A Prompt Template to Generate the Best Result from ChatGPT Deep Research (by ChatGPT)

For someone too cheap to pay for ChatGPT’s $20/month subscription, I only have fewer than 5 times of deep research each month. And I want to take great advantage of that. So, I asked ChatGPT how to best do it. And here are the results (feel free to copy the prompts).

Quick principles (what makes a prompt work)

• Be concrete about the goal. Say exactly what decision or product you want from the research (e.g., “a 2-page investor memo”, “top 10 content ideas with search volumes”, “market sizing for US manufactured homes 2025”).
• Set the scope & recency. State geography, industries, date range, and whether to use only public sources or proprietary files you’ll attach.
• Request deliverables & format. Tell me the exact outputs you want (bullet lists, tables, CSV, slide deck, TL;DR + detailed findings).
• Name constraints and preferences. E.g., prefer academic sources, include news links, avoid paywalled content, or require citations.
• Tell me how to evaluate success. e.g., “I can act on this without more data” or “I need a reproducible method and data sources.”

Mandatory pieces for your initial deep-research prompt

1. Objective — one sentence: what decision/action this supports.
2. Deliverables — list outputs and formats (e.g., “executive summary (200 words), detailed report, bibliography with links, 1-page action plan”).
3. Scope & constraints — geography, time period, industries, excluded items.
4. Priority questions — top 3–6 questions you want answered.
5. Sources / evidence rules — prefer scholarly, include Google Maps, include X, avoid Y, require citation format.
6. Data you’ll attach — mention files (CSV, transcripts) and their structure.
7. Level of depth & tone — high-level + supporting numbers, or step-by-step playbook; tone: investor memo, blog post, technical.
8. Deadline/recency requirement — “include data up to Aug 2025” (use absolute dates).

Useful extras (make the product much better)

• Example audience (VC, content writer, local gov official).
• Comparable companies or benchmarks to analyze.
• Keywords / competitors you care about.
• Metrics you care about (TAM, CAC, LTV, search volume, # of skateparks).
• Preferred citation style (links inline, numbered list, or endnotes).
• If you want assumptions listed and sensitivity ranges.

Templates (copy / paste & fill in)

Objective: [One sentence — decision this supports]
Deliverables:
– Executive summary (150–250 words)
– Deep report (3–6 pages) answering Qs below
– 1 excel/CSV with data points and sources
– 5 tactical recommendations and next steps

Scope & constraints:
– Geography: [e.g., US only]
– Time range: [e.g., 2018–Aug 26, 2025]
– Sources to prefer: [e.g., gov data, industry reports, Google Maps]
– Sources to avoid: [e.g., paywalled academic journals]
– Use only public sources unless I attach files.

Priority questions:
1) [Q1]
2) [Q2]
3) [Q3]
(etc.)

Data attachments: [list files you will upload or paste — format & column names]

Audience: [e.g., early-stage investors]

Tone & depth: [e.g., investor memo with numbers and citations]

Evaluation: I will consider this successful if I can [action you’ll take]

Other notes / constraints: [e.g., max 2000 words, include top 10 competitors]

Example — manufactured-home market research

Objective: Create a 4–5 page executive industry briefing to evaluate whether starting a media + investment research firm focused on manufactured homes is viable.

Deliverables:
1. Executive summary (200–300 words)
2. Detailed report (4–5 pages) covering:
– Market overview, TAM/SAM/SOM (US, 2025) with sources
– Value chain mapping (manufacturing, financing, retail, park ownership, aftermarket services)
– Key players (top 20+ globally and in the US) with revenues, HQ, segments, and 1-sentence differentiation
– Growth drivers and risks (economic, regulatory, reputational)
– 3–5 investment or media business opportunities (e.g., newsletters, data products, events, deal origination)
3. Data table (Excel/CSV) with company list: Name | HQ | Revenue (est.) | Segment | Source link
4. Action plan: 5 next steps (datasets to buy, contacts, possible first products)
5. Weakness analysis: 5 assumptions or blind spots to challenge

Scope & Constraints:
– Geography: US & Canada, with global context for leading players
– Timeframe: market data up to Aug 2025
– Prefer sources: gov data (HUD, Census), industry associations, public filings, reputable industry media
– Avoid paywalled academic journals unless summaries exist
– Provide direct links/citations for all claims

Priority Questions:
1. What is the size and trajectory of the US manufactured home market (2025)?
2. Who are the leading players across the value chain?
3. What are the structural opportunities for a business media + investment research firm?
4. What regulatory or reputational factors matter most?
5. What datasets/KPIs would be critical for building data products?

Audience: Industry practitioners across the manufactured housing value chain, primarily executives (director-level and above) with decision-making and purchasing authority.
Tone & Depth: Executive industry briefing — authoritative, data-driven, and practical.
Evaluation: I should be able to use this briefing to (a) understand the market landscape, (b) identify monetizable gaps in industry information, and (c) design a first-step go-to-market for a media/research product.

Other Notes:
– Include charts or simple diagrams where useful
– Use bullet points for clarity in lists