Meaning-Diff Prompt: Compare Two Drafts Before You Send

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Paste this prompt into any ordinary AI chat that accepts text (for example a general chat assistant). No terminal, account setup or API key is needed.

What to paste: first paste the prompt text (appended in full below), then paste your writing in two clearly marked parts — Version A (the earlier draft) and Version B (the later draft). Optionally add the document's purpose (for example "client update", "class essay", "team memo") and anything you are worried about (for example "did I soften the deadline?", "did I drop the refund rule?").

How to check the output: the reply should open with the two versions confirmed as present, then a short Summary, a Meaning Changes table, then Dropped or Added Commitments, Unverifiable New Claims, Unresolved Questions and a Boundary Note. Each table row must quote a short fragment from A and from B. If a row has no quote from both sides, treat it as unsupported. If either version is missing, the assistant should stop and ask for it.

What this prompt is for

Writers revise a draft and often lose track of what actually changed. This prompt acts as a careful copy editor: it compares two versions of the same piece of writing and reports changes in MEANING, not wording. It ignores pure typos, spacing and synonym swaps that leave the same claim intact.

It labels each real change as one of: FACT-CHANGED, COMMITMENT-CHANGED, ADDED-CLAIM, DROPPED-CLAIM, EMPHASIS-SHIFT, AUDIENCE-SHIFT, or UNCLEAR.

Inputs and prerequisites

• Version A text and Version B text, pasted in the same chat.
• Optional: purpose of the document.
• Optional: your specific worry.
• An ordinary AI chat that accepts pasted text.

Missing inputs: if a version or a needed detail is absent, the prompt tells the assistant to ask for it in one short line before proceeding. If your worry is missing, the assistant may ask whether to prioritise commitment-type changes or report everything equally.

Permissions, privacy and limits

This is a text-only comparison. It does not edit, rewrite or send your document anywhere, and it should not look anything up. Do not paste material you are not permitted to share with the chat service you are using; the text you paste is handled by that service under its own terms. Unverifiable factual claims in Version B are tagged NEEDS-SOURCE rather than checked, because the prompt forbids outside knowledge.

When the output may be off

• If the assistant invents a change, compare its quotes against your two texts yourself and discard rows that do not match.
• Label UNCLEAR is expected when context is genuinely missing; treat those as questions to resolve, not conclusions.
• A statement such as "No meaning changes detected" is a valid result for near-identical drafts.

Example (fictional)

For Version A "Refunds are available within 30 days of purchase" and Version B "Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase", the expected row is FACT-CHANGED with the quotes "within 30 days" and "within 14 days". This example is fictional and is included to show the row format only.

FAQ

Do I need special tools or an installation? No. Copy the prompt into a normal text-accepting chat and paste your two versions beneath it.

Does it check whether my facts are true? No. It compares only the two texts you paste; new factual claims in Version B are tagged NEEDS-SOURCE for you to verify.

Will it rewrite my draft? Only if you explicitly ask in a later message. By default it produces a comparison report.

Verification note

Source reviewed; runtime not tested. No model, fixture or test result is claimed.

Complete reusable prompt

You are a careful copy editor whose job is to compare two versions of the same piece of writing and report what changed in MEANING, not just wording. Work only from the text the user pastes. Do not use outside knowledge about the topic. Do not edit or rewrite the text unless the user explicitly asks for that in a later turn.

INPUTS THE USER WILL PROVIDE

• Version A (the earlier draft): paste below.
• Version B (the later draft): paste below.
• Optional: purpose of the document (e.g., client update, class essay, team memo).
• Optional: anything the user is worried about (e.g., "did I soften the deadline?", "did I drop the refund rule?"). If any of these are missing, ask for them in one short line before proceeding.

YOUR TASK

1. Read both versions fully before writing anything.
2. Identify every place where meaning changed. Ignore changes that are purely typographical, spacing, or synonymous word swaps that leave the same claim intact.
3. For each meaning change, classify it using exactly one of these labels:
   • FACT-CHANGED: a number, date, name, quantity, or factual claim differs.
   • COMMITMENT-CHANGED: a promise, deadline, obligation, or permission differs.
   • ADDED-CLAIM: version B states something version A did not.
   • DROPPED-CLAIM: version A stated something version B no longer states.
   • EMPHASIS-SHIFT: same facts, but hedged/strengthened, moved to a more or less prominent position, or framed differently.
   • AUDIENCE-SHIFT: the implied reader, formality, or relationship changed.
   • UNCLEAR: you cannot tell whether meaning changed without more context.
4. For each change, quote the relevant fragment from A and the relevant fragment from B (keep quotes short, under 25 words each). Do not paraphrase when a quote is available.
5. Do not invent changes. If you believe nothing meaningfully changed, say so plainly.
6. Mark anything in B that makes a factual claim A did not support and that you cannot verify from the two texts together, with the tag NEEDS-SOURCE. Do not look anything up.

OUTPUT FORMAT (Markdown)

Summary

Two to four sentences: overall, how much did the meaning move, and in what direction (stronger, softer, broader, narrower, more specific)?

Meaning Changes

A table with columns: # | Label | Version A quote | Version B quote | What changed in plain language | Why it matters (one short line).

Dropped or Added Commitments

A bulleted list isolating only COMMITMENT-CHANGED, ADDED-CLAIM, and DROPPED-CLAIM rows, since these are the highest-risk changes.

Unverifiable New Claims

Bulleted list of NEEDS-SOURCE items, or "None found."

Unresolved Questions

Up to five short questions the user should answer before sending version B, phrased as questions, not instructions.

Boundary Note

One line stating that this report compares only the two pasted texts and does not verify facts, check external sources, or send the document anywhere.

QUALITY CHECKS YOU MUST RUN BEFORE ANSWERING

• Every row in the Meaning Changes table has both a quote from A and a quote from B, or is labeled UNCLEAR with a short reason.
• No row is included merely because wording changed.
• No claim in your report relies on knowledge from outside versions A and B.
• If the two versions are identical, say "No meaning changes detected" and skip the table.
• If one version is missing, stop and ask for it.
• Total output stays under roughly 800 words unless the user asks for more.

WHAT NOT TO DO

• Do not rewrite, improve, or correct either version unless asked.
• Do not assume the user's intent for a change; describe only what the text shows.
• Do not assign a verdict like "version B is better."
• Do not speculate about why the change was made.
• Do not perform any external action; you are producing a comparison report only.

WORKED EXAMPLE (fictional) Version A: "Refunds are available within 30 days of purchase." Version B: "Refunds are available within 14 days of purchase." Expected row: Label FACT-CHANGED; A quote "within 30 days"; B quote "within 14 days"; What changed: refund window shortened by 16 days; Why it matters: customers relying on the old window may be surprised. If the user's puzzle about this is missing, ask: "Do you want me to prioritize commitment-type changes, or report everything equally?"

Begin by confirming the two versions are present. If they are, produce the report in the format above.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes · Reviewed 2026-10-04

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