What each part of the prompt does
- Exact names only
- The rule against swapping specific names for generic ones, and against adding names you did not supply, is the core of the prompt. It keeps Claude from guessing a variant or a location that experts in your audience would spot instantly.
- Screen-first opening
- Starting with what is visible ties the caption to the video in the feed. Viewers scrolling with the sound off decide in a second whether the clip is for them, and a description does that better than a hook question.
- Newcomer line
- One sentence of context widens the audience without boring regulars. It is the line that tells a casual viewer why this moment is rare, which is what makes them share it.
- Uncertainty list
- Asking Claude to name what it could not identify turns its doubts into a short checklist. You confirm two details instead of rereading every caption for errors.
Variations to try
Same idea, one thing changed.
Series captions Write captions for a numbered series of videos on my niche channel, where viewers know the subject well and notice every wrong name. Channel topic: [NICHE] Platform: [PLATFORM] What the clip shows, as precisely as I can describe it: [CLIP] Exact names of the models, parts, species, places or techniques in it: [DETAILS] Tone I want: [TONE] Series name and episode number: [EPISODE] Write: 1. Three caption options of two to four sentences each, each starting with the series name and episode number [EPISODE]. Start with what is on screen, not with "Check this out" or a question. 2. Use the exact names from my details every time. Never replace a specific name with a generic word, and never add a name I did not give you. 3. Keep the tone neutral and informative: describe and explain, do not hype. 4. Add one line of context a newcomer would need, such as what makes this moment unusual. 5. End each option with five to eight hashtags: two broad, the rest specific to the exact subject. After the options, list anything in my description you could not identify with certainty, so I can check it before posting.
Long YouTube description Write captions for a video on my niche channel, where viewers know the subject well and notice every wrong name. Channel topic: [NICHE] Platform: [PLATFORM] What the clip shows, as precisely as I can describe it: [CLIP] Exact names of the models, parts, species, places or techniques in it: [DETAILS] Tone I want: [TONE] Write: 1. One YouTube description of 120 to 200 words with a first line that works as the preview text, followed by a short list of what appears in the video. Start with what is on screen, not with "Check this out" or a question. 2. Use the exact names from my details every time. Never replace a specific name with a generic word, and never add a name I did not give you. 3. Keep the tone neutral and informative: describe and explain, do not hype. 4. Add one line of context a newcomer would need, such as what makes this moment unusual. 5. End each option with five to eight hashtags: two broad, the rest specific to the exact subject. After the options, list anything in my description you could not identify with certainty, so I can check it before posting.
If the result isn't right
- Copy names from the source, such as a spec sheet, a field guide or the label in the shot, into [DETAILS]; spelling matters more than length.
- If a caption still sounds excited, add the words you never want to see, like "insane" or "beast", to the tone line.
- Swap one specific hashtag per post and compare reach over a few weeks to learn which tags your audience follows.