Why generic prompts give you generic scripts
Ask a chatbot to “write a YouTube Shorts script about {TOPIC}” and you get the script everyone else gets: an opener like “Did you know…”, three vague facts, the word “game-changer” and a request to like and subscribe. The model isn’t being lazy. A one-line prompt leaves almost every decision to it, and when it has to guess, it guesses the average.
Three things go wrong with short prompts:
- No source, so the model fills gaps from memory. For news, memory is out of date or simply wrong. Models can produce confident numbers, dates and quotes that appear nowhere in the real story.
- No audience, so the script talks to nobody. “Explain this AI update” should read differently for developers, teachers and people who run online shops. Without a viewer in mind, the model writes for everyone, which sounds like no one.
- No constraints, so you get the default shape. No word count means a script that runs long. No structure means the news gets buried under background. No banned phrases means the same clichés come back every time.
The fix isn’t a magic phrase. It’s giving the model the brief you would give a freelance scriptwriter: who it’s for, what it’s based on, how long, in what order, in what voice, and what to avoid. The rest of this guide turns that brief into prompts you can copy, fill in and reuse.
One more principle before the templates: one job per prompt. A prompt that asks for research, a script, five titles and a thread all at once gets a mediocre version of each. Draft first, then run separate editing passes — hooks, tone, length, fact-check — each with its own prompt. It’s faster overall, because each result is easy to judge.
The anatomy of a script prompt that works
Every template in this guide is built from the same nine parts. You won’t need all nine every time, but when a script comes back wrong, the missing part is usually the reason.
1. Role and job
One line on what the model is doing: “You are writing the script for a daily 60-second tech news Short.” The role matters less than the job description that follows it. “Act as a world-class YouTuber” adds nothing a clear brief doesn’t already say.
2. Audience
Who watches, what they already know and what they want from the video. “UK small-business owners who use AI tools but don’t follow tech news” gives the model vocabulary, examples and a reason to explain jargon. “Everyone interested in AI” gives it nothing.
3. Source material, pasted in
This is the single biggest upgrade. Paste the article, announcement or your own notes between clear markers such as <source> and </source>, and tell the model to use only what’s inside them. For news, never ask a model to recall what happened. Even assistants with web search can land on the wrong page or an older version of the story.
4. Format and length in words
Name the platform and give the length in words, not “short” or “about a minute”. Models aren’t precise counters, but a word target lands far closer than a vague instruction, and you can check it yourself. Use roughly 140–160 words for 60 seconds, 70–90 for 30 seconds and 130–150 words per minute for longer videos. Ask for the word count at the end.
5. Structure
List the beats in order: hook, what happened, details, why it matters, close. If you already have a template you like, paste it in. The 60-second news script template is a good default for Shorts, TikTok and Reels.
6. Tone
Describe the voice with two or three concrete traits and one thing it isn’t: “calm, direct, slightly dry; not hype.” Words like “engaging” or “exciting” tell the model nothing, because every script is supposed to be engaging.
7. Banned phrases
List the openers, filler and clichés you never want to hear. Models drift back to the same handful, and naming them is the quickest way to stop it. A starter list: “Did you know”, “In today’s video”, “game-changer”, “revolutionary”, “buckle up”, “let’s dive in”, “in a world where”, “smash that like button”, plus exclamation marks in the hook.
8. Output format
Say exactly what you want back: labelled beats, plain text with no stage directions, one sentence per line for a teleprompter, or a table with a visuals column. If the output goes into another tool, such as a text-to-speech app or a caption editor, ask for the format that tool needs.
9. Questions and uncertainties
End by inviting the model to push back: “Before writing, ask up to three questions if anything is unclear. After the script, list any claims you weren’t certain about.” This one line often points you straight at the sentence you would otherwise have had to find and fix yourself.
Put together, the nine parts make a master prompt you can save once and fill in every day.
- Role
- You are writing scripts for {CHANNEL}, a {PLATFORM} channel about {NICHE}.
- Audience
- The viewers are {AUDIENCE}. They already know {WHAT THEY KNOW} but not {WHAT THEY DON’T}.
- Source
- Use only the information between the <source> tags. If something isn’t in the source, leave it out. <source>{PASTE ARTICLE OR NOTES}</source>
- Length
- {N} spoken words, plus or minus 10. Print the word count at the end.
- Structure
- Hook: one sentence under 15 words that states the change. What happened: two sentences, with the company or product name. Details: two or three facts, one per sentence. Why it matters: two sentences about this audience. Close: one sentence, either a source line or one reason to follow.
- Tone
- {THREE TRAITS}. Not hype, not salesy.
- Avoid
- “Did you know”, “in today’s video”, “game-changer”, “revolutionary”, “buckle up”, “let’s dive in”, exclamation marks, and questions in the hook.
- Output
- Plain text, each beat on its own labelled line, no stage directions, no emojis, no hashtags.
- Check
- Before writing, ask me up to three questions if the source is unclear. After the script, list every claim you weren’t certain about.
Save it as a text snippet, a custom instruction or a saved project prompt, so each day you only fill in the slots and paste the source. The 12 templates below are specialised versions of it.
Copy-paste prompts for Shorts, TikTok and Reels
These are the prompts short-form creators reach for every day. Each one assumes you paste your source or script between the tags and replace the curly-brace slots with your own details.
Prompt 1: a 60-second news Short from a pasted article
- Prompt
- Write a 60-second YouTube Shorts script based only on the article between the <article> tags. The viewer is {AUDIENCE}. Length: 140–160 spoken words. Structure: a hook that states the change in under 15 words; the news in one sentence with the company or product name; two or three specific details, one per sentence; why it matters to this viewer; a closing line saying the source is linked in the description. Use short sentences and contractions, and round numbers the way people say them. Avoid “Did you know”, “game-changer”, “insane”, “let’s dive in” and exclamation marks. Output each beat on its own labelled line, then the word count. Then list any sentence that isn’t directly supported by the article. <article>{PASTE ARTICLE}</article>
- Notes
- For a 30-second version, change the length to 70–90 words and ask for one detail instead of three. If the article covers several announcements, say which one the Short is about, or the model will try to squeeze in all of them.
Prompt 2: five hook variations
- Prompt
- Here is my Short script. Write five alternative opening lines, each under 15 words, each in a different style: 1) the plain change, 2) a number taken from the script, 3) the catch or limitation, 4) who it affects, starting “If you…”, 5) before and after. Every hook must use only facts already in the script and must make the topic clear on its own. No questions the video doesn’t answer and no “you won’t believe”. After each hook, add one line on which viewer it would appeal to most. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- Read all five aloud and choose on sound, not on how they look written down. Then match your on-screen text to the chosen hook, so the first three seconds say the same thing twice.
Prompt 3: faceless voiceover with B-roll cues
- Prompt
- Turn the source below into a voiceover script for a faceless {PLATFORM} video of about {N} words. Present it as a two-column table. Left column: the voiceover, split into lines of one or two sentences. Right column: the visual for that line. Visuals must be things I can make or license myself: screen recordings, screenshots of the official announcement, simple charts, text callouts or licensed stock footage. Don’t suggest clips from TV news or other creators’ videos. Mark any product names, people’s names or acronyms a text-to-speech voice might mispronounce, and suggest a phonetic spelling for each. <source>{PASTE SOURCE}</source>
- Notes
- The visual column doubles as your edit list. For choosing a voice, sourcing visuals and copyright basics, see the [faceless YouTube news channel guide](/guides/faceless-youtube-news-channel).
Prompts for long-form scripts and editing passes
For longer videos, don’t ask for the whole script in one go. Get an outline, fix it, then draft one section at a time. The editing prompts in this section work on any script, including one you wrote entirely yourself.
Prompt 4: an 8-minute explainer outline
- Prompt
- I’m making an 8-minute YouTube explainer, about 1,050–1,200 spoken words in total, on {TOPIC} for {AUDIENCE}. Using only my notes and sources below, write an outline, not a script. Include: a cold open of two or three sentences that states the question the video answers; five or six sections, each with a working heading, the one point it makes, the evidence from my sources that supports it and a target word count; one short recap around the halfway mark; and a closing that answers the opening question. Flag any section where my sources are thin. Then ask me for my own view on the main question, so I can add it before we draft. <notes>{PASTE NOTES AND SOURCES}</notes>
- Notes
- Once the outline is right, draft one section per prompt with the full outline pasted in for context. For how a long-form script fits together, from the opening to the payoff, see [how to write a YouTube video script](/guides/how-to-write-a-youtube-video-script).
Prompt 5: rewrite for spoken delivery
- Prompt
- Rewrite this script so it sounds natural read aloud. Keep every fact and the order of the points. Rules: one idea per sentence; most sentences under 15 words; use contractions and active verbs; no brackets, semicolons or long asides; spell out abbreviations the first time; write numbers the way they’re said, such as “about forty percent” rather than “39.7%”; remove anything a listener couldn’t follow on a single hearing. Show the new script, then a short list of what you changed and why. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- Most useful on drafts that started life as written articles, which keep the article’s long sentences. Read the result aloud anyway: the places you stumble are the real test.
Prompt 6: cut to an exact length
- Prompt
- Cut this script to {N} words, plus or minus 5. Remove whole sentences before trimming words inside sentences. Keep the hook, the main news line and the close. Don’t add new information, and don’t rephrase anything in a way that changes a claim. Show the cut version, its word count, and a list of the sentences you removed so I can put any of them back. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- The list of removed sentences lets you check the model didn’t drop the one detail your audience cares about most. Count the words yourself before recording, and time a read-through.
Prompt 7: shift the tone, keep the facts
- Prompt
- Rewrite this script in a {TARGET TONE} tone, for example calmer and more explanatory for a general audience, or quicker and drier for viewers who follow the topic closely. Keep every fact, number and name exactly as written. Don’t add jokes about real people or companies, and don’t make any claim stronger than the original: “may” stays “may”, “is testing” stays “is testing”. Show the rewrite, then three lines side by side, before and after. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- The “don’t make claims stronger” rule matters most. Tone rewrites are where careful wording such as “plans to” quietly turns into “has launched”.
Prompts for titles, fact-checks, translation and reuse
Once the script is solid, the same approach handles everything around it: packaging, checking, adapting for another language and turning one script into posts for other platforms.
Prompt 8: title and thumbnail text ideas
- Prompt
- Based on this script, suggest ten YouTube titles and, separately, eight thumbnail text options. Titles: under 60 characters, include the product or company name, describe what the video actually delivers, no all-caps words and no promise the video can’t keep. Thumbnail text: two to four words, readable at phone size, and not a repeat of the title. Group the titles by angle: the change, the number, who it affects, the catch. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- Shortlist three titles and ask yourself which one you would tap in a crowded feed. Keep the specific name in the title, because titles are searchable on YouTube, Shorts included.
Prompt 9: claim-by-claim fact-check
- Prompt
- Compare the script with the source. List every factual claim in the script as a numbered list: every name, number, date, price, quote, availability statement and comparison. For each claim, quote the exact source line that supports it. If no line supports it, write UNSUPPORTED. If the source line is weaker than the script’s wording, for example “testing” in the source but “launched” in the script, write OVERSTATED and explain. Don’t rewrite anything yet. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script> <source>{PASTE SOURCE}</source>
- Notes
- This turns a vague “is this accurate?” into a checklist you can work through in a few minutes. It only checks the script against the source you pasted; it can’t tell you whether the source itself is right, so open the primary source for anything that matters.
Prompt 10: translate and adapt for another language
- Prompt
- Adapt this script for {LANGUAGE}-speaking viewers in {COUNTRY OR REGION}. Don’t translate word for word: rewrite it the way a native presenter would say it, keeping every fact and name. Keep prices in their original currency rather than converting them. Keep product names in their original form unless an official local name exists. Aim for roughly the same speaking time rather than the same word count, because languages run at different lengths. After the script, list any terms you weren’t sure how to translate. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- If you aren’t fluent in the target language, have a native speaker read it before you publish. Time a read-through in the new language, since words per minute vary between languages.
Prompt 11: turn the script into an X thread and a newsletter item
- Prompt
- Using only the facts in this script, write two things. 1) An X thread of five to seven posts: the first post states the news and must make sense on its own; one fact per post; the last post gives the source and my take, which is: {YOUR TAKE}. No “A thread” opener and no hashtags. 2) A newsletter item of 100–150 words: a one-line summary, two or three bullets, a “why it matters” line, and placeholders for links to the source and my video. Write both for reading, not speaking; don’t copy the script’s sentences. <script>{PASTE SCRIPT}</script>
- Notes
- Because every format draws on the same facts, they can’t contradict each other. The [one story, four formats guide](/guides/repurpose-news-story) shows a complete example, podcast segment included.
Prompt 12: interview me for my own take
- Prompt
- Before you write anything, interview me. Read the source below and ask me five short questions that draw out my own view: whether I’d use this, what people are getting wrong about it, what it reminds me of, who should ignore it, and what I’d watch for next. Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. Then write a {N}-word script that uses the source only for facts and my answers for the “why it matters” and the close, keeping my wording where you can. <source>{PASTE SOURCE}</source>
- Notes
- This is the quickest way to make an AI-assisted script sound like you and say something the source didn’t. If typing feels slow, answer in a voice note and paste the transcript.
Worked example: the same story, before and after
Here is one story run through a one-line prompt and then through the master prompt. The company, product and details are fictional, invented for illustration.
- Story
- Brightloom, a home-energy app, added a feature that suggests when to run appliances based on tomorrow’s electricity prices.
- Availability
- Live today in the UK and Germany, paid plan only. It reads the user’s own tariff. Other countries are “planned for next year”.
- Status
- The company describes it as a beta. The announcement gives no figure for how much users save.
- Prompt
- Write a YouTube Shorts script about Brightloom’s new AI feature.
- Output
- Did you know your electricity bill could drop by 40%? Brightloom just launched a revolutionary AI that controls your appliances automatically, worldwide! This is a total game-changer for saving money. Smash that like button and subscribe for more!
- Problems
- The 40% figure appears nowhere in the source. The feature suggests times; it doesn’t control anything. It isn’t worldwide, it’s a beta, and it’s paid-only. Three banned clichés, two exclamation marks and nothing for the viewer to actually do.
- Prompt
- The master prompt from above, with the audience set to UK households on tariffs where prices change through the day, a length of 80–90 words, the tone “calm, practical, slightly dry”, and the source notes pasted in.
- Hook
- Your energy app can now tell you the cheapest time to run the washing machine.
- What happened
- Brightloom added a feature today that suggests when to use appliances, based on tomorrow’s electricity prices.
- Details
- It reads your own tariff, so the suggestions match what you actually pay. It’s live in the UK and Germany on the paid plan, and the company is calling it a beta.
- Why it matters
- If your electricity price changes through the day, this does the price-checking for you.
- Close
- Other countries are planned for next year. The announcement is linked below.
- Flagged
- The model noted that the source gives no savings figure, so the script makes no savings claim.
The second script is about 90 words — roughly 35–40 seconds — and every claim in it traces back to the source notes. The longer prompt costs a minute to fill in, but the editing pass shrinks: there is nothing to un-invent, and the flagged line shows exactly where the source was silent.
It still isn’t ready to publish. You would open the actual announcement, confirm the countries, the plan and the beta label, and only then record.
Verification and originality: the rules that don’t change
A better prompt reduces mistakes; it doesn’t remove them. Models can still misread a source, merge two numbers or turn a plan into a launch. Treat every AI script as a first draft that you are responsible for.
- Never publish a claim you haven’t checked. Run the claim-by-claim prompt, then open the primary source for every name, number, date and availability statement. If you can’t find it, cut it or say clearly that it’s unconfirmed.
- Check the source is current. Pasting an article guarantees the model uses that article, not that the article is new or correct. Confirm the date and look for later updates or corrections.
- Don’t let the model write quotes. Use only quotes that appear word for word in the source, and attribute them. Tell the model to keep quotes exact or leave them out.
- Add your own take. A script that only restates an article competes with that article. Your opinion, experience, a demonstration or a comparison is what makes the video worth watching, and it’s the part a model can’t supply without your input. Prompt 12 exists for exactly this.
- Rewrite in your own words. Use the draft for structure, then edit until it sounds like you. Don’t lift large passages from a source article into your script, whether or not an AI has reworded them.
- Disclose where the platform requires it. Several platforms ask creators to label realistic AI-generated or altered content, such as synthetic voices or footage of events that look real. The rules differ between platforms and change over time, so check each platform’s current help pages before you publish.
- Correct in public. If an error slips through, pin a correction and fix the description, the thread and the newsletter too.
These rules apply to AI-assisted scripts in any niche, but news is where a confident wrong number does the most damage, because viewers repeat it.
Getting good results in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini
Every prompt here is plain text with no tool-specific features, so it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and most other assistants. Models differ in default length, tone and how strictly they follow formatting rules, and those defaults shift with each update. The useful question isn’t which model is best; it’s which one follows your brief most reliably right now.
Tips that hold across models
- Save your master prompt as a custom instruction, project or saved prompt, so every chat starts with your audience, tone and banned list.
- Paste the source every time, even when the assistant can browse. Browsing helps you find stories; it shouldn’t be the only record of what a story says.
- Use clear markers such as <source> and <script> tags around pasted text, so the model can tell your instructions apart from your material.
- Start a fresh chat for each story. Long conversations can carry an earlier story’s details into a new script.
- Ask for revisions, not regenerations. “Make the hook shorter and keep everything else” gets you closer than regenerating and hoping.
- Show one script you like and say what to copy (structure, sentence length, the close) and what not to copy (its facts).
- Don’t trust word counts blindly. Models estimate length loosely, so count the words yourself and time a read-through.
Which AI is best for writing YouTube Shorts scripts?
The one that needs the fewest edits for your channel. Given a source and clear constraints, the major assistants can all produce a usable short-script draft; the differences show up in how closely they follow instructions and how their default voice sounds. Run the same master prompt on three real stories in two or three assistants, compare the drafts side by side, and pick on that rather than on a leaderboard or someone else’s ranking.
When a dedicated tool saves time
Copy-paste prompts work well for occasional videos. The friction shows up when you script every day: finding the story, copying the article, pasting the master prompt, running the fact-check, then repeating it all for each language or platform. None of it is hard; it’s just repetitive.
That repetitive part is what a news-to-script tool is for. FeedlyScript picks trending stories from the sources you choose and drafts a structured script — hook, voiceover, why it matters and a closing, with the sources listed underneath — in 10 languages, with tone and roughly one-, two- or three-minute length settings, delivered to Slack, email or Discord. You still verify the facts, add your take and record it yourself. To see the output format on a single story, try the AI script generator.
Either way, the prompts above stay useful for the editing passes: hooks, tone shifts, cuts, titles and the claim-by-claim check. If you are starting a channel from scratch, the AI news YouTube channel playbook covers sources, posting cadence and a daily workflow you can keep up.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best ChatGPT prompt for a YouTube Shorts script?
There’s no single magic prompt, but the ones that work share the same parts: the audience, the source pasted in, a length in words (about 140–160 for 60 seconds), a beat-by-beat structure, a tone, a list of banned phrases and a request to flag uncertain claims. Prompt 1 in this guide is a ready-made version you can copy into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
How do I write a script for a YouTube video in ChatGPT?
Paste in your notes and sources and ask for an outline first. Fix the outline, then draft one section per prompt, and finish with editing passes for spoken delivery and length. Check every claim against your sources before you record.
Which AI is best for YouTube Shorts script writing?
The one that follows your brief with the fewest edits. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can all draft a usable Short when you give them a source and clear constraints, and their defaults change with updates. Test the same prompt on a few real stories and compare.
Can I use AI prompts for a faceless YouTube channel?
Yes. Ask for the voiceover with a visuals column (prompt 3), add your own commentary, use visuals you own or have licensed, and follow each platform’s current rules on disclosing synthetic voices or realistic AI-generated content.
Why does AI make up facts in my video scripts?
Usually because the prompt asks it to write about a topic without giving it a source, so it fills the gaps from memory. Paste the source in, tell the model to use only that material, and run a claim-by-claim check (prompt 9) afterwards.
Do I need to disclose that AI helped write my script?
It depends on the platform, and policies change over time. Disclosure rules tend to focus on realistic synthetic or altered content, such as AI voices or generated footage, more than on help with writing, but check each platform’s current help pages before you publish.