If you’ve ever stared at ChatGPT, wondering how to make it respond exactly the way you want — you’re not alone.
The secret isn’t about writing longer prompts. It’s about writing smarter ones.
That’s where ChatGPT shortcut hacks come in. These are tiny prompt prefixes you can drop at the start of your message to guide the AI instantly. They save time, boost clarity, and help you get precisely the kind of output you need.
Below are 32 ChatGPT shortcuts worth bookmarking (or saving for later).
🧠 1. /ELI5 — Explain Like I’m 5
Simplifies any complex idea into plain language.
Example: /ELI5: Quantum physics → gives a child-friendly breakdown.
📝 2. /TLDL — Too Long, Didn’t Listen
Summarizes long text into a few clear lines.
⚙️ 3. /STEP-BY-STEP
Makes ChatGPT think in sequence and explain each reasoning step.
✅ 4. /CHECKLIST
Turns any task or topic into a practical, easy-to-follow checklist.
💼 5. /EXEC SUMMARY
Perfect for professionals — gives you a polished executive summary.
🎭 6. /ACT AS
Tells ChatGPT to take on a role (e.g., /ACT AS: career coach).
⚡ 7. /BRIEFLY
Forces concise, to-the-point answers.
🧩 8. /JARGON
Uses industry-specific vocabulary and technical tone.
👥 9. /AUDIENCE
Adapts the response for a specific audience (e.g., beginners, CEOs, developers).
🎨 10. /TONE
Changes tone — formal, friendly, witty, or dramatic.
💻 11. /DEV MODE
Simulates a developer-style, raw, technical format.
🗂️ 12. /PM MODE
Provides answers from a project management viewpoint.
🧱 13. /SWOT
Generates a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis.
📊 14. /FORMAT AS
Enforces structure — table, JSON, CSV, bullet points, etc.
⚖️ 15. /COMPARE
Compares two or more concepts side by side.
🔍 16. /MULTI-PERSPECTIVE
Presents multiple viewpoints on a topic.
🧠 17. /CONTEXT STACK
Keeps layers of context active — useful for long discussions.
🪜 18. /BEGIN WITH / END WITH
Controls how ChatGPT starts or ends its response.
🧩 19. /ROLE: TASK: FORMAT:
Defines exactly what role, task, and output structure you expect.
🧱 20. /SCHEMA
Builds structured outlines, blueprints, or data models.
✍️ 21. /REWRITE AS:
Rephrases content in a chosen tone or format (e.g., /REWRITE AS: tweet thread).
🪞 22. /REFLECTIVE MODE
Makes ChatGPT reflect on its own answer and refine it.
⚖️ 23. /SYSTEMATIC BIAS CHECK
Helps spot and explain potential bias in responses.
🧩 24. /DELIBERATE THINKING
Forces slower, deeper, more intentional reasoning.
🚫 25. /NO AUTOPILOT
Prevents surface-level or generic answers.
🧾 26. /EVAL-SELF
Asks ChatGPT to critique and rate its own output.
🔭 27. /PARALLEL LENSES
Examines a topic from multiple angles at once.
⚙️ 28. /FIRST PRINCIPLES
Rebuilds reasoning from the most basic fundamentals.
🔗 29. /CHAIN OF THOUGHT
Shows intermediate reasoning steps behind the answer.
⚠️ 30. /PITFALLS
Lists possible mistakes, risks, or traps in an idea.
📈 31. /METRICS MODE
Uses measurable indicators or metrics to support responses.
🛡️ 32. /GUARDRAIL
Sets strict limits — great for keeping responses focused and compliant
