# Observe-Only Prompt: Compare Two Charts or Maps

> A reusable prompt that turns two pasted charts or maps into a verifiable list of visible differences, keeping causes and judgement out.

## Install

Copy the content below into your project:

# Observe-Only Prompt: Compare Two Charts or Maps

A reusable prompt that turns two pasted charts or maps into a verifiable list of visible differences, keeping causes and judgement out.

## Start here

You need three things from your own material: **Visual A** (one chart, graph, map or diagram, or a text description of it), **Visual B** (the second one, or its description), and any context you already have such as axis labels, legend text, units or source notes. A focus question is optional.

1. Open an ordinary AI chat that accepts text.
2. Paste the complete prompt (appended below) as one message.
3. Paste VISUAL A, VISUAL B and your context after it, clearly labelled, then send.
4. If you have only one visual, the prompt tells the assistant to stop and ask for the second.

If an image is blurry, cropped, or you paste only a vague description, the assistant is instructed to move that aspect into a "Cannot compare" list instead of guessing. Context you do not paste — units, periods, category names — will not be invented.

## What the prompt produces

The output is a Markdown draft in a fixed order: comparison scope, a differences table with one row per visible difference, a "Cannot compare" list, a "Same or unclear" list, a neutral 2–4 sentence summary, and up to five questions back to you.

| Section | What it holds |
| --- | --- |
| Comparison scope | One or two sentences on what is compared, plus your focus question |
| Differences table | Columns: # / Aspect / Visual A / Visual B / Difference type (structural, scale, data-mark, label, presentation) |
| Cannot compare | Items you could not verify, each with the exact reason |
| Same or unclear | Aspects that look the same, or cannot be told apart |
| Neutral summary | Visible differences only, no causes or judgement |
| Questions for me | Up to 5 questions that would resolve an unclear item |

## Checking the output before you use it

The prompt ends with five review checks for you to run yourself: spot-check at least three table rows by eye; confirm units, periods and category names came from your context; delete any row or sentence that offers a cause, prediction or recommendation; make sure "Cannot compare" is not empty when the visuals are cropped, low-resolution or clearly different subjects; and confirm the summary does not rank one visual above the other.

The prompt also states a fictional worked example (a fictional 2024 bar chart versus a fictional 2025 map, both marked as illustrative, not real data) to show the expected output shape. Treat it as an illustration only.

## Privacy and limits

The prompt works only from what you paste. You decide what to upload; avoid pasting confidential figures or personal data into a service you would not otherwise share them with. The prompt cannot open files, browse the web, or send anything on your side — it only writes a comparison draft for you to review. It is observation-only: it will not explain why a difference exists, rank the visuals, or give medical, financial or legal advice.

source reviewed; runtime not tested

## FAQ

**Can I use text descriptions instead of images?**
Yes. The prompt accepts "one chart, graph, map or diagram, or a text description of one" for each side. If a description is too vague for a specific aspect, that aspect goes to "Cannot compare".

**What if the two visuals cover different subjects?**
The alignment check asks the assistant to state whether subject, category or geography and displayed period match, and to answer "not determinable" instead of assuming. Aspects it cannot tell apart are listed as unclear.

## Source and thanks

Developed as an original TokRepo prompt for the research category. Context reference: [ChatGPT release notes](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>) (reviewed 2026-10-04). The original prompt is licensed CC BY 4.0.

## Complete reusable prompt

You are helping me compare two data visuals that I will paste into this conversation. Work only from what is visible in the two images or descriptions I provide.

INPUT I WILL PROVIDE (paste after this instruction, clearly labelled):
- VISUAL A: one chart, graph, map or diagram, or a text description of one.
- VISUAL B: the second visual, or a text description of one.
- OPTIONAL CONTEXT: axis labels, legend text, units or source notes I am pasting myself. Do not guess these.
- OPTIONAL FOCUS: the specific comparison question I care about, if any.

YOUR TASK:
Produce an observation-only comparison. List what is visually different between A and B. Do not explain why a difference exists, do not infer causes, trends, intent, quality or consequences, and do not add outside facts. If I explicitly ask for interpretation later, treat that as a separate request.

HOW TO COMPARE (in this order):
1. Alignment check: state whether the two visuals appear to cover the same subject, same category or geography, and same displayed time or reference period. If any of these cannot be determined from the visuals, say 'not determinable' rather than assuming.
2. Structural differences: chart or map type, orientation, number of panels, grouping and ordering of categories.
3. Scale and axis differences: axis ranges, tick intervals, stated units, log vs linear where visible, colour-scale direction, and whether scales are shared or independent.
4. Data-mark differences: which categories, regions or series are present in one and absent in the other; differences in bar/line/dot positions or counts that are plainly visible.
5. Label and annotation differences: titles, subtitles, legends, footnotes, source lines and any on-figure callouts, including ones present in only one visual.
6. Presentation differences that could mislead a casual viewer: truncation, missing zero baseline, colour choices, dual axes, or inconsistent rounding of printed values.

OUTPUT FORMAT (Markdown, in this order, no preamble):
- Comparison scope: one or two sentences on what is being compared and the focus question if supplied.
- Differences table: columns = # | Aspect | Visual A | Visual B | Difference type (structural / scale / data-mark / label / presentation). One row per difference. Include only differences you can actually see.
- Cannot compare: bullet list of things you could not verify from the supplied visuals or context, each with the exact reason (for example 'tick spacing unreadable in Visual B').
- Same or unclear: bullet list of aspects that look the same, plus any aspects you cannot tell apart, marked as unclear.
- Neutral descriptive summary: 2 to 4 sentences that state the visible differences without causes or judgement.
- Questions for me: up to 5 short questions whose answers would let you resolve an 'unclear' item, for example missing axis label text.

RULES AND BOUNDARIES:
- Never claim a difference you cannot point to in the supplied visuals or context.
- Never state or imply popularity, traffic, quality ranking or importance.
- Never give medical, financial or legal advice, and never recommend a decision based on the comparison.
- If a visual is too low-resolution, cropped or described too vaguely to compare a specific aspect, move that aspect into 'Cannot compare' instead of guessing.
- Do not fabricate source names, dates, authors or units. Use only what I supply.
- Do not perform any external action: you are only producing a written comparison draft for me to review. You cannot open files, browse, or send anything.
- If I supply only one visual, stop and ask for the second before proceeding.

REVIEW CHECKS BEFORE I USE THE OUTPUT (state these at the end so I can verify):
1. Every difference row should be checkable by eye in the pasted visuals; I will spot-check at least three rows and remove any I cannot verify.
2. Confirm units, periods and category names were taken from my supplied context, not invented.
3. Check that no row or sentence offers a cause, prediction or recommendation; if one slipped in, delete it.
4. Confirm the 'Cannot compare' section is not empty when the visuals are cropped, low-resolution or clearly from different subjects.
5. Verify the summary is purely descriptive and does not rank one visual above the other.

WORKED FICTIONAL EXAMPLE (illustration only, not real data):
INPUT: VISUAL A is a fictional bar chart titled 'Bike lane counts, District 4, 2024' with a y-axis starting at 0 and five labelled streets. VISUAL B is a fictional map titled 'Bike lane counts, District 4, 2025' with the same five streets shown as shaded circles on a 0 to 500 scale. FOCUS: do the two visuals show the same streets?
EXPECTED OUTPUT SHAPE: the scope line names both visuals and the focus question; the table has rows such as 'visual type (bar chart vs map)' under structural, 'scale representation (axis vs colour scale)' under scale, and 'street names present (five listed vs five mapped, match to be verified from labels)' under data-mark; the 'Cannot compare' list notes that exact count values in Visual B cannot be read because the legend is not supplied; review check 1 asks me to confirm the five street names appear in both.

Begin by asking me to paste VISUAL A, VISUAL B and any context, then produce the output above.

## References and reuse

- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

Original TokRepo prompt · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Reference documents retain their own rights.

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# 纯观察式提示词：对比两张图表或地图

一套可复用的提示词，把粘贴进来的两张图表或地图整理成可核对的可见差异清单，排除原因推测与主观评价。

## 开始使用

你需要准备三样来自自己材料的内容：**视觉材料 A**（一张图表、图形、地图或示意图，或对其的文字描述）、**视觉材料 B**（第二张，或它的描述），以及你已有的背景信息，例如坐标轴标签、图例文字、单位或来源注释。对比焦点问题可选填。

1. 打开一个接受文本输入的普通 AI 对话。
2. 把完整提示词（附在下方）作为一条消息粘贴进去。
3. 在其后清晰标注并粘贴视觉材料 A、视觉材料 B 和你的背景信息，然后发送。
4. 如果你只有一张视觉材料，提示词会要求助手停下来，先索取第二张。

如果图片模糊、被裁切，或你只粘贴了笼统的描述，助手会被告知把该方面放进“无法比较”清单，而不是猜测。你没有粘贴的背景信息——单位、时期、类别名称——不会被编造。

## 提示词会产出什么

输出是一份固定顺序的 Markdown 草稿：对比范围、每行一项可见差异的差异表、“无法比较”清单、“相同或不明确”清单、2–4 句中立描述性总结，以及最多 5 个回问你的问题。

| 部分 | 内容 |
| --- | --- |
| 对比范围 | 一到两句话说明在比较什么，加上你的焦点问题 |
| 差异表 | 列：序号 / 方面 / 视觉材料 A / 视觉材料 B / 差异类型（结构、尺度、数据标记、标注、呈现方式） |
| 无法比较 | 无法核对的项目，每项附确切原因 |
| 相同或不明确 | 看起来相同、或无法区分的方面 |
| 中立总结 | 只陈述可见差异，不含原因或评价 |
| 回问我的问题 | 最多 5 个可解决“不明确”项的问题 |

## 使用前如何检查输出

提示词末尾给出五项供你自己执行的复核：用眼睛抽查至少三行差异表；确认单位、时期和类别名称来自你的背景信息；删除任何包含原因、预测或建议的行或句子；当视觉材料被裁切、分辨率低或明显是不同主题时，确认“无法比较”部分不为空；确认总结没有把一张图排在另一张之上。

提示词还包含一个虚构示例（一张虚构的 2024 年柱状图对比一张虚构的 2025 年地图，均已标明为示例，不是真实数据），用于展示预期输出结构。它只是示意。

## 隐私与限制

提示词只依据你粘贴的内容工作。上传什么由你决定；不要把你不愿分享的机密数字或个人数据粘贴给你不放心的服务。提示词无法打开文件、浏览网页，也不会替你发送任何东西——它只写出一份供你复核的对比草稿。它只做观察：不会解释差异的成因，不会给图表排名，也不提供医疗、财务或法律建议。

source reviewed; runtime not tested

## 常见问题

**我可以用文字描述代替图片吗？**
可以。提示词接受“一张图表、图形、地图或示意图，或对其的文字描述”。如果描述对某个方面过于笼统，该方面会被放进“无法比较”。

**如果两张图主题不同怎么办？**
对齐检查会要求助手说明主题、类别或地理范围、以及所展示的时期是否一致，无法判断时回答“无法确定”而不是假设。无法区分的方面会被列为不明确。

## 来源与致谢

本提示词是 TokRepo 为研究类目开发的原创提示词。背景参考：[ChatGPT 发布说明](<https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes>)（2026-10-04 查阅）。原提示词采用 CC BY 4.0 许可。

## 完整可复制提示词

你正在帮助我对比两个数据可视化，我会把它们粘贴到本对话中。只依据我提供的两张图像或描述中可见的内容进行工作。

我将提供的输入（请在本说明之后粘贴，并清晰标注）：
- 视觉材料 A：一张图表、图形、地图或示意图，或对其的文字描述。
- 视觉材料 B：第二个可视化，或对其的文字描述。
- 可选背景信息：我自己粘贴的坐标轴标签、图例文字、单位或来源注释。不要猜测这些内容。
- 可选焦点：我关心的具体对比问题（如有）。

你的任务：
产出一份纯观察性的对比。列出 A 和 B 之间在视觉上不同的地方。不要解释差异为何存在，不要推断原因、趋势、意图、质量或后果，也不要添加外部事实。如果我之后明确要求解读，请将其视为另一个单独请求。

如何对比（按此顺序）：
1. 对齐检查：说明两张可视化是否看起来覆盖相同主题、相同类别或地理范围，以及相同的展示时间或参考时期。如果其中任何一项无法从可视化中确定，请说“无法确定”，而不是假设。
2. 结构差异：图表或地图类型、方向、面板数量、类别的分组与排序。
3. 尺度与坐标轴差异：坐标轴范围、刻度间隔、标注单位、可见情况下的对数与线性、色阶方向，以及尺度是共享还是各自独立。
4. 数据标记差异：哪些类别、地区或系列出现在一张中而另一张中没有；清晰可见的条形、线条或点位置或数量差异。
5. 标签与注释差异：标题、副标题、图例、脚注、来源行，以及图上的任何标注，包括只出现在其中一张可视化中的。
6. 可能误导普通观看者的呈现差异：截断、缺少零基线、颜色选择、双轴，或印刷数值四舍五入不一致。

输出格式（Markdown，按此顺序，不要前言）：
- 对比范围：一到两句话说明正在比较什么，以及若提供的话，焦点问题是什么。
- 差异表：列 = 序号 | 方面 | 视觉材料 A | 视觉材料 B | 差异类型（结构 / 尺度 / 数据标记 / 标签 / 呈现方式）。每项差异一行。只包括你实际能看到的差异。
- 无法比较：用项目符号列出你无法从所提供可视化或背景信息中核对的内容，每项附确切原因（例如“视觉材料 B 中刻度间距不可读”）。
- 相同或不明确：用项目符号列出看起来相同的方面，以及任何你无法区分的方面，并标为不明确。
- 中立描述性总结：2 到 4 句话，陈述可见差异，不含原因或评价。
- 回问我的问题：最多 5 个简短问题，其答案可让你解决某个“不明确”项，例如缺失的坐标轴标签文字。

规则与边界：
- 绝不要声称你无法在所提供的可视化或背景信息中指出的差异。
- 绝不要陈述或暗示受欢迎程度、流量、质量排名或重要性。
- 绝不要提供医疗、财务或法律建议，也绝不要基于该对比推荐某项决定。
- 如果某个可视化分辨率太低、被裁切，或描述过于笼统，无法比较某个具体方面，请把该方面移到“无法比较”，而不是猜测。
- 不要编造来源名称、日期、作者或单位。只使用我提供的内容。
- 不要执行任何外部操作：你只是在为我产出一份供我复核的书面对比草稿。你无法打开文件、浏览网页，也无法发送任何东西。
- 如果我只提供了一张可视化，请停下来，先索取第二张，然后再继续。

使用输出前的复核检查（请把这些放在末尾，方便我核对）：
1. 每一条差异行都应该能通过肉眼在已粘贴的视觉材料中核对；我会抽查至少三行，并删除任何我无法核对的行。
2. 确认单位、时期和类别名称来自我提供的背景信息，而不是编造的。
3. 检查没有任何行或句子给出原因、预测或建议；如果有混入，删除它。
4. 当视觉材料被裁切、分辨率低或明显来自不同主题时，确认“无法比较”部分不为空。
5. 核实总结纯属描述性，没有把一张视觉材料排在另一张之上。

虚构示例（仅作示意，不是真实数据）：
输入：视觉材料 A 是一张虚构的柱状图，标题为“Bike lane counts, District 4, 2024”，y 轴从 0 开始，并标出五条街道。视觉材料 B 是一张虚构的地图，标题为“Bike lane counts, District 4, 2025”，把同样的五条街道显示为按 0 到 500 尺度着色的圆点。焦点问题：这两张视觉材料是否显示相同的街道？
预期输出结构：范围那一行要写出两张视觉材料和焦点问题；表格要有类似这样的行：在“结构”下写“视觉类型（柱状图 vs 地图）”，在“尺度”下写“尺度表示（坐标轴 vs 颜色尺度）”，在“数据标记”下写“出现的街道名称（列出五个 vs 映射五个，是否匹配需从标注核实）”；“无法比较”清单要指出视觉材料 B 中的确切计数值无法读取，因为没有提供图例；复核检查 1 要求我确认五个街道名称在两张图中都出现。

先请我粘贴视觉材料 A、视觉材料 B 和任何背景信息，然后产出上述输出。

## 参考资料与复用

- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · Reviewed 2026-10-04

TokRepo 原创提示词 · [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)。参考资料保留各自原有权利。

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/observe-only-prompt-compare-two-charts-maps-40f37c63
Author: Prompt Lab