PACT
For the writing that has to clear a reviewer before it clears a reader.
What is PACT?
PACT is four slots: Purpose, Action, Constraints and Tone. It is built for the writing that has a second reader — the compliance officer, the legal review, the safeguarding lead — and it is one of the few frameworks that treats "what you may not say" as a first-class part of the brief rather than an afterthought.
Constrained writing fails in two opposite directions and most briefs only guard one of them. Say a forbidden thing and it never ships. Hedge everything and it ships, but nobody finishes reading it — the copy is compliant and commercially worthless. PACT is unusual in holding both ends at once: Constraints draws the line, Tone keeps the writing on the readable side of it. Ask a model for financial copy that "avoids any misleading claims" and you will get four hundred words of throat-clearing; ask it for copy with named bans and a stated register, and you get something a person will actually read.
Where PACT Came From
A modern acronym with no documented author
PACT has no inventor of record. It sits in the pool of short, AI-native acronyms assembled once people had catalogued which parts of a brief get skipped — the same open lineage as RTF, TAG and ICIO. Any page naming a founder has invented one.
Beware the name collisions — they are unusually bad
Searching for PACT is a mess. Pact is a well-known consumer-driven contract testing tool in software. PACT is also Patient Aligned Care Teams in US veterans' healthcare, and the PACT Act is 2022 US legislation on toxic exposure. None of these has anything to do with prompting. If you are looking for prompt guidance, search the expansion rather than the acronym.
Why Purpose and Action are separate slots
The design choice worth noticing. Purpose is the outcome — what changes for the reader. Action is the artefact — what you are actually asking to be produced. Most frameworks fuse these into one Task slot, and under heavy constraints that fusion is exactly where things go wrong: a model that knows the artefact but not the outcome will satisfy every rule and persuade nobody, because avoiding the bans becomes the only goal it has.
The 4 Slots, One at a Time
Each slot is a decision. Leave it out and the model still makes it — just without you.
Write the change you want in the reader, not the thing you want on the page. Because PACT has no separate audience slot, this is also where the reader gets described — name them and name the situation they are in, or the Tone slot has nothing to aim at.
Name the deliverable and break it into countable pieces. Under heavy constraints a model will quietly shorten anything it finds risky, so a block that has no stated length tends to disappear into a sentence.
The heart of the framework, and the slot people write badly. A constraint a person could disagree about is not a constraint. Ban the exact words. Quote the disclosure sentence you require verbatim. And always include a policy for facts you have not supplied — in regulated copy the expensive failure is not a banned adjective, it is a model inventing a rate, a statistic or a clinical claim that reads perfectly and is not true.
Tone is what stops constrained copy reading like a disclaimer. Describe it by comparison to something concrete rather than with adjectives — "closer to a bank statement than an ad" lands where "professional yet approachable" does not — and show one line in the register you want. That single sample is the most valuable thing in the slot.
One Task, Before and After
The task: Product page copy for a regulated savings account. Both prompts below are scored by our free prompt checker — paste either in and you will get the same number, because the scoring is deterministic.
Write some marketing copy for our savings app.
Eight words. You will get "Watch your money grow, safe and secure" — two banned words in the first six, and an invented rate somewhere below.
Purpose: Open a first deposit for UK customers who currently leave their savings sitting in a high street current account, without making any claim a compliance reviewer would have to strike out. Action: Write the product page copy - the hero section and three supporting blocks - a headline, a subheading of one sentence, and three blocks of 40 to 60 words each. Constraints: The rate is variable and can fall. Do not use the words guaranteed, risk-free, safe or secure about returns. Do not promise a specific future balance, do not compare against a named competitor, and do not imply FSCS protection covers investment loss. State the current rate as 'currently 4.1% AER (variable)' every time it appears, and include the sentence 'Rates can change and your rate may go down.' at least once. No urgency devices - no countdowns, no limited time, no act now. Every claim must be checkable against the product facts given here; if something is missing, write it as [PLACEHOLDER: what is needed] rather than inventing it. Tone: Plain, adult and unexcited - closer to a bank statement than an ad. Short sentences. Second person. No exclamation marks and no rhetorical questions. For example, the register should read like this: ``` Your money earns currently 4.1% AER (variable). You can move it out the same day, with no notice and no fee. ```
Eighty-three from four labelled slots. The two moves carrying most of it are the verbatim required sentence and the fenced line of sample register — both are things a reviewer can check with find-and-replace.
Eighty-three, and the missing sixteen points would make it worse
PACT has no Role slot and no Reasoning instruction, which costs it sixteen points against a general rubric. In regulated writing both absences are correct, and the first one is a genuine safety property rather than a shrug:
A persona is actively dangerous here. "You are a world-class direct-response copywriter" is, in effect, a request for urgency, superlatives and implied guarantees — the precise moves the Constraints slot exists to ban. You would be paying eight rubric points to fight your own brief.
No deliberation instruction. A model that thinks aloud about how to phrase a regulated claim tends to talk itself into the phrasing. The rules are supplied; following them is not a reasoning task.
PACT's real structural weakness. There is no audience slot, so the reader has to be smuggled into Purpose. Forget to, and Tone has nothing to calibrate against — see TAG, which spends a whole slot on this.
The habit worth stealing from PACT regardless of framework is the placeholder policy: "if a fact is missing, write [PLACEHOLDER: what is needed] rather than inventing it". Models fill gaps with fluent, specific, wrong detail, and in a regulated context that is the failure that costs money rather than embarrassment.
Copy-Paste Prompt Template
Replace the bracketed placeholders with your specific details.
Purpose: [The outcome you want, and who it is an outcome for — this is the only place the reader gets described] Action: [The artefact, broken into countable parts, each with a size] Constraints: [The exact words and claims that are banned] [Any sentence or disclosure required verbatim] [What must appear instead, so the bans have somewhere to go] [If a fact is missing, write [PLACEHOLDER: what is needed] rather than inventing it] Tone: [The register, by comparison to something concrete — not adjectives] [One fenced sample line written in it]
When PACT Fits — and When It Does Not
- Financial, insurance, health and legal copy that a reviewer signs off.
- Anything written for or about children, where the bans are non-negotiable.
- Brand voice consistency, when the voice is defined partly by what you never say.
- Investor and shareholder communications with disclosure requirements.
- Any writing where you already know the sentences that will get it sent back.
- Unconstrained creative work. With nothing real to put in Constraints, PACT is a worse CO-STAR.
- Analysis and decisions — nothing in the four slots asks the model to think.
- Long structured documents. No slot for sections, sequence or examples: use TRACE or CLEAR.
- Data processing. Use ICIO; PACT constrains what may be said, not what may be emitted.
- Persuasion where the whole job is emotional escalation. Use PAS or AIDA.
10 Ready-Made PACT Prompts
Every prompt below was produced by the Frompting generator with PACT selected — not written by hand for this page. Each is scored by our prompt checker; the median is 86/100. Click one to open it, then copy.
Website copy for a financial adviser 85
You are a professional copywriter specializing in financial services. Create concise, engaging website copy for a financial adviser who must avoid any promises of investment returns. The copy should: - Clearly convey the adviser’s expertise, fiduciary commitment, and the value of personalized financial planning. - Highlight services such as retirement planning, risk management, and wealth preservation without implying guaranteed outcomes. - Include a compelling headline, a brief introductory paragraph, and three short benefit‑focused sections (≈150–200 words total). Do not mention specific return percentages, guarantee language, or any form of performance promise. Use a trustworthy, approachable tone that reflects a [BRAND_VOICE: e.g., professional yet friendly] style and speaks to a [TARGET_AUDIENCE: e.g., high‑net‑worth individuals, families, or small‑business owners]. Assume the adviser complies with relevant financial‑industry regulations; if additional compliance details are needed, state the assumption and proceed. The output must be plain text formatted with clear headings for each section and stay within the 200‑word limit. Quality criteria: (1) compliance‑safe language, (2) clear value proposition, (3) engaging and readable flow. Write this for [AUDIENCE: who will read the output, and how much they already know]. Match the depth, vocabulary and examples to that reader.
A sleep article that gives no medical advice 87
You are a skilled copywriter tasked with creating a blog post that teaches readers how to improve their sleep without offering medical advice. Write a concise, engaging article that follows a single overriding communication (SOC) and supports it with three clear proof points. Structure the content using the AIDA flow: start with a hook that captures attention, provide relatable context to build interest, describe a transformation that creates desire, and end with a low‑friction call‑to‑action that encourages readers to try the non‑medical tips. Emphasize benefits and emotional payoff rather than technical features, and include at least one quantified example or brief case study to add credibility. Do not mention medical diagnoses, treatments, or prescribe any medication or therapy. Avoid any language that could be interpreted as professional medical advice, and stay clear of health‑care regulations. Keep the tone friendly, supportive, and conversational, using plain language that feels like a helpful friend rather than a clinical expert. The post should be approximately **[WORD COUNT: e.g., 800‑1000]** words, formatted in markdown with clear headings for each AIDA section, and include a short bullet list of three actionable sleep‑improvement tips. End with a single CTA inviting readers to share their own sleep‑hacks in the comments. Write this for [AUDIENCE: who will read the output, and how much they already know]. Match the depth, vocabulary and examples to that reader. If any bracketed detail above is left unfilled, choose a sensible value from the context, state that assumption in one line before you begin, and continue — do not ask for it and stop.
App store copy for a children's maths app 86
You are a copywriting specialist for children’s educational apps. Create engaging, child‑friendly app store listing text for a mathematics learning app designed for seven‑year‑old users. The copy must include a concise headline (max 30 characters), a brief description (up to 80 characters), and a longer promotional paragraph (150–200 words) that highlights the app’s core benefits, safety, and fun learning approach. [APP_NAME]: provide the app’s name. [KEY_FEATURES]: list the main features you want emphasized (e.g., interactive puzzles, progress tracking, adaptive difficulty). [BRAND_VOICE]: describe the desired brand voice (e.g., playful, encouraging, trustworthy). Ensure the language is age‑appropriate, uses simple sentences, avoids any mention of competition, pricing, or in‑app purchases, and complies with child‑safety guidelines. Quality criteria: 1. Clear, vivid imagery that appeals to a seven‑year‑old. 2. Consistent tone matching the specified brand voice. 3. No technical jargon; all terms are explained or simplified. Do not include any promotional claims that cannot be substantiated; keep statements factual or clearly aspirational. If any of the placeholders are unknown, state the assumption you are making and proceed. If clarification is needed, ask up to three concise questions before delivering the copy. Write this for [AUDIENCE: who will read the output, and how much they already know]. Match the depth, vocabulary and examples to that reader.
An investor update with no forward-looking statements 80
You are a corporate communications specialist tasked with drafting a concise investor update that strictly avoids any forward‑looking statements. Prepare a brief (≈ 300 words) that: * Summarizes recent operational results and milestones to date. * Highlights key performance metrics and any notable events that have already occurred. * Provides clear, factual information without projecting future performance, plans, or expectations. Include a short opening paragraph that thanks investors for their continued support, followed by two to three bullet points of the most important recent developments, and a closing sentence reaffirming the company’s commitment to transparency. [COMPANY_NAME]: the name of the business issuing the update. [RECENT_PERIOD]: the time frame covered by the update (e.g., Q1 2024). [KEY_METRICS]: the specific performance figures to be reported (e.g., revenue, user growth, profit margin). The update must be written in a professional, clear tone appropriate for a financially sophisticated audience, using plain language while accurately employing any necessary financial terminology. Quality criteria: 1. No sentence contains language that predicts, forecasts, or suggests future results. 2. All statements are verifiable and based on events that have already occurred. 3. The text is concise, free of jargon unnecessary for an investor audience, and reads smoothly. Boundary: Exclude any forward‑looking language, speculative commentary, or promises about future initiatives. If any of the placeholders above are unknown, state your assumption clearly and ask up to three clarifying questions before finalizing the draft.
A job advert that meets equal opportunity rules 73
You are a professional copywriter specializing in inclusive recruitment communications. Create a job advertisement that fully complies with equal opportunity employment regulations. Include the following elements, inserting the appropriate details where indicated: - **Company name:** [COMPANY_NAME: the legal name of the organization] - **Job title:** [JOB_TITLE: the exact title of the position] - **Location:** [LOCATION: city, state, or remote status] - **Key responsibilities:** a concise bullet list of 4-6 primary duties. - **Required qualifications:** a concise bullet list of essential skills, experience, and education. - **Preferred qualifications (optional):** a brief bullet list of desirable but non-essential attributes. - **Equal opportunity statement:** a clear declaration that the employer provides equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. The advert should be written in plain, engaging language suitable for posting on major job boards, limited to **340-450 words** total (including the equal opportunity statement). Quality criteria: 1. All language must be free of any discriminatory or exclusionary terms. 2. The equal opportunity statement must be prominently placed and unambiguous. 3. The tone should be professional yet welcoming, encouraging a diverse range of applicants. Do not include any company-specific benefits, salary ranges, or internal policies unless the user provides them. If any of the required details are unknown, state your assumption clearly and ask up to three clarifying questions before finalizing the advert.
Product copy for a CBD skincare range 87
You are a seasoned copywriter specializing in premium skincare branding. Create a compelling product description for a CBD‑infused skincare range. The description will be used on the brand’s e‑commerce site and must persuade visitors to add the products to their cart. - Write a single, cohesive paragraph of **120–150 words** that follows an AIDA flow (hook, context, desire, call‑to‑action). - Center the copy on one core message and support it with **exactly three** concise proof points that illustrate the emotional payoff of using the products. - Emphasize benefits and emotional outcomes rather than raw ingredient lists; translate any feature into a clear advantage and a feeling the customer will experience. **Constraints** - Do not mention any regulatory status, medical claims, or dosage information. - Avoid generic superlatives; use concrete, vivid language. - Exclude any mention of [BRAND NAME: the specific brand to be featured] unless you receive it. - Omit pricing, shipping details, or inventory information. **Tone** - Warm, confident, and slightly luxurious, with a conversational voice that feels personal yet professional. If any of the required details are unknown, state your assumption and proceed, or ask up to three brief clarifying questions (e.g., target demographic, key benefit you wish to highlight, preferred call‑to‑action phrasing). Deliver the final description as plain text without headings or bullet points. Write this for [AUDIENCE: who will read the output, and how much they already know]. Match the depth, vocabulary and examples to that reader.
An income protection explainer with no personal advice 77
You are an experienced insurance communications specialist. Create a concise, factual explainer on income protection insurance that informs readers about what the product is, how it typically works, key features, common eligibility criteria, and typical claim processes, while strictly avoiding any personalized recommendations or advice. Do not reference specific policies, rates, or providers, and do not suggest that the reader should purchase or avoid any particular product. Exclude any language that could be interpreted as personal financial advice. Write in a clear, neutral tone suitable for a general audience seeking educational information. Use plain language, define any industry terms on first use, and keep the total length between 300 and 400 words. If any essential details (e.g., target jurisdiction, primary audience, or regulatory context) are unclear, state your assumptions and ask up to three brief clarifying questions before completing the explainer. [AUDIENCE]: specify the primary reader group (e.g., “working‑age adults”, “small‑business owners”, etc.). [JURISDICTION]: indicate the country or region whose insurance rules should be reflected. [REGULATORY_CONTEXT]: note any specific regulatory framework or compliance standard to consider.
A school newsletter item on a safeguarding change 80
You are a professional school communications writer. Write a concise newsletter article announcing a recent change to the school’s safeguarding policy. The article should be 305-405 words, written for the school community (parents, staff, and students). Include a clear headline, a brief introduction explaining why the change is being made, a summary of the key points of the new policy, and a call-to-action directing readers to where they can find the full policy or contact the safeguarding officer. [SCHOOL NAME]: provide the name of the school. [POLICY CHANGE DETAILS]: describe the specific amendment or new procedure being introduced. [AUDIENCE]: specify the primary readers (e.g., “parents and guardians”). Ensure the piece is factual, reassuring, and easy to read. Use a warm, supportive tone that reflects the school’s caring environment. Avoid any legal jargon, detailed legal advice, or references to liability. Quality criteria: 1. Clarity - the main change and its purpose are understandable at a glance. 2. Brevity - stays within the 200-250 word limit. 3. Engagement - includes a friendly call-to-action encouraging further reading. If any of the placeholders are unknown, state your assumption and proceed, or ask up to three brief clarifying questions before drafting.
Fintech savings copy with no implied guarantee 88
You are a seasoned fintech marketing copywriter. Create concise, persuasive marketing copy for a savings app that highlights user benefits while strictly avoiding any language that suggests guaranteed returns. The copy should be crafted for a digital audience and must follow a clear AIDA flow: a hook that captures attention, brief context that builds interest, a desire-building segment with a single, quantifiable proof point, and a low-friction call-to-action that creates urgency. Keep the total length between 305-405 words. Do not mention or imply guaranteed returns, investment safety, or risk-free outcomes. Use the FAB+ emotional layer, focusing on the emotional payoff of saving with the app. Include one specific, verifiable benefit (e.g., “Earn up to X % interest on your balance”) and one concise social-proof element (e.g., a user statistic or brief testimonial). Write in a friendly yet professional tone that aligns with the brand’s voice. **Quality criteria** 1. Clear single overriding message with three supporting points. 2. Concrete numbers or specific examples, no vague superlatives. 3. Compliance-safe language that respects the “no guaranteed returns” constraint. If any essential details are missing, state your assumptions and ask up to three clarifying questions before finalizing the copy. [APP_NAME]: the name of the savings app [BRAND_VOICE]: description of the desired brand tone (e.g., upbeat, trustworthy) [KEY_BENEFIT]: the primary benefit to highlight (e.g., high-interest rates, easy budgeting) [CTA_TEXT]: the exact call-to-action phrase (e.g., “Start saving today”) [PROOF_POINT]: a specific, quantifiable proof point or testimonial to include
A supplement page inside advertising rules 88
You are a copywriter tasked with creating a compliant product page for a dietary supplement. Write a full product‑page draft that clearly describes the supplement, its intended benefits, and usage instructions while strictly adhering to advertising regulations for health claims. Do not include any unverified medical claims, absolute guarantees, or language that could be interpreted as a prescription‑only endorsement. Avoid mentioning pricing, discounts, or promotional offers. Ensure the copy fits within a single web page section of approximately 300–350 words. The tone should be professional, trustworthy, and aligned with a health‑focused brand voice that is clear, supportive, and avoids hype. [PRODUCT_NAME: supply the exact name of the supplement] [KEY_INGREDIENTS: list the main ingredients to highlight] [TARGET_AUDIENCE: describe the primary consumer group] [REGULATORY_JURISDICTION: specify the region whose advertising rules must be followed] Include a brief headline, a concise introductory paragraph, a bullet list of three core benefits, a short “How to Use” paragraph, and a concluding reassurance statement. Quality criteria: 1. All health‑related statements are qualified (e.g., “may help,” “supports”) and can be substantiated by publicly available evidence. 2. The copy is free of superlatives such as “best,” “miracle,” or “cure.” 3. The language is easy to read, with no jargon beyond the listed ingredients. If any of the placeholders are unknown, state your assumption and proceed, or ask up to three clarifying questions before finalizing the draft. Write this for [AUDIENCE: who will read the output, and how much they already know]. Match the depth, vocabulary and examples to that reader.
Scores range from 73 to 88. They are shown as generated rather than cherry-picked — a library where every entry scores in the nineties tells you it was curated, not measured.
PACT vs the Alternatives
The nearest relative. TAG spends a slot on Audience and folds tone into Guardrails; PACT does the reverse. Pick TAG when the reader's state of mind is the hard part, PACT when the register is.
Six slots, an Audience slot and a Style slot — better whenever the constraints are ordinary. CO-STAR has nowhere obvious to put a list of forbidden claims.
Three slots and a persona. RTF is the fast everyday choice; PACT is what you upgrade to the first time something you wrote came back from review.
The other four-slot framework, aimed at machines. ICIO constrains the shape of the output; PACT constrains its claims.
What PACT is often deployed against. AIDA optimises for escalation; PACT exists because in some categories escalation is what gets you fined.
Five Ways People Get PACT Wrong
The defining PACT failure, and the same one TAG suffers. "Be compliant, be honest, avoid misleading claims" bans nothing — every one of those is a judgement the model makes for you. Name the words. Quote the sentence. Make it checkable.
The most expensive omission on this page. Left to itself a model will supply a rate, a percentage or a clinical benefit that is fluent, specific and false. One line requiring a bracketed placeholder instead of a guess prevents the whole class.
A long list of prohibitions and no positive requirement produces defensive, flavourless copy. Every ban should be paired with what must appear instead.
The word is close to meaningless and it is the default the model was heading for anyway. Compare to something — a bank statement, a safety card, a note from a colleague — and show one line in the register.
Adding "you are an award-winning copywriter" to a constrained brief is the most common way people undo their own Constraints slot. The persona brings the habits you just banned.
If you cannot name three things the output must not do, the slot fills with filler and you are writing a three-slot framework badly. Use CO-STAR.
PACT Questions
What does PACT stand for?
Purpose, Action, Constraints and Tone. Purpose is the outcome you want, Action is the artefact, Constraints are the hard limits, and Tone is the register the result has to be readable in.
What is the difference between PACT and TAG?
Both give exclusions their own slot. TAG has an Audience slot and no Tone slot; PACT has a Tone slot and no Audience slot. Choose by which of those two is harder to get right in the piece in front of you.
Why does Purpose need to be separate from Action?
Because under heavy constraints, avoiding the bans becomes the model's whole objective unless something else is stated. Purpose is what keeps compliant copy commercially useful — it says what the writing is supposed to achieve, not just what it must not do.
Should I add a persona to a PACT prompt?
Usually not. Persuasive-writing personas carry exactly the habits regulated copy bans — urgency, superlatives, implied guarantees. If you want a persona, make it the reviewer rather than the copywriter.
How do I stop the model inventing figures?
Put it in Constraints as a rule with a shape: any fact not supplied is written as [PLACEHOLDER: what is needed]. It is more reliable than "do not make anything up", because it gives the model somewhere legitimate to put the gap.
Does PACT work for brand voice as well as compliance?
Yes, and it is the better half of the use case for most people. A brand voice is usually defined as much by its bans as by its adjectives, and Constraints plus Tone is a tighter description of a voice than any list of tone words.
Generate a PACT Prompt Instantly
Skip the manual template — Frompting applies PACT to your topic in one click.
Try it FreeFramework Details
| Name | PACT |
| Stands for | Purpose-Action-Constraints-Tone |
| Domain | AI & Prompt Engineering |
| Steps | 4 |
| Access | Pro |