Make this: A build plan for one useful workflow
A step-by-step process map showing what uses fixed rules, what needs AI, and what a person approves.
Copy the prompt blocks below. Replace every [bracketed field] with your information. The worked example shows how the result should look; it is not your business information.
1. Gather your inputs
One recurring task, its trigger, the systems involved, an actual example, and the result you need.
Open ChatGPT or Claude and start a new conversation. These instructions use ordinary text chat. No coding, connectors, or paid automation setup is required by this guide; account limits vary.
2. Copy, fill in, and send this prompt
Click Copy prompt, paste into the chat box, fill the fields, then send. Include only information you are allowed to share.
Help me scope one workflow before I choose tools.
TASK: [one recurring task]
TRIGGER: [what starts it]
INPUTS: [information available at that moment]
SYSTEMS: [tools we already use]
SUCCESS: [observable result the customer needs]
CONSTRAINTS: [consent, budget, access, owner decisions]
EXAMPLE: [one real or clearly labeled sample request]
Return a process table with columns: step, input, action, fixed rule / AI-assisted / human decision, output, failure handling, and evidence of completion. Use fixed rules for predictable decisions. Use AI only where interpretation adds value. Identify the smallest useful version, requirements still unknown, and a test for each failure path. Do not connect accounts or perform actions. Distinguish a saved record from a delivered message. Explain any choice that adds ongoing cost or maintenance.3. Compare with a worked example
Illustrative input: Task: workshop registration.
Trigger: a visitor submits a form.
Inputs: name, email, workshop selections, newsletter consent.
Systems: website, CRM, email service.
Success: saved registration plus one confirmation with the selected details.
Constraint: do not subscribe people to marketing without consent.
1. Validate form: fixed rule. Reject a missing or invalid email; ask the visitor to correct it.
2. Save registration: fixed rule. Store selected workshops and consent without replacing unrelated CRM tags. Evidence: contact and registration record.
3. Build confirmation: fixed rule. Include details for selected sessions in one email. No AI needed for dates or links.
4. Send once: fixed rule with durable attempt tracking. Evidence: provider message ID; delivery is a separate status.
5. Handle an uncertain send: human investigation. Do not blindly resend after a timeout.
Smallest useful version: one workshop form, saved registration, one confirmation, and visible meeting details on the success page.
Unknown: sender identity, CRM permissions, cancellation handling, and monitoring owner.
4. Fix a weak first draft
Stay in the same conversation so the assistant can refer to its previous answer. Choose the follow-up that matches the problem.
This plan is too complicated. Remove steps that are not necessary to achieve [specific result]. Keep consent, duplicate protection, and failure visibility. Explain what can wait until the first version works.Walk through this failure using the process map: [failure]. Show what the customer sees, what is saved, who investigates, and whether retrying could repeat an external action.5. Finish and use it
Choose one owner for the workflow. Confirm access and costs before building. Test a normal submission, a duplicate, and a service timeout using test data. Save the process map with the evidence required to call the workflow working.
The text file includes the main prompt, example, follow-ups, and finishing checklist. Open it in any text editor.