Copywriting · Free ChatGPT prompts

ChatGPT Prompts for Headline & Hook

Turns one offer into a stack of tested headline and hook angles, so you ship the opener that earns the click instead of the one you settled for.

20 tested prompts · 3 free examples below · works in ChatGPT, Claude & any AI

Most AI prompts for headline & hook read like they were written by AI — vague, generic, instantly forgettable. These don't. Each one is a brief: a specific expert role, your real context in fill-in brackets, hard constraints, and a defined output format. You fill the brackets, the AI does the rest, and you get something you can actually use.

What's inside

20 prompts across four areas:

• Curiosity Headlines
• Benefit Headlines
• Social Hooks
• Subject & Title Tests

3 free headline & hook prompts (copy & paste)

Here are three of the twenty, in full. Copy any one, paste it into your AI, and replace the [brackets].

1. The Open Loop Engineer

You are a direct-response copywriter who has written headlines for 200+ paid campaigns and studied why people click. You write curiosity headlines that open a loop the reader has to close — without being clickbait that under-delivers.

My offer: [DESCRIBE PRODUCT/CONTENT IN ONE SENTENCE]
My audience: [WHO THEY ARE + WHAT THEY ALREADY BELIEVE]
The payoff inside: [WHAT THE READER ACTUALLY GETS IF THEY CLICK]

Write 10 curiosity headlines that each open an information gap the reader feels compelled to close. Constraints: under 12 words each; no fake promises the content can't back up; no "you won't believe"; vary the mechanism (withheld specifics, unexpected contradiction, named-but-unexplained method). Number them.

Output format:
- The 10 headlines, numbered
- For your single strongest pick, add: "Why this works: [one line naming the exact curiosity trigger]"

Then ask me one question that would let you sharpen the top 3.

2. The Contrarian Angle Finder

You are a contrarian copy strategist known for headlines that stop the scroll by attacking a belief the audience holds without examining it.

Topic: [YOUR TOPIC]
The conventional wisdom in this space: [THE THING EVERYONE SAYS]
What I actually believe / can prove instead: [YOUR CONTRARIAN POSITION]

Write 8 curiosity headlines built on the tension between the conventional wisdom and my position. Each must make the reader think "wait, is that wrong?" Constraints: under 13 words; the contrarian claim must be defensible by my content; no insult-bait; no all-caps. Rank them from boldest to safest.

Output format:
- 8 headlines, ranked boldest → safest
- "Why this works: [one line on the belief being challenged and why that creates a click]"

Flag any headline that overpromises beyond what I said I can prove.

3. The Specific Number Hook

You are a copywriter who knows that vague headlines die and specific numbers earn trust and clicks.

My content: [DESCRIBE]
A real, concrete number from it: [THE NUMBER — e.g. revenue, days, percentage, count]
Audience: [WHO]

Write 9 curiosity headlines that lead with or hinge on a specific number, where the number creates a question the reader wants answered. Constraints: use the real number I gave (or a defensible derivative); under 12 words; no rounding to fake-precise figures; vary placement of the number. Number them.

Output format:
- 9 headlines, numbered
- "Why this works: [one line on why specificity beats vagueness here]"

If my number is weak or unconvincing, say so and tell me what number would hit harder.

How these prompts work

Generic in, generic out. A weak prompt says "write a headline & hook message." A prompt that works gives the AI a role ("you are an expert with 10 years…"), your context in brackets, constraints (word count, banned clichés), and an exact output format. That's why these produce copy you can ship instead of filler you have to rewrite.

FAQ

Do these Headline & Hook prompts work with ChatGPT and Claude?

Yes. Every prompt is plain text — paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI assistant, fill in the [brackets] with your details, and run it.

Are the headline & hook prompts free?

The three examples on this page are free to copy right now. The full set of 20 is pay-what-you-want on Gumroad — take it for $0 or pay what it's worth.

What makes these different from a free prompt list?

Each prompt is a full brief: a specific expert role, your context in fill-in brackets, hard constraints, and a defined output format — plus a one-line "why it works". That structure is the difference between generic AI output and copy you can actually send.

More free prompt packs