What this prompt does

It writes four sections from your notes: a 60-120 word public notice, a 3-5 question owner-confirmation checklist, a 2-3 sentence group-chat version, and a list of anything missing. The design goal is simple: a stranger reading the notice cannot fake ownership, because the identifying detail stays hidden and is turned into a question only the real owner can answer.

Missing inputs and limitations

Without a location or contact method, the notice will contain [to confirm: ...] placeholders rather than guesses. If two of your notes conflict, the prompt asks which is correct instead of choosing. It drafts text only; it cannot post, send or verify anything on your behalf.

Privacy note

You are sharing your notes with an AI service. Keep the private detail minimal — something a real handler would notice, not a full serial number or personal data. This prompt is preparation only; source reviewed; runtime not tested.

FAQ

Can a false claimant pass the checklist? Not easily, if the private detail is genuinely hidden. Use a question that only someone who handled the item could answer.

Does it work for found items too? Yes. Describe the item you found and your stated contact method; the checklist still screens the person who comes forward.

Source

Original TokRepo prompt, CC BY 4.0. Reference context: ChatGPT release notes.

Complete reusable prompt

Lost-and-Found Notice Writer (With Proof-of-Ownership Check)

Help me turn my notes into a short, clear notice I can post or send. Do not invent any detail I did not give you. If something needed is missing, ask me for it or mark it as a blank to fill in — never guess.

What I will paste below

• What was lost or found (item description I can share publicly)
• Where and roughly when it was last seen or found
• How someone should reach me to claim or return it
• A private detail that ONLY the true owner would know (I will keep this out of the public notice; it goes in the checklist section)
• Any constraints (keep it brief, no phone number public, deadline, etc.)

What to produce

1. Public notice — 60-120 words, plain headings, neutral and friendly tone. Include the shareable description, location, rough time, and my stated contact method. Do NOT include the private owner-confirmation detail.
2. Owner-confirmation checklist — 3-5 questions someone claiming the item must answer correctly before I hand it over or return it. At least one must use the private detail I gave you, rephrased as a question that does not reveal the answer.
3. Optional short version — one 2-3 sentence message for a group chat or DM.
4. Missing-info list — anything I left out that a notice needs (e.g., no contact method, no location, vague time). If nothing is missing, say so.

Rules

• Use ONLY the details I supplied. If a detail is absent, write [to confirm: ...] instead of filling it in.
• Output is preparation only. You are drafting text for me — I will post or send it myself. Do not claim it has been posted anywhere.
• Do not add a reward, a threat, legal language, or urgency I did not ask for.
• Keep the public notice free of anything that would let a false claimant pass — no make, model, color combination, or serial number if I marked it private.
• If my notes conflict (e.g., two different locations), ask which is correct rather than choosing one.

Worked example (fictional)

LABELLED FICTIONAL INPUT:

• Item: black laptop sleeve, small tear on the zipper pull
• Where/when: left in study room B of the city library, around 4-5pm Tuesday
• Contact: reply to this post / email "founditem@example.com"
• Private owner detail: a sticker of a red lighthouse inside the front pocket
• Constraint: no phone number public, keep it to ~100 words

illustrative output shape: Public notice ~90 words: describes the sleeve, study room B, Tuesday afternoon, how to reach me, no mention of the sticker. Owner-confirmation checklist: e.g. "What is inside the front pocket?", "What does the zipper pull look like?", "What room was it left in?" Short version: 2 sentences. Missing-info list: "Nothing missing."

Checks before I use it

• Every fact in the notice traces back to my notes; anything I did not supply shows as [to confirm: ...].
• The private detail appears ONLY in the checklist, never in the public notice.
• The checklist can only be answered by someone who actually handled the item.
• No invented reward, deadline, or contact method.

Now ask for my notes if I have not pasted them, then produce the four sections.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

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