Plan a task before the agent acts
Never use real personal data. If you need to, run it through the data cleaner.
Before doing anything, explain your plan for [task] in numbered steps: which files you will read, which you will change and which tools you will use. Wait for my “go ahead” before running anything.
What result to expect
A plan, rules or summary that let you review what the agent will do (or has done) before trusting it.
Getting the most out of it
- Paste the prompt as is and only replace what is in [brackets].
- If the answer does not fit, do not start over: ask for “shorter”, “more formal” or “as a table”.
- Always review the result before using it: AI can get facts, dates or names wrong.
Before you paste it: quick checklist
- Work in a test folder, never in your real documents.
- Ask for a step-by-step plan and approve it before the agent acts.
- Explicitly forbid deleting files or sending data out.
- Review the action log when it finishes.
How to adapt it to your assistant
The template works the same in ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or Claude because it only uses plain language. If your assistant supports fixed instructions (custom instructions, Gems or projects), you can store your preferred tone and format there and paste only the variable part. On a free plan, split long requests into two or three shorter messages.
More on this category
Templates for working with agents and models that run on your own computer. Use them to plan, set limits and review what the agent did. An agent can touch real files: always start in a test folder.
See all Agents and local AI prompts