How long should a YouTube title be?

Under about 60 characters, or it truncates on mobile where most viewing happens. The front-loaded part matters most, because that is what survives the cut.

Does clickbait actually work?

It raises click-through and lowers retention, and retention is what the algorithm weights more heavily. A title that overpromises brings in viewers who leave quickly, which is a worse signal than fewer clicks.

Which AI model is best for writing YouTube titles and thumbnails?

All of them handle this; what changes is the packaging. This page shows the same prompt written for Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Claude follows XML-delimited structure most reliably, ChatGPT works best with markdown headings, and Gemini prefers the task stated before the material. The content of the prompt is identical in each.

Can I change this prompt for my own situation?

Yes, and you should. Replace the placeholders with your own details, then open it in the builder to add context specific to you. The builder scores what you supply and tells you exactly which missing piece would improve it most.

Why does this prompt include rules I did not ask for?

Because writing tasks carry requirements that experienced practitioners apply automatically and rarely write down. The compiler adds them so the output does not fail on something obvious. Every added rule is listed on the how it works page.

AI prompt for writing YouTube titles and thumbnails

This is a ready-made AI prompt for writing YouTube titles and thumbnails, written for Claude and free to copy. Titles and thumbnails compete in a feed, which pushes everyone toward overclaiming — and a title that overdelivers on the promise tanks retention, which hurts more than the extra clicks help. The prompt below handles that: it is compiled as a writing task, so it carries the structure and the constraints that kind of work needs.

The prompt

Written for Claude. Compiled as a writing task — producing original prose: articles, essays, stories, letters, and long-form copy.

<role>
You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.
</role>

<audience>
This is for {{audience}} scrolling a feed of competing videos. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.
</audience>

<context>
What the video actually delivers: {{content}}. Who it is for: {{audience}}. What similar videos title themselves: {{competition}}.
</context>

<task>
Write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.
</task>

<constraints>
- Every title must be honest about what the video delivers. No bait.
- Under 60 characters so it is not truncated.
- Thumbnail text must be three words or fewer and must not repeat the title.
- Give five options across different angles, not five rewordings of one.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.
</constraints>

<output_format>
Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer.
</output_format>

Now, write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.

Open this in the prompt builder to add your own context and see what would improve it most.

What makes writing YouTube titles and thumbnails hard to prompt for

Titles and thumbnails compete in a feed, which pushes everyone toward overclaiming — and a title that overdelivers on the promise tanks retention, which hurts more than the extra clicks help.

Why this prompt works

Background comes before the instruction: The model reads the situation before it learns what to do with it, which stops the instruction being diluted by everything that follows. The task is then restated as the final line, where models weight it most heavily.
Rules a writing task assumes but nobody writes down: Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence. Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure. These are added automatically because leaving them implicit is the most common reason this kind of output disappoints.

What to replace

Placeholder	What to put there
{{audience}}	Your audience.
{{content}}	Your content.
{{competition}}	Your competition.
{{topic}}	Your topic.

Check the output before you use it

For each title, ask whether the video genuinely delivers it. Cut any that do not.
Check character count. Titles truncate around 60 on mobile.
Confirm the thumbnail text adds something rather than repeating the title.

The same prompt for other models

Identical content, packaged the way each model reads most reliably.

ChatGPT

## Role

You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.

## Audience

This is for {{audience}} scrolling a feed of competing videos. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.

## Context

What the video actually delivers: {{content}}. Who it is for: {{audience}}. What similar videos title themselves: {{competition}}.

## Task

Write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.

## Constraints

- Every title must be honest about what the video delivers. No bait.
- Under 60 characters so it is not truncated.
- Thumbnail text must be three words or fewer and must not repeat the title.
- Give five options across different angles, not five rewordings of one.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.

## Output format

Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer.

Now, write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.

Gemini

**Task**

Write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.

**Role**

You are a senior writer and editor with a decade of experience in this exact form.

**Audience**

This is for {{audience}} scrolling a feed of competing videos. Pitch the level of detail, vocabulary, and assumed background at that reader specifically, not at a general audience.

**Context**

What the video actually delivers: {{content}}. Who it is for: {{audience}}. What similar videos title themselves: {{competition}}.

**Constraints**

- Every title must be honest about what the video delivers. No bait.
- Under 60 characters so it is not truncated.
- Thumbnail text must be three words or fewer and must not repeat the title.
- Give five options across different angles, not five rewordings of one.
- Write in plain, direct prose. Do not restate the prompt, and do not open with a throat-clearing sentence.
- Vary sentence length. Do not begin consecutive sentences with the same word or structure.
- Do not invent facts, statistics, quotations, or attributed opinions.

**Output format**

Respond in Markdown. Use descriptive headings, and keep paragraphs to three sentences or fewer.

Now, write title and thumbnail text options for a video about {{topic}}.

Common questions

How long should a YouTube title be?: Under about 60 characters, or it truncates on mobile where most viewing happens. The front-loaded part matters most, because that is what survives the cut.
Does clickbait actually work?: It raises click-through and lowers retention, and retention is what the algorithm weights more heavily. A title that overpromises brings in viewers who leave quickly, which is a worse signal than fewer clicks.
Which AI model is best for writing YouTube titles and thumbnails?: All of them handle this; what changes is the packaging. This page shows the same prompt written for Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini. Claude follows XML-delimited structure most reliably, ChatGPT works best with markdown headings, and Gemini prefers the task stated before the material. The content of the prompt is identical in each.
Can I change this prompt for my own situation?: Yes, and you should. Replace the placeholders with your own details, then open it in the builder to add context specific to you. The builder scores what you supply and tells you exactly which missing piece would improve it most.
Why does this prompt include rules I did not ask for?: Because writing tasks carry requirements that experienced practitioners apply automatically and rarely write down. The compiler adds them so the output does not fail on something obvious. Every added rule is listed on the how it works page.

Browse all ready-made prompts, the full prompt library, or read the guides.