Source-Grounded Timeline From Conflicting Dated Documents

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Paste this prompt into any ordinary AI chat that accepts text. Then paste your documents underneath it, one per block, using this shape:

DOC-ID: D1 TITLE: DOCUMENT DATE (if known): UNKNOWN TEXT: (paste)

If a document has no DOC-ID, add the ID yourself first — the prompt will ask you to, rather than invent one. To check the output, confirm that every date row names a DOC-ID you pasted, every support phrase can be found by Ctrl+F in your own files, and no cluster silently picks a winner where sources disagree.

What this prompt does

It extracts only statements about dated events, groups them by real-world event, and shows competing dates side by side with the exact source, plus a conflict label. Output has five parts: header counts, numbered clusters, "Documents used", "Could not place", and review questions for you. It is written for research, study and office work where minutes, contracts, logs and clips disagree.

Inputs you need

• At least one dated document in the DOC-ID block shape above.
• A DOC-ID you assign yourself; the prompt will not create IDs, titles, authors or dates.
• Exact wording for relative or partial dates ("two weeks later", "early May") so they stay labelled imprecise.

Permissions and limits

Nothing is sent, filed or published; the chat only assembles a draft you review by hand. The prompt cannot browse or look up dates outside your paste, does not verify completeness, and cannot add events you did not supply — it will refuse. Ambiguous dates like 03/04/2024 are kept verbatim and marked AMBIGUOUS with both readings, not converted. An illustrative example in the prompt is fictional and shows output shape only. Source reviewed; runtime not tested.

FAQ

Can I ask it to just decide the correct date? No. It deliberately keeps every competing date and never chooses a winner; resolution is left to you.

What if I paste no documents? It replies only with the DOC-ID template and stops.

Attribution

Original TokRepo prompt, CC BY 4.0. Reference: ChatGPT release notes, reviewed 2026-10-04.

Complete reusable prompt

You are helping me build a source-grounded timeline from dated documents I paste. Nothing you produce is sent, filed or shared anywhere; you only assemble a draft I will review and edit by hand.

WHO I AM AND WHAT I NEED I have several documents (records, meeting minutes, contracts, news clips, log notes) that mention the same events with dates that do not always agree. I need one chronological timeline where conflicts are shown side by side rather than smoothed away. The output will be pasted into my own notes or report.

WHAT I WILL PASTE Each document should arrive with a short document ID line I assign, in this exact shape:

DOC-ID: (e.g. D1) TITLE: DOCUMENT DATE (if known): (e.g. 2024-03-11, or UNKNOWN) TEXT: (paste)

If my documents have no IDs, ask me to add them before starting; do not invent IDs, dates, titles or authors.

YOUR TASK

1. Read every document and extract only statements that reference a dated event (a thing that happened, a decision, a signing, a change, a publication, a start or stop date). Ignore opinions, forecasts and undated background.
2. Build one timeline ordered by the earliest date any document gives for each event cluster. Group statements that clearly refer to the same real-world event even when their dates differ; if two statements might be the same event or might be two different events, keep them as separate clusters and mark the ambiguity.
3. For each event cluster, show every competing date with the exact document ID, and quote the smallest phrase from the source that supports that date (under 25 words, verbatim, in quotes).
4. If a document gives a date range, a season, a month-only date, or relative wording ("two weeks later"), record it exactly as written and label it imprecise; do not convert it into a precise date unless another pasted document states the conversion.
5. If two documents conflict, present both rows under the same cluster and label the conflict type: (a) different calendar dates, (b) precise vs. approximate, (c) year disagreement, (d) one source undated.
6. Never choose a winning date. If documents differ, both stay. You may add one neutral sentence per cluster describing what would be needed to resolve it (e.g. "a document dated after the repair log").

OUTPUT FORMAT Produce, in plain Markdown:

A. A one-line header: total documents received, total event clusters, clusters with conflicts. B. The timeline as numbered clusters. Each cluster: Number and short neutral label (use only words that appear in my documents; no invented names) Ordered list of date rows, each row: the date exactly as written | DOC-ID | short verbatim support phrase | IMPRECISE / PRECISE / CONFLICT Conflict box: bullet list of the conflicting rows with the conflict-type label from rule 5 Resolution note (optional, one sentence) C. A separate section "Documents used" listing each DOC-ID with its date status: DATED / RANGE / RELATIVE / UNDATED. D. A section "Could not place" listing any dated statements too vague to cluster, with DOC-ID and the verbatim phrase. E. Three to six review questions for me, phrased as checks I should perform myself, for example asking me to confirm whether DOC-IDs D2 and D5 describe the same meeting.

UNCERTAINTY AND MISSING INPUT If a DOC-ID block is malformed or missing, list it under "Could not place" or ask me once for the missing ID rather than guessing. If a date string is ambiguous (03/04/2024), show it verbatim, mark it AMBIGUOUS, and note both readings (month/day or day/month) without choosing. If I paste no documents, reply only with the DOC-ID template and stop. If I ask you to add events not in my documents, refuse and say they are unsupported.

RULES Quote only from my pasted text. Do not add historical context, do not browse, do not infer authorship, do not merge dates, do not round relative dates. Do not claim your timeline is complete or verified. Keep every cluster's support phrases verbatim so I can Ctrl+F them in my sources.

ILLUSTRATIVE FICTIONAL EXAMPLE (for shape only) DOC-ID: D1 / TITLE: Repair log / DOCUMENT DATE: 2024-05-02 / TEXT: "Pump replaced 2024-04-28." DOC-ID: D2 / TITLE: Site memo / DOCUMENT DATE: 2024-05-20 / TEXT: "Pump swap completed early May." Expected shape: Cluster 1, label "Pump replaced": row 1 = 2024-04-28 | D1 | "Pump replaced 2024-04-28" | PRECISE; row 2 = early May | D2 | "completed early May" | IMPRECISE; conflict box = precise vs. approximate; resolution note = a document giving an exact swap date after D2 would settle the sequence.

CHECK YOUR OWN OUTPUT BEFORE RETURNING IT

• Every date row has a DOC-ID that appears in my paste.
• Every support phrase is a verbatim substring of my paste.
• No cluster contains a single chosen winner where documents disagree.
• Ambiguous dates are flagged, not converted.
• Sections B, C, D and E are present and none is empty without explanation. If any check fails, fix it before answering.

BOUNDARIES You are preparing a private draft timeline for my review. You are not publishing, emailing, filing, uploading or scheduling anything, and you cannot look up dates outside what I pasted. After I get your draft, I will verify each support phrase against my originals myself.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.