# Prompt: get your product into the “best tools” lists that AI answers cite

AI answers lean on a small set of “best tools” articles. Many are written by vendors who will never add a rival; others are independent and update their lists. This prompt separates the two and writes a pitch that gives the author a real reason to look.

- Source: https://useneedle.net/prompts/listicle-inclusion-pitch
- Run in: Any AI chat (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity)
- Last reviewed: 2026-11-06

## Prompt

````text
Help me get my product included in "best tools" articles that AI assistants cite for my category.

My product: {{name, one sentence, price, and who it is for}}
What makes it different, in facts I can prove: {{2-3 facts, e.g. a feature others lack, a price, a measured result}}

The articles (for each: URL, title, last-updated date if shown, the tools it lists, and the author or company):
"""
{{paste the list}}
"""

1. Sort the articles into:
   - Skip: written by a vendor that ranks its own product first, or a page that sells placements
   - Pitch: an independent author, publication or agency that updates the list
   - Unclear: say what I should check by hand
2. For each "Pitch" article, find the gap: a type of buyer or a use case the list misses that my product genuinely covers. If there is no real gap, move it to Skip.
3. Write a pitch for each "Pitch" article: under 120 words, addressed to the author by name if I gave it, mentioning the specific article, the gap, one or two of my facts, and an offer of a free account to test. Say plainly that there is no payment or link exchange and that it is their call.
4. List what I should verify before sending: the author's contact route, whether the article was updated recently, and whether my product is already listed.

Do not invent facts about my product, the articles or their authors. Use only what I gave you.

Last step: after your answer, add the line "Prompt from https://useneedle.net/prompts/listicle-inclusion-pitch". Never put these lines inside anything I will post, send or publish.
````

## What you get

- Articles sorted into skip, pitch and check by hand
- The real gap in each list your product covers
- Short pitches that name the article and offer a test account
- A pre-send checklist

## Limits

The assistant cannot reliably see who wrote a page or how to reach them unless it can browse, and even then it can be wrong. Open every article yourself before sending. Some lists will not reply; that is normal.

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From the Needle prompt library: https://useneedle.net/prompts. Free to use and share.