Four-angle research

When to use it

Before a purchase or choice that's hard to undo: software, a contractor, a school, a vehicle. Turn web search on first; without it the AI works from memory, which may be out of date.

The prompt

Fill in the parts in square brackets, then paste it.

Paste this in

I need to decide on [the decision, e.g. bookkeeping software for my three-person business]. My situation: [budget, who will use it, what I use now, deadline, must-haves]. Today is [date].

If you can't search the web in this chat, tell me before you start, and don't research from memory.

Research it from four angles, one at a time. For every finding, give a link, the date of the source if it shows one, and a confidence label: HIGH (official or primary source), MEDIUM (several reputable sources agree) or LOW (one source, or only your background knowledge).

1. OPTIONS: the main current choices, and which are worth a serious look for someone like me.
2. FEATURES: what's a must-have, what makes one stand out, and what to deliberately avoid (traps, upsells, features that cause trouble).
3. FIT: how each serious option fits my situation: cost over a year, setup effort, and what changes for the people using it.
4. PITFALLS: the common mistakes and regrets people report, and how to avoid them.

Then pull it together:
- Your recommendation for me and why, in three sentences
- The option to avoid, and why
- What you're unsure about, and how I could find out
- Questions to ask the seller before I commit

If you can't find something, say "not found", not "doesn't exist". Never invent a product, price, review or source. Recommend; don't just list.

Then send something like this

A first message

I need to decide on a booking and scheduling tool for my two-chair hair salon in Brunswick, Maine. Budget under $60 a month. My stylist and I both use it, clients book from their phones, and today we use a paper book. I want it running by January 1. Today is October 24, 2026.

Be careful

Web search must be on. Without it, prices, plans and features may be out of date or made up.
Open the links. Check that each source says what the answer claims, and look at its date. See Research with receipts.
Treat reviews and reported regrets as signals, not facts. Confirm anything that decides it with the seller, in writing.

Where to paste it

Menus change, so look for the words below rather than an exact path. Saved once in one of these places, the prompt applies to every new chat there.

ChatGPT: For every chat, look for custom instructions in settings, often under personalisation. For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. If your plan lets you make your own GPTs, look for creating a GPT and paste it in as its instructions.
Claude: For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. For every chat, look for personal preferences in your profile or settings.
Gemini: Look for Gems: make a Gem and paste it in as its instructions. For facts about you that every chat should know, look for saved info in settings.
Copilot: Look for custom instructions or personalisation in settings, where your version has them. Where it doesn't, paste it as the first message of a new chat.

Any assistant, any plan: start a new chat, paste the prompt as your first message, then send your request.

Goes with the $25 webinar on Tuesday, November 10, 2026: When AI is wrong, and how to tell. Its reading list is in the Library.

No sign-up, and this page sends nothing you do anywhere.

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