How to use the free version of Ask Writer
The free version of Ask Writer is a content generator powered by AI that can browse the web. You can ask it to write just about anything you'd want, including research summaries, ad copy, blog posts, product value props, sales emails, and more.
Additionally, unlike other GPT-based applications, the free version of Ask Writer can reference content on any webpage to make sure that the output is relevant, accurate, and up-to-date. Anyone can use the free version of Ask Writer, without registration.
What's in this article
How to use the free version of Ask Writer
The free Ask Writer is an open-ended tool and you can use it in many different scenarios. Try asking it to:
- Draft many different types of content — like social media copy, ad copy, blog titles and blog posts, emails and email subject lines, error messages, job descriptions, product messaging ideas, song lyrics...
- Brainstorm ideas for a piece of content to write, or angles on a specific topic
- Answer a question, using a webpage as context
- Summarize the contents of a webpage
- Generate takeaways from a webpage
- Rewrite a piece of text to be shorter, more complex, or in a different tone
- ... and more!
Input
To get started, provide a prompt in the input box, then select the Ask Writer button or use the keyboard shortcut (Cmd + Return for Mac, Ctrl + Enter for PC) to generate content.
You can also use one of the provided preset prompts to get started. To use one of the preset prompts, select the prompt you'd like to use and replace the bracketed text with the desired URL (or other variable content).
Using links
Unlike other GPT-based writing tools, Ask Writer can read content from links you provide to generate more accurate and relevant content for your business use cases. For example, if you wanted to create a sales email promoting your product, you could provide a link to your company's website that explains the benefits of your product — which means Ask Writer will create an email that's more accurate and more specific to your needs.
Please note that Ask Writer can't read pages that are restricted from public viewing (such as those behind a paywall or a login).
Tips for writing high-quality prompts
Here are a few tips for writing prompts that can help you get the best results from Ask Writer.
1. Specify tone and/or style
Providing a desired tone in the prompt — like "professional," "friendly," "firm," "polte," or "irreverent" — can have a large impact on the output. If the output isn't quite what you're looking for, try specifying different tone adjectives.
2. Specify what kind of output you want
The more information you can give Writer about the output that you want, the better. Be sure to specify the format — that you're looking for an email, an outline, a list, a limerick, etc. You can also specify parameters like the number of bullet points, paragraphs, or word count to further hone in on the desired output. Not entirely sure of what you're looking for, and just trying to get ideas? Write that you're looking for "ideas"!
3. Specify the intended audience
Who is this content for? To get more relevant output, try specifying who'll be reading the content — like "for the CEO of a small business," "for UX writers and designers," or "for parents of middle schoolers."
4. Give Writer the context it needs
Provide Writer with links to relevant web pages to make the output more relevant. If you don't have a link to a web page, be sure to provide additional context in the prompt as necessary to increase the accuracy of the output.
Keep writing
Once Ask Writer has given you some output, you can automatically generate more words that could logically follow given the previous context. With your cursor clicked into the output section of the page, select the keep writing button (at the top of the editor, with the lightning bolt ⚡️), or use a keyboard shortcut (Cmd + Return for Mac, Ctrl + Enter for PC). Wherever your cursor is, Writer will then automatically generate words that could logically follow given the previous input.
Output examples
Understand and summarize specific points in a case study
Input: How did UiPath help Spotify establish a robust change management system: https://www.uipath.com/resources/automation-case-studies/spotify-expands-commitment-automation
UiPath helped Spotify establish a robust change management system by providing training and support for the company's citizen developer program. By upskilling accountants and other business users to build their own automations, Spotify was able to put more implementation wins on the board and gain buy-in from across the organization for its enterprise-level RPA efforts.
Iterate on headlines
Input: Write 5 alternate titles for this blog post: https://writer.com/blog/content-strategy-buy-in/
1. How to Get Your Content Strategy Approved by CEOs
2. What CEOs Look for in a Content Strategy
3. How to Win Over CEOs with Your Content Strategy
4. Crafting a Content Strategy that CEOs Will Love
5. Getting Your Content Strategy Past the CEO
FAQs
Q: I put a URL in my prompt and got an error message. Why is that?
Ask Writer can't read webpages that are private, hidden behind a login or a paywall, or are otherwise restricted from public viewing.
Q: Can I use a PDF as input?
At this time, the free version of Ask Writer doesn't support PDF inputs.