Starting a new AIDular report from scratch every time is slower than it needs to be. Templates let you build a prompt structure once, then copy and tweak it for any new topic in under a minute.
What a Template Actually Is
A template is just a prompt you've written that works well, saved somewhere you can grab it again. It could be a text file, a note on your phone, or a doc you share with your team. The point is you stop reinventing the wheel every time you want to track something new.
Good templates have three things:
- A clear topic (what to track)
- A scope (what counts and what doesn't)
- A format hint (how you want the info laid out)
Once you nail those three, you can swap in a new subject and get a solid report almost instantly.
Step 1: Find a Prompt That Already Works
Think about a report you're currently happy with. Open it, read the prompt you used, and ask yourself: would this structure work for other topics too?
For example, if you track news about electric vehicles and the prompt is working well, the bones of that prompt probably work for tracking any industry news.
Step 2: Strip It Down to the Skeleton
Remove the specific details and replace them with placeholders. Use square brackets to mark the spots you'll fill in later.
Here's a ready-to-copy template for tracking industry news:
Search for the latest news about [TOPIC] from the past [TIME PERIOD].
Focus on [specific angle, e.g. product launches / policy changes / funding rounds].
Skip opinion pieces and social media posts. Summarise the top 3 to 5 developments.
For each one, include: what happened, who it affects, and a source link.
To use this for tracking, say, AI regulation in Europe, you'd fill it in like this:
Search for the latest news about AI regulation in Europe from the past 7 days.
Focus on policy changes and new legislation.
Skip opinion pieces and social media posts. Summarise the top 3 to 5 developments.
For each one, include: what happened, who it affects, and a source link.
That took about 20 seconds to adapt.
Step 3: Build a Small Template Library
You probably track a few different types of things. Make one template per type. Here are four useful ones to start with:
- Industry news (like the example above)
- Price or market tracking ("Find the current price of [ASSET/PRODUCT] and note any changes compared to last week.")
- Job market pulse ("Find new job postings for [ROLE] in [LOCATION] posted in the past [TIME PERIOD]. Note which companies are hiring and any salary info listed.")
- Competitor activity ("Check for any updates on [COMPANY NAME] in the past [TIME PERIOD], including product news, press releases, or mentions in tech media.")
Keep these in one doc. When you set up a new report on aidular.com, you just open the doc, grab the right template, fill in the blanks, and paste.
Step 4: Add a Format Line for Consistent Reports
If you share reports with other people, add a line at the end of every template that tells AIDular how to structure the output. Something like:
Present findings as a numbered list with a one-sentence summary at the top.
This means every report you send looks consistent, which makes it easier for readers to scan quickly.
Step 5: Review and Update Templates Every Month or So
Your needs change. A template that worked perfectly in January might be missing something important by March. Set a quick reminder to glance at your templates once a month and tweak any that are giving you results you don't find useful anymore.
A Quick Note on Sharing Templates
If you use AIDular with a team, your template library is a genuine time-saver for everyone. Drop it in a shared folder so anyone can set up a new report without needing to figure out the right prompt from scratch.
If you haven't set up your first report yet, the Lite plan on aidular.com is free. Build one template today and you'll feel the difference the next time you need to track something new.