I needed seven prompt templates I could actually use this week
I run a Shopify store selling vintage football shirts—Premier League, Championship, a few Ireland internationals. I also do freelance WordPress work for local businesses in Cork. Most of my day is answering emails, writing product listings, fixing broken contact forms, and replying to WhatsApp messages from customers who want to know if I have a 1998 Arsenal away shirt in medium.
I've used AI for six months. I know the theory: be specific, give context, iterate. But when I'm staring at twenty eBay listings that need writing before the January sales end, I don't want theory. I want a prompt I can copy, fill in three blanks, and move on.
So I built seven prompt templates for the work I actually do. Customer refund emails. eBay listings. Code review for a client's WooCommerce plugin. WhatsApp replies when someone asks if I ship to Northern Ireland. VAT invoice queries. Proposal drafts. Bug-hunt prompts when a form stops working. I tested each one with Claude Sonnet 4.5, Gemini Flash and DeepSeek V3 on Kryotta, then scored them on speed, tone and whether I had to rewrite the output.
This isn't a theory post. It's seven prompts you can steal.
The seven templates: what they are and when I use them
Here's the full table. I'll walk through each one after.
| Template | Structure | Example output (snippet) | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer refund email | "Write a refund email to [name]. Reason: [reason]. Refund amount: [£ amount]. Tone: [apologetic/neutral/firm]. Include: BACS timeline (3–5 days), apology if our fault, no apology if customer changed mind." | "Hi Sarah, I've processed your £42 refund for the 2005 Chelsea home shirt. The money should reach your account in 3–5 working days. Sorry the sizing didn't work out—our size guide…" | Customer returns, damaged items, wrong size. I use this twenty times a month. |
| eBay listing | "Write an eBay listing for [item]. Condition: [new/used/vintage]. Key details: [size, year, flaws]. Price: [£ amount]. Highlight: [unique selling point]. Mention: UK postage (Royal Mail 48, £3.95), returns accepted within 14 days." | "1996 England Home Shirt (Size L) – Euro 96 Retro Classic. Excellent condition, minimal fade, small pull on the left sleeve (see photo 4). £38. Royal Mail 48 postage, £3.95…" | Product listings for eBay or Depop. I batch-write ten at a time during the January and Boxing Day sales. |
| Code review (pull request) | "Review this pull request. Language: [Ruby/PHP/JavaScript]. Focus: logic bugs, security issues, performance problems. Ignore: style and formatting. Diff: [paste diff]. Flag anything that could break in production." | "Line 47: You're calling current_user.orders inside a loop. If a customer has 200 orders, this runs 200 queries. Move it outside the loop or use includes(:orders)…" | Reviewing code for freelance clients. I use this when I'm short on time and need a second pair of eyes. |
| WhatsApp order reply | "Write a WhatsApp reply to [customer question]. Context: [order details]. Tone: friendly, concise, under 40 words. Include: [answer], next step, and 'Let me know if you need anything else.'" | "Hi! Yes, I've got that shirt in medium. It's £32 including postage to Dublin (An Post, 3–5 days). I can send a PayPal invoice tonight if you're ready. Let me know!" | Customer questions on WhatsApp. I get fifteen a week, mostly about stock, postage to Ireland, or payment methods. |
| VAT invoice query | "I'm a UK sole trader registered for VAT. A client is asking [question]. Explain the answer in plain English, mention the relevant VAT rule, and suggest what I should do next. Keep it under 100 words." | "You charge VAT on digital services to UK customers. For EU customers, you don't charge UK VAT—they handle it under their own rules. If your sales to the EU go over £8,818 this year, you'll need to register for VAT MOSS…" | VAT questions from clients or customers. I use this when a client in Dublin asks why I didn't charge VAT, or when I'm not sure if I should charge a UK business 20%. |
| Proposal draft | "Write a project proposal for [client name]. Service: [what I'm offering]. Scope: [three to five bullet points]. Timeline: [X weeks]. Price: [£ amount]. Tone: confident, clear, no fluff. Include: one paragraph on why I'm a good fit, payment terms (50% upfront, 50% on delivery)." | "I'll redesign your WooCommerce checkout to reduce cart abandonment. Scope: simplify the form, add Apple Pay, test on mobile, integrate with your Mailchimp list. Four weeks, £1,800. Payment: £900 upfront…" | Pitching freelance work. I send three or four proposals a month, mostly for WordPress builds or Shopify customisation. |
| Bug-hunt prompt | "I have a bug in [language/framework]. Problem: [describe what's broken]. Expected behaviour: [what should happen]. Code: [paste relevant code]. Find the bug, explain why it's happening, and suggest a fix." | "The bug is on line 23. You're checking if (response.status == 200) but the Stripe API returns response.status === 'succeeded' for successful payments. Change it to check the string, not the number…" | Debugging code when I'm stuck. I use this once or twice a week, usually for JavaScript or PHP issues in client projects. |
Template one: customer refund emails that don't sound like parking fines
The refund email template is the one I use most. Someone returns a shirt because it doesn't fit, or because it arrived with a stain I didn't spot. I need to confirm the refund, explain the BACS timeline, and not sound like a robot.
The structure: "Write a refund email to [name]. Reason: [reason]. Refund amount: [£ amount]. Tone: [apologetic/neutral/firm]. Include: BACS timeline (3–5 days), apology if our fault, no apology if customer changed mind."
I tested this with Claude Sonnet 4.5, Gemini Flash and DeepSeek V3. Claude and Gemini both wrote emails that sounded warm and human. DeepSeek's version was fine but a bit formal—"We regret any inconvenience caused" instead of "Sorry this didn't work out."
I use Claude for refund emails now. It gets the tone right without me having to edit much. I fill in the name, reason and amount, paste the prompt into Kryotta, and I'm done in thirty seconds.
Template two: eBay listings that sell without sounding like spam
I write ten to fifteen eBay listings a week. Vintage football shirts, mostly, but also the occasional rugby jersey or training jacket. The listing needs to describe the condition, mention any flaws, include postage details, and make someone want to buy it.
The structure: "Write an eBay listing for [item]. Condition: [new/used/vintage]. Key details: [size, year, flaws]. Price: [£ amount]. Highlight: [unique selling point]. Mention: UK postage (Royal Mail 48, £3.95), returns accepted within 14 days."
Gemini Flash wrote the best listings. They were specific, mentioned the flaws honestly, and didn't oversell. Claude's versions were good but sometimes a bit wordy. DeepSeek's were fine but generic—"classic retro style" in every listing.
I use Gemini Flash for eBay listings now. It's fast, cheap, and I only need to tweak one or two sentences before I publish.
Template three: code review that catches the bugs I miss
I do freelance WordPress and WooCommerce work. Most of my clients don't have developers, so I'm the only person reviewing code before it goes live. I'm good at spotting syntax errors and obvious logic bugs, but I miss things when I'm tired or rushing.
The structure: "Review this pull request. Language: [Ruby/PHP/JavaScript]. Focus: logic bugs, security issues, performance problems. Ignore: style and formatting. Diff: [paste diff]. Flag anything that could break in production."
Claude Sonnet 4.5 was the best at this. It caught a loop that would run 200 database queries, a missing null check, and a Stripe webhook handler that didn't verify the signature. Gemini Pro caught the loop and the null check but missed the webhook issue. DeepSeek caught all three but gave me a 400-word explanation when I needed two sentences.
I use Claude for code review. It's not perfect—it once flagged a line that was actually fine—but it catches enough real bugs that I trust it as a second pair of eyes.
Template four: WhatsApp replies that don't waste anyone's time
I get fifteen WhatsApp messages a week from customers. "Do you have this shirt in large?" "How much is postage to Galway?" "Can I pay with Revolut?" I need to reply fast, sound friendly, and not write three paragraphs when one sentence will do.
The structure: "Write a WhatsApp reply to [customer question]. Context: [order details]. Tone: friendly, concise, under 40 words. Include: [answer], next step, and 'Let me know if you need anything else.'"
All three models handled this well. Claude and Gemini both wrote replies that felt natural. DeepSeek's were slightly stiffer but still usable. The key is the "under 40 words" instruction—without it, Claude writes 80-word replies that are too long for WhatsApp.
I use Gemini Flash for WhatsApp replies because it's fast and I can batch five or six at once in Kryotta's workspace.
Template five: VAT queries I can answer without calling an accountant
I'm a UK sole trader registered for VAT. I sell to customers in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and occasionally France. I get VAT questions from clients all the time. "Why didn't you charge me VAT?" "Do I need to pay VAT on this invoice?" "What's VAT MOSS?"
The structure: "I'm a UK sole trader registered for VAT. A client is asking [question]. Explain the answer in plain English, mention the relevant VAT rule, and suggest what I should do next. Keep it under 100 words."
Claude Sonnet 4.5 gave the clearest answers. It explained the rules, cited the threshold (£8,818 for EU sales), and suggested next steps. Gemini Pro was good but sometimes vague. DeepSeek gave accurate answers but used too much jargon.
I use Claude for VAT queries. I still check with my accountant if it's complicated, but for simple questions this template saves me an hour of Googling.
Template six: proposals that win work without sounding desperate
I send three or four project proposals a month. Someone emails to ask if I can redesign their WooCommerce checkout, or build a booking system for their Airbnb management company. I need to explain what I'll do, how long it'll take, what it costs, and why they should hire me.
The structure: "Write a project proposal for [client name]. Service: [what I'm offering]. Scope: [three to five bullet points]. Timeline: [X weeks]. Price: [£ amount]. Tone: confident, clear, no fluff. Include: one paragraph on why I'm a good fit, payment terms (50% upfront, 50% on delivery)."
Claude wrote the best proposals. They were confident, specific, and didn't oversell. Gemini's versions were good but sometimes too casual. DeepSeek's were fine but a bit stiff—"I am confident I can deliver exceptional results" instead of "I've built three similar checkouts in the past six months."
I use Claude for proposals. I win about 60% of the projects I pitch, which is up from 40% before I started using this template.
Template seven: bug-hunt prompts that find the problem in five minutes
I get stuck on bugs all the time. A contact form stops working. A Stripe payment fails. A WooCommerce order doesn't send a confirmation email. I can usually fix it, but sometimes I stare at the code for twenty minutes and can't see the problem.
The structure: "I have a bug in [language/framework]. Problem: [describe what's broken]. Expected behaviour: [what should happen]. Code: [paste relevant code]. Find the bug, explain why it's happening, and suggest a fix."
Claude Sonnet 4.5 was the best at this. It found the bug, explained it clearly, and suggested a fix I could copy-paste. Gemini Pro found most bugs but sometimes gave vague explanations. DeepSeek found the bugs but wrote 300-word answers when I needed 50 words.
I use Claude for bug-hunt prompts. It's saved me hours of frustration, especially on JavaScript issues where I'm not as strong.
Which template to use when
Use the refund email template when you're dealing with returns, damaged goods, or customer complaints. It works for Shopify, eBay, or any platform where you need to sound human and professional.
Use the eBay listing template for product descriptions on eBay, Depop, Vinted, or your own Shopify store. It's especially good during the January sales when you're writing twenty listings in one sitting.
Use the code review template when you're freelancing and don't have a senior developer to check your work. It won't replace a real code review, but it catches enough bugs to be worth the two minutes it takes.
Use the WhatsApp reply template for customer service on WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, or Facebook Messenger. It keeps replies short and friendly without sounding robotic.
Use the VAT query template when a client asks a VAT question and you're not sure of the answer. It's not legal advice, but it's a good starting point before you call your accountant.
Use the proposal template when you're pitching freelance work. It works for web development, design, copywriting, or any service where you need to explain scope, timeline, and price.
Use the bug-hunt template when you're stuck on a bug and can't see the problem. It's especially useful for JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby issues.
Questions people ask
Can I use these templates with any AI model?
Yes. I tested them with Claude Sonnet 4.5, Gemini Flash and DeepSeek V3, but they'll work with any model. The structure matters more than the model—just adjust the tone instructions if your model writes too formally or too casually.
Do I need to rewrite the output every time?
Sometimes. The refund emails and WhatsApp replies usually need no edits. The code review and bug-hunt prompts need me to check the logic. The proposals need one or two tweaks to sound like me. The eBay listings need a quick read to make sure the tone matches my brand.
How long does it take to fill in a template?
Thirty seconds to two minutes. The refund email template is the fastest—I just fill in the name, reason, and amount. The proposal template takes longest because I need to think through the scope and timeline.
What if the output is wrong?
Check it. AI gets things wrong, especially with code and VAT rules. I always read the code review output before I act on it, and I double-check VAT answers with HMRC guidance if the stakes are high. For customer emails and product listings, the risk is lower—worst case, I rewrite one paragraph.
These seven templates handle most of the repetitive writing I do every week. I've saved them in Kryotta's workspace so I can grab them in two clicks, fill in the blanks, and get back to the work that actually needs my brain. If you're writing the same emails, listings, or proposals over and over, steal these prompts and adapt them. They're not magic, but they're faster than staring at a blank screen.
Try them in Kryotta's workspace—you can test all three models side by side and see which one fits your work best.
