny |
|
/DEV MODE | Raw, technical developer style |
|
/PM MODE | Project management perspective |
|
/NO AUTOPILOT | Prevent shallow or generic answers |
|
/SWOT | Do a SWOT analysis |
|
/FORMAT AS | Force output format (table, JSON, bullet list) |
|
/COMPARE | Side by side comparison |
|
/MULTI-PERSPECTIVE | Show multiple viewpoints at once |
|
/CONTEXT STACK | Hold multiple layers of context in memory |
|
/BEGIN WITH | Force answer to start with something |
|
/END WITH | Force answer to end with something |
|
/ROLE: TASK: FORMAT: | Full control over response style |
|
/SCHEMA | Create structured outlines or data models |
|
/REWRITE AS | Rewrite in a specific style or format |
|
/REFLECTIVE MODE | AI reflects and improves its own answer |
|
/SYSTEMATIC BIAS CHECK | Scan for potential bias |
|
/DELIBERATE THINKING | Slower, deeper reasoning |
|
/EVAL-SELF | Ask ChatGPT to critique its own answer |
|
/PARALLEL LENSES | Explore the topic from several angles in parallel |
|
/FIRST PRINCIPLES | Break down from fundamental basics |
|
/CHAIN OF THOUGHT | Show detailed reasoning steps |
|
/PITFALLS | Identify risks, mistakes, and traps |
|
/METRICS MODE | Use measurable indicators and numbers |
|
/GUARDRAIL | Set response boundaries and things to avoid |
|
What to try today
Here are a few fast experiments you can run right now.
Take one prompt you use often and prepend
/STEP-BY-STEPor/CHECKLIST.Rewrite a long messy answer with
/TLDLor/EXEC SUMMARY.Use
/ACT ASwith your ideal expert and see how it changes the response.Add
/GUARDRAILand tell ChatGPT what to avoid so you get more focused answers.
Once you get used to these, you will never go back to plain prompts.
Catch you tomorrow.
If this helped you use ChatGPT in a smarter way, share Get Into AI with someone who is still typing normal prompts and hoping for magic.
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