Amanda Caswell Unveils 1 'Butter' Prompt to Deepen ChatGPT Research

4 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · May 22

Caswell says a single metaphor-based prompt—asking ChatGPT to do what “butter” does to a recipe—consistently turns competent summaries into fuller analysis with more nuance, patterns and hidden implications.
The prompt explicitly tells the AI to go beyond surface-level takeaways, strengthen weak areas and add context without bloat, addressing what she describes as a common failure of “deep research” prompts.
In tests spanning product comparisons, business research, technical explainers and creative ideation, she says the facts stayed the same but the output became denser, more connected and more useful for decision-making.
The broader point is that users often treat ChatGPT like Google for quick answers, while Caswell argues better results come from directing how the model thinks and layers information.

Does the 'butter' prompt truly add insight, or just create more sophisticated-sounding AI-generated fluff?

Will mastering metaphorical prompts become a more valuable professional skill than traditional data analysis?

If 'butter' adds depth, what's the next simple prompt that could unlock genuine creativity in AI?