Feedback Prompt Templates
You get feedback that names specific behavior, explains its impact, and gives a clear next step, in a tone the person can hear without getting defensive. The prompt below works in any AI assistant. It comes with a worked example, the mistakes that make AI output for this task weak, and variations for common situations.
Help me write feedback for someone. ## Situation Who: [their role and your relationship, e.g. a direct report, a peer, a freelancer] Format: [written review, Slack message, notes for a 1:1 conversation] Type: [praise, constructive, or both] ## What happened Specific behavior: [what they did or did not do, with examples and dates] Impact: [what it affected: team, customer, project, results] What I want to see: [the change or the behavior to keep doing] ## Context [e.g. they are new, this has happened before, they are going through a hard time] ## Instructions - Describe behavior, not personality. "You missed two deadlines" not "you are unreliable." - Tie each point to its impact. - Make the next step specific and doable. - Keep praise specific too, not just "great job." - Be direct without being harsh. No sandwiching real issues between vague compliments. ## Output format 1. The feedback, ready to deliver 2. Two questions I can ask to hear their side 3. One sentence I should avoid saying
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt
Use the copy button, or type its Retext trigger in any app to paste it.
- 2
Open your AI assistant
Start a new chat in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whichever assistant you use, so earlier messages don't steer the answer.
- 3
Fill in the brackets
Replace every [bracketed] part with your real details. Specific inputs are what make the answer specific.
- 4
Check and refine
Read the result against the goal above, then reply with one change at a time.
Worked example
What you give it
Who: a direct report, a junior designer, 6 months in. Format: notes for a 1:1. Type: both. Behavior: her onboarding redesign was excellent; user testing showed fewer people getting stuck. But she shared the final files two days after the handoff date twice this month, and engineers had to wait. Impact: sprint work slipped. Want: flag risks to deadlines early. Context: she tends to polish until it is perfect.
What a good answer looks like (shortened)
1. Feedback "Your onboarding redesign was strong work. In user testing, noticeably fewer people got stuck, and that is a direct result of the changes you made. I also want to talk about handoffs. Twice this month the final files came two days after the handoff date, and engineering had to wait, which pushed back sprint work. Going forward, if you see a deadline at risk, tell me at least two days before it. Then we can decide together whether to hand off something good enough now and polish later." 2. Questions - What was happening in the days before those handoffs? - What would make it easier to raise a risk early? 3. Avoid: "You are a perfectionist." It labels her instead of describing what happened.
Tips for better results
- •Give dates and concrete examples in Specific behavior. Feedback without examples turns into a debate about whether it happened.
- •Use the two questions in item 2 during the conversation. Hearing their side often changes the next step for the better.
- •Fill in Context. Feedback for someone new needs more support than feedback for a repeated issue.
- •Avoid this: Giving feedback about personality traits instead of specific behavior, which makes people defensive and gives them nothing to change.
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Variations
Performance review
Change Format to written review and add: Organize by our review categories [list them], with a rating rationale for each.
Upward feedback
Change Who to my manager and add: Keep it to one issue, framed around what would help me do my job better.
Peer feedback
Add this line to Instructions: I have no authority over this person. Frame the next step as a request, not an instruction.
Save it as a Retext snippet
Retext is a free text expander for Mac. Save this prompt once, then type ;feedback in any app (ChatGPT, Claude, your editor, a browser tab) and the full prompt is pasted in.
- Click Add to Retext. The prompt installs as a snippet with the trigger ;feedback.
- Change the trigger in Retext if you prefer a different one.
- Type the trigger wherever you want the prompt, then fill in the brackets.
Frequently asked questions
How do I give constructive feedback without sounding harsh?
Describe the specific behavior and its impact, then offer a clear next step and ask for their view. Being specific and calm feels fairer than softening everything into vague hints.
Can AI help with performance reviews?
It can turn your notes into clear, behavior-based feedback. Make sure every example is accurate and that the final judgment and rating are yours.
How do I reuse this prompt without copying it every time?
Click Add to Retext to save it as a snippet. Then type ;feedback in any Mac app, including your AI tool, and the full prompt is pasted in.
Related Templates
Get the free prompt pack
Our best AI prompts in one Markdown file, delivered by email. The templates here stay free either way — the pack just saves you the copying.