The Workflow Edit | Practical AI Tool Tutorial
How to Use Monica Without Generic AI Instructions
When you spend hours drafting variations of the same email reply, Monica’s browser sidebar can read each thread and draft a context-aware response — if your prompt tells it what tone and details to include.
Dear Suzannah
Dear Suzannah, I get 200 emails a day and half of them need a real response, not just ‘thanks.’ I spend my whole afternoon drafting replies that all say basically the same thing in slightly different words.
Use a browser sidebar that reads the thread and drafts a reply you can edit in seconds.
The real use case
Draft context-aware email replies from a browser sidebar that reads the full thread, so you respond in seconds instead of composing from scratch.
The tool-specific prompt to use
This prompt is specific to this tool and use case. Paste it in, then replace the bracketed notes with your real details.
Draft a reply to this email thread. Read the full conversation above so the reply references the correct context — do not respond as if this is the first message in the thread. If the sender mentioned a specific project name, deadline, or document, reference it in the reply so they know I actually read their email. Tone: [professional but warm, not stiff, not overly casual, not apologetic]. Length: [3-5 sentences, short enough to read on a phone without scrolling]. Key points to include: [confirm receipt of their request, set expectation on when I will follow up, ask one clarifying question about their deadline or scope]. Key points to avoid: [do not apologize for the delay, do not promise a specific date I have not confirmed, do not use filler phrases like 'I hope this email finds you well' or 'just circling back' or 'touching base']. If the sender asked a direct question, answer it in the first sentence before anything else. If the thread involves multiple people, address the reply to [the original sender, the whole group]. Sign off with: [my name, my title]. Generate the reply text only — no subject line, no quoted original message, no email headers. I will paste it into the compose window and review before sending. Do not include any meta-commentary about the email or the drafting process.
Prompt length: 225 words.
Make the result less generic
- Tell the tool to read the full thread so the reply references prior messages instead of responding like a cold open.
- List specific points to include and to avoid so the reply targets this conversation, not a generic acknowledgment.
- Set the tone explicitly — professional but warm — so replies do not swing between too stiff and too casual.
- Ask for 3-5 sentences so replies stay phone-readable instead of ballooning into full memos.
- Request reply text only (no subject line, no quoted original) so you can paste and send without cleanup.
Quick human check
- Does the reply reference something specific from the thread, or could it be sent to anyone?
- Is the tone consistent with how you normally write — not noticeably different from your own style?
- Does the reply answer the sender’s direct question in the first sentence?
- Are there any filler phrases (‘hope this finds you well,’ ‘just circling back’) that you would not write yourself?
- Is the reply short enough to read on a phone without scrolling?
