A structured set of prompts for the recurring tasks a small business performs, each with the inputs it needs, the output format expected and the checks a person must run. It is the practical companion to Designing Prompt Playbooks.

The purpose of a playbook is consistency. Prompts held in individuals’ heads produce output that varies with the individual; prompts in a playbook produce output the team can rely on, teach and improve.

The playbook is the institutional memory of the workflow. Prompts in people’s heads leave with the people.

How to use it

  • Copy the entry, supply the inputs, and run the prompt.
  • Never skip the checks column. The playbook defines what to trust, not only what to paste.
  • Adapt the wording to your business, and version the entry when you change it.
  • Retire entries that no longer fit the work, rather than leaving them to be used by mistake.

Each entry follows the same five-part structure: task, inputs, prompt, output format, checks.

Entry 1 — Report narrative

  • Task: Draft the performance narrative for a recurring report.
  • Inputs: Frozen figures for the period and prior period; the previous cycle’s narrative; the report structure.
  • Prompt: “Draft the performance narrative for the [period] report, using only the figures supplied. Follow the structure of the previous narrative. State what moved and by how much; do not explain why, and do not introduce any figure that was not supplied. Audience: [audience]. Tone: plain, no adjectives that are not supported by a figure.”
  • Output format: One short paragraph per section, headed as in the previous cycle.
  • Checks: Every figure against the frozen source; no figure present that was not supplied; causes added by the owner; consistency with prior cycles explained.

Entry 2 — Executive summary

  • Task: Write a one-paragraph executive summary from a completed report.
  • Inputs: The report body; the audience; the decision the report informs.
  • Prompt: “Summarize the attached report in one paragraph of no more than 120 words. State the two or three points the reader must take away, in order of importance. Do not introduce any information that is not in the report. Do not recommend an action that the report does not support.”
  • Output format: One paragraph, followed by three bullet takeaways.
  • Checks: Every claim supported by the report; the takeaways match the report’s own emphasis; nothing added.

Entry 3 — Variance commentary

  • Task: Draft first-pass variance commentary for a management pack.
  • Inputs: Frozen figures for the period and prior period; the materiality threshold; the previous commentary.
  • Prompt: “Using only the figures supplied, identify variances above [threshold] and, for each, write two sentences: what moved and by how much. Do not explain why the variance occurred. Do not introduce any figure not supplied. List in descending order of size.”
  • Output format: One paragraph per material variance, headed by the line item.
  • Checks: Every figure against the extract; causes added by the finance lead; the section reconciled to the report.

Entry 4 — Research brief

  • Task: Produce a structured brief on a named company or question from a defined source set.
  • Inputs: The source set (eight to fifteen named sources); the question; the audience.
  • Prompt: “Summarize what the attached sources say about [question]. For each claim, cite the source it came from. Where the sources disagree, say so. Do not add information from outside the sources. State plainly where the sources do not answer the question.”
  • Output format: Four sections — what the sources say; where they disagree; what they do not cover; and a source list.
  • Checks: Every citation opened and confirmed; claims traced to a source; unsupported claims removed; limits stated.

Entry 5 — Meeting notes to actions

  • Task: Convert a meeting transcript or notes into decisions, actions, owners and dates.
  • Inputs: The transcript or notes; the attendee list.
  • Prompt: “Summarize this meeting into four sections: decisions made; actions agreed with an owner and a date; items deferred; and open questions. Use only what is in the transcript. Do not infer a decision or an owner. Where a date is unclear, mark it as unclear rather than estimating.”
  • Output format: Four headed sections, under 400 words.
  • Checks: Actions and dates confirmed with attendees; owners confirmed; anything inferred removed.

Entry 6 — Client update

  • Task: Draft a recurring client update from the engagement record.
  • Inputs: The previous update; the delivery record for the period; any figures the client expects.
  • Prompt: “Draft the [period] client update using the previous update’s structure and the delivery record supplied. Report what has been delivered and what is planned. Do not state a completion date or a result that is not in the record. Keep it under 400 words.”
  • Output format: Structured as the previous update, with a short summary at the top.
  • Checks: Delivery claims against the record; no new commitments; figures confirmed.

Keeping the playbook current

  • Version each entry, with a date and a note of what changed.
  • Record why a change was made, usually a correction that revealed a missing constraint.
  • Review twice a year, and after any tool change.
  • Keep it short. Six entries that are used beat sixty that are not.

Frequently asked questions

What is a prompt playbook?

A structured library of the prompts a team uses for recurring tasks, each with the task, the inputs, the prompt, the expected output format and the checks a person must run.

Why not just write good prompts individually?

Because consistency, training and continuity depend on the workflow being recorded rather than held by individuals.

How many entries should we start with?

Around five or six, covering the most frequent tasks. Adding entries is easy; maintaining a large library is not.

Is it safe to share prompts with the whole team?

Yes — the playbook is meant to be shared, with the checks column included. Without the checks it is a prompt list rather than a playbook.

Can we use prompts from elsewhere?

General prompt libraries are useful for ideas. The valuable parts of a playbook are the inputs, the output format and the checks, which are specific to your work.

How do we handle a tool change?

Update the entries where syntax is tool-specific, and keep the task, inputs, format and checks unchanged. That is what allows the playbook to survive the tool.

Next step

Adapt the entries to your tasks, add the checks column, and put the playbook where the work happens. See Designing Prompt Playbooks and Training Your Team to Use AI Well, or book a team training session and we will build the playbook with your team.

Sources

  • Playbook structure reflects standard operational-procedure practice applied to AI prompting: task, inputs, output definition, checks and version control.

No statistic in this asset is invented.