Role-Based Prompts: How to Type 'You Are a...' Prompts Like a Pro

What Are Role-Based Prompts?

Role-based prompts start with phrases like:

"You are an expert..."
"Act as a..."
"Pretend you are..."

These prompts consistently produce better AI outputs because they activate relevant knowledge and set appropriate context.

The Anatomy of a Role Prompt

A complete role prompt has three parts:

``` [Role] + [Context] + [Task]

"You are a senior Python developer with 10 years of experience. You specialize in performance optimization. Review this code for efficiency improvements." ```

20 Role Patterns to Practice

Expert Roles

"You are an expert [field] specialist..."
"Act as a senior [job title]..."
"You are a world-class [profession]..."

Experience Levels

"You are a [role] with [X] years of experience..."
"Act as a junior [role] learning the basics..."
"You are a senior [role] mentoring others..."

Specializations

"You specialize in [specific area]..."
"Your expertise is in [niche]..."
"You focus primarily on [specialty]..."

Combined Patterns

"You are an expert [role] who specializes in [area]..."

Common Role Categories

Technical Roles

Software engineer / Developer
Data scientist
DevOps engineer
Database administrator
Security specialist

Business Roles

Product manager
Marketing strategist
Business analyst
Project manager
UX researcher

Creative Roles

Content writer
Copywriter
Creative director
Brand strategist
Editor

Advisory Roles

Consultant
Coach
Mentor
Advisor
Strategist

Typing Tips for Role Prompts

1. Memorize the Starters

These phrases should be automatic:

"You are an expert"
"Act as a senior"
"Pretend you are"

2. Practice Job Titles

Type common job titles until they're reflexive:

"software engineer"
"product manager"
"data analyst"

3. Learn Qualification Phrases

"with X years of experience"
"who specializes in"
"known for"

Example Role Prompts to Practice

Type each of these 3 times:

"You are an expert Python developer. Review this code for bugs."

"Act as a senior product manager. Prioritize these features."

"You are a marketing strategist. Create a campaign for this product."

"Pretend you are a data scientist. Analyze this dataset."

"You are a technical writer. Document this API endpoint."

Start Practicing

Our role-based prompt practice has 20 role patterns to build muscle memory. Type these prompts until they flow naturally.