Copy-paste prompts for generating optimized metadata with ChatGPT, Claude, and multimodal AI tools — organized by platform and use case, with example outputs and a full variables reference.
Last updated: April 17, 2026 · 54 prompts · 9 platforms covered
AI tools have transformed how creators write metadata — but most people use them wrong. They paste a vague request like "write YouTube tags for my video" and get generic output that won't rank for anything. The difference between AI metadata that works and AI metadata that doesn't comes down almost entirely to prompt quality.
This library covers 9 major platforms with 4–6 ready-to-use prompts each. Every prompt is engineered for the specific constraints, algorithms, and best practices of its platform. Variables are called out explicitly so you can customize without breaking the prompt's structure. Each section includes example outputs and notes on what makes prompts work for that platform's algorithm.
For automated metadata generation without manual prompting, see Metadata Reactor's platform tools — they apply these prompt patterns automatically based on your input. For a breakdown of each platform's full metadata requirements, see the Content Types by Platform guide.
A metadata prompt is not the same as a content prompt. When you ask AI to write a blog post, the AI has almost unlimited flexibility — tone, structure, length, angle. When you ask AI to write Etsy tags, you have 13 slots, 20 characters per tag, and an algorithm that weights exact phrase matches differently from stemmed matches. The constraints are precise, and an AI that doesn't know those constraints will output something technically valid but practically useless.
The failure mode looks like this: you ask for "YouTube tags for a video about making sourdough bread." You get tags like: bread, baking, sourdough, recipe, cooking, food, homemade, diy, kitchen, tips. Single-word tags. Zero specificity. No long-tail phrases. Nothing a real searcher types. The problem isn't the AI — it's the absence of constraints in the prompt.
A well-engineered metadata prompt includes five elements:
Every prompt in this library is built around those five elements. The variables (shown as [VARIABLE]) are where you insert your specific information. The surrounding structure should remain intact — it's what makes the output platform-appropriate.
Model recommendation: These prompts work with ChatGPT (GPT-4o), Claude 3.5 Sonnet or newer, and Google Gemini Pro. For image-analysis prompts, you need GPT-4o with vision, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, or Gemini 1.5 Pro. Text-only prompts work in any current frontier model.
You describe your content in words; the AI generates metadata from that description. Works in any chat interface. Best when you have a strong sense of your content's keywords and angle. Requires you to write accurate, detailed descriptions — what you put in determines what you get out.
You upload an image alongside the prompt; the AI analyzes what it sees and generates metadata from visual content. Catches attributes you'd miss — composition, lighting style, color palette, background details, mood. Particularly powerful for stock photography and visual product listings.
For most platforms, text-only prompts are sufficient — especially for YouTube (you're describing video content), Etsy (you know your product), and social media (you know your post's subject). Image-analysis prompts shine for Adobe Stock, Shutterstock, and Redbubble, where exhaustive visual keyword coverage directly determines visibility.
Throughout this guide, prompts are labeled with TEXT or IMAGE so you know which model capability each requires.
Pro tip: For product listings on Etsy, Amazon, or Redbubble, combine both approaches: start with an image-analysis prompt to extract all visual attributes, then feed that output into a text-based listing prompt to structure it into proper metadata fields.
YouTube's algorithm is primarily a watch-time and engagement system. Metadata matters for initial discovery — helping YouTube understand your video's topic so it can surface it to relevant viewers in search and suggestions. Tags are a secondary signal; titles and descriptions are primary. Your title should hook the human viewer first; your description should inform the algorithm about topic depth. See the YouTube SEO Complete Guide for deep context on ranking factors.
What makes YouTube prompts work: Include your target keyword explicitly (YouTube's algorithm matches this against search queries). Specify tone — "educational," "entertaining," "controversial" changes how a title reads. Include your niche terminology — generic terms like "productivity" rank differently than "Notion second brain."
1. How to Build a Second Brain in Notion (Step-by-Step) — 54 chars
2. Why Your Notion Setup Is Failing You (And How to Fix It) — 58 chars
3. 7 Notion Databases That Changed How I Think and Work — 54 chars
4. Build Your Second Brain in Notion: The Complete 2026 Guide — 59 chars
5. What Nobody Tells You About Notion Second Brain Systems — 57 chars
Generate YouTube titles, descriptions, tags, and chapter timestamps automatically — no manual prompting needed.
Try YouTube Metadata Tool FreeInstagram's algorithm uses captions and hashtags to classify content and match it to interested audiences. The first 125 characters of a caption appear before "more" in feed — treat this like a headline. Hashtags guide distribution; the algorithm also reads caption text for semantic relevance. For Reels, the first line of caption text is especially influential for initial FYP distribution.
What makes Instagram prompts work: Specify your account size — hashtag strategy differs for accounts under 5K, 5K–50K, and 50K+ followers. Include your aesthetic/style vocabulary (e.g., "dark moody," "airy bright," "brutalist") so the AI generates copy that fits your visual brand. Always describe the actual image — the AI cannot see it.
Stop planning your day wrong — here's the 3-block system that cleared 2 hours from my schedule.
Most people create to-do lists and then spend all day deciding what to do next. Time blockers create appointments with themselves — work gets a slot, not a wish. The 3 blocks: deep work, reactive work, personal. That's it. Nothing lives outside those three.
Save this for next Sunday's planning session. #timeblocking #productivityhacks #calendarblocking #deepwork
Generate Instagram captions and hashtag sets tailored to your niche and follower size.
Try Instagram Metadata Tool FreeTikTok's FYP algorithm is primarily driven by completion rate, rewatches, and shares — not by metadata. However, captions and hashtags signal content classification, and TikTok's search function (increasingly used as a discovery mechanism, especially by Gen Z) does index caption text for keywords. The first line of a TikTok caption is visible in feed — it should act as a hook, not a label.
Etsy's Cassini algorithm has specific rules: titles and tags are the primary search signals; descriptions are NOT heavily indexed for Etsy search but ARE indexed by Google. The first 40 characters of a title are the most-indexed. Tags must be multi-word phrases (single words waste slots). Use all 13 tags every time. Front-load your most competitive keywords. See the Etsy SEO Guide for full ranking context.
What makes Etsy prompts work: Always describe the product in full detail — material, style, size, occasion, intended recipient, aesthetic. Etsy buyers search with purchase intent; your metadata should match buyer language ("gift for mom" not "maternal gift").
1. cottagecore mug (15)
2. ceramic coffee cup (19)
3. handmade pottery (17)
4. floral stoneware (17)
5. gift for tea lover (19)
6. cozy home decor (16)
7. rustic kitchen gift (20)
8. boho mug gift (14)
9. nature lover gift (18)
10. unique coffee mug (19)
11. aesthetic mug (14)
12. birthday gift mug (19)
13. earthy tones mug (18)
Generate Etsy titles, tags, and descriptions optimized for Cassini's ranking algorithm in seconds.
Try Etsy Metadata Tool FreeAmazon's A9/A10 algorithm rewards relevance and conversion rate. The title is the highest-weighted field for search matching; bullet points (called "key product features") are the primary conversion tool. Backend search terms (250 bytes) are hidden from buyers but indexed — use them for synonyms, misspellings, and long-tail variants not in visible copy. Never repeat terms already in your title in the backend keywords field; Amazon already indexes those.
Pinterest is fundamentally a visual search engine. Users search with planning intent — "living room decor ideas," "easy weeknight recipes," "Notion templates for students." Pin titles and descriptions are both indexed for search. Board titles and descriptions also contribute to discoverability. Use 2–5 hashtags (Pinterest's own recommendation); more dilutes relevance. Pin content has a very long half-life — optimize thoroughly since each pin can generate traffic for years.
Adobe Stock is one of the most keyword-sensitive platforms in this guide. You have up to 50 keywords to describe an image — and because buyers search with specific creative briefs, exhaustive keyword coverage wins. Think not just about what's in the image, but mood, style, color palette, composition, use case, and buyer persona. Image analysis AI is especially powerful here since it catches visual attributes you'd miss when describing from memory. See the Adobe Stock Complete Guide for contributor optimization depth.
What makes Adobe Stock prompts work: The more detailed your visual description (or the more detailed the AI's image analysis), the more keyword angles it can generate. Always aim to cover: subject, action, setting, lighting style, color palette, composition terms, mood/emotion, and commercial use cases in every submission.
Generate Adobe Stock keywords and titles from image uploads or text descriptions — optimized for the 49-keyword limit.
Try Adobe Stock Metadata Tool FreeRedbubble's search indexes title, tags, and description. Google also indexes Redbubble listings, which means strong description copy can drive external organic traffic. Use all 15 tags — they're indexed by Redbubble internally and pulled into Google's crawl of your listing. Focus on the design's aesthetic, theme, audience, and occasion. Design-specific vocabulary matters more here than on most platforms.
Shutterstock follows similar keyword logic to Adobe Stock but has a stricter approach to accuracy. The platform uses its own AI-driven image analysis alongside contributor keywords — inaccurate keywords can cause ranking demotion. Up to 50 keywords; titles should be factual and descriptive, not promotional. Shutterstock also asks contributors to confirm editorial status for images depicting identifiable people, events, or branded locations.
Every prompt in this library uses placeholders in [BRACKETS]. This table defines each variable, what it means, and what a strong vs. weak value looks like. The quality of your output is directly proportional to the specificity of your variable values — this is the most leveraged thing you can optimize.
| Variable | Definition | Weak Version (generic output) | Strong Version (optimized output) |
|---|---|---|---|
[NICHE] |
Your content category or market vertical | lifestyle | productivity for remote workers and freelancers |
[AUDIENCE] |
Specific description of who your content targets | young people | women 25–40 building side businesses while working full-time jobs |
[TONE] |
Voice and communication style | professional | conversational and direct, occasional dry humor — no corporate speak, no fluff |
[TARGET KEYWORD] |
Primary search phrase you want to rank for | digital marketing | email list building for beginners 2026 |
[SECONDARY KEYWORDS] |
Supporting or related keyword phrases | marketing, email | email newsletter strategy, grow email subscribers, ConvertKit tutorial, lead magnet ideas for coaches |
[AESTHETIC] |
Visual or brand style vocabulary | pretty | dark academia — muted greens, leather textures, candlelight, vintage stationery, earthy neutrals |
[FOLLOWER COUNT] |
Account size for hashtag strategy calibration | small account | 8,200 followers — growing mid-tier account in the home organization niche |
[OCCASIONS] |
Events/moments this content or product fits | gifts | birthday gift, Mother's Day, housewarming present, teacher appreciation, self-gift |
[MATERIALS] |
Product materials for marketplace prompts | ceramic | hand-thrown stoneware fired at cone 10, matte glazed in forest green and cream, food-safe, dishwasher safe |
[TOPIC SUMMARY] |
2–3 sentence overview of your video/post | about Notion | Step-by-step tutorial for building a personal knowledge management system in Notion using linked databases and daily journal templates — designed for beginners overwhelmed by blank pages |
[CONTENT THEME] |
Recurring subject matter across your account | food | high-protein meal prep for athletes — 30-minute recipes under 500 calories with full macro breakdowns |
[FORMAT] |
Video or post format type | tutorial | screen-recording tutorial with voiceover, structured as: problem statement → why it happens → step-by-step fix → result |
Build your prompt variables document: Create a text file with your niche, audience, tone, aesthetic, and recurring keyword list pre-filled. Before using any prompt from this guide, paste your variables in. This 2-minute setup eliminates repetitive re-entering and ensures consistent output quality across every piece of metadata you generate.
| Platform | Most Critical Variable | Why It Matters Most Here |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | [TARGET KEYWORD] |
YouTube uses it for initial content classification and search query matching — it must reflect actual searcher behavior |
[FOLLOWER COUNT] |
Hashtag tier strategy (small/mid/large hashtags) calibrates entirely to account size — wrong calibration = invisible posts | |
| TikTok | [FORMAT] |
Caption hook style, CTA type, and on-screen text approach differ significantly by video format |
| Etsy | [OCCASIONS] |
Etsy buyers search by occasion more than any other variable — occasion keywords drive the highest purchase-intent tags |
| Amazon | [PRIMARY KEYWORD] |
Must appear in the first 80 chars of the title; A9 weights title keyword position heavily for initial search placement |
| Adobe Stock | [INTENDED USE CASES] |
Commercial use-case keywords (website hero, print ad, social media campaign) attract buyers with active client briefs |
[COMMON SEARCH PHRASES] |
Pinterest is a search engine — aligning with actual search behavior is the entire organic strategy | |
| Redbubble | [AESTHETIC] |
Design aesthetic keywords are the primary differentiator — buyers search by aesthetic community (kawaii, dark academia, etc.) |