How to Make ChatGPT Write Longer: Hacks that Work in 2023

I get lots of questions from my members and YouTube subscribers about how to make ChatGPT write longer outputs. After all, the Chatbot tends to err on the side of concise, which can be frustrating. But don’t worry; I’ve got your back! It IS possible to get longer outputs and write blog posts with ChatGPT that are 2000-3000 words long – and beyond. (Though, not all in one prompt.)

However, getting ChatGPT to write longer responses per input is only part of the strategy. I’ll break it all down in this article, and you’ll be whipping off pillar posts and ebooks in no time!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in the below article, which means if you make a purchase after clicking on any, I may earn a commission. Full disclaimer here.

Understanding ChatGPT’s Capabilities

Many users are amazed by ChatGPT’s ability to generate human-like responses across a range of topics. Its versatility makes it a powerful tool for content creation, answering questions, and offering detailed explanations.

However, like any AI model, it has its limitations, such as its character limit and word limits, which can affect the length and depth of its output. Comprehending these limitations will empower you to exploit ChatGPT’s full potential and maximize your utility from this large language model.

Despite its limitations, ChatGPT is capable of:

• Generating engaging, informative content
• Providing detailed responses
• Producing longer articles
• Offering more comprehensive answers to your queries

All it takes is a little smart prompt engineering.

The Power of the Paid ChatGPT Account

The importance of using the GPT-4 language model cannot be overstated. This advanced AI model is a game-changer in the realm of content generation, offering even more detailed responses and in-depth content creation.

You will not be able to achieve longer, quality outputs using the GPT-3.5 model, which all you have access to on the free plan. GPT-4 is quite literally 10 times smarter! I always tell people it’s like trying to write a novel with a rock and a chisel when for $20 you could have a typewriter!

The GPT-4 model takes the capabilities of ChatGPT to a whole new level. By subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, you get access to plugins and advanced data analysis, which can also be useful when writing long form content.

This model’s advanced capabilities allow it to delve deeper into the subject matter, leading to more engaging content and detailed explanations. It’s an invaluable tool for those looking to generate extensive, high-quality content efficiently.

So don’t skimp. If you’re going to use AI, use it right.

Limitations and Challenges

Although ChatGPT is a powerful tool, it’s not without its challenges. Some of the limitations include:

• Stopping writing after 500-800 words or even mid-sentence due to its character and word limit, which can be frustrating for users seeking long-form content.
• Lacking the creativity and subtlety of human writing.
• Getting off track or writing content that deviates from what you’re trying to accomplish.

To navigate these limitations, providing clear prompts that align with the context of the desired response and using follow-up questions for more information and necessary context is key, resulting in more elaborate answers.

How to Make ChatGPT Write Longer Responses

To make ChatGPT write a longer response, you can employ various strategies that encourage longer answers and more detailed responses. These include:

• Providing detailed prompts
• Asking for examples and explanations
• Breaking down complex topics step-by-step
• Comparing different subjects
• Asking multi-faceted questions

With these techniques, you can steer ChatGPT towards generating extended, more comprehensive content.

Another approach is to utilize the advanced playground version of ChatGPT, which allows you to adjust parameters and experiment with different settings, such as maximum word count length and word length, to optimize the AI’s output. This version offers more control over the generated content, enabling you to create longer essays and in-depth responses.

Let’s look at each of these strategies in more detail.

1. Use Detailed and Specific Prompts

Detailed and specific prompts have a pivotal part in eliciting more comprehensive responses from ChatGPT. Equipping the AI with ample context and background information improves its understanding of the topic and facilitates the generation of detailed answers.

For example, instead of asking for a general article about humans, ask for a longer article about the history and evolution of humans, which will help ChatGPT create more comprehensive content.

“Structure” prompts are another effective way to guide ChatGPT in creating a well-organized and comprehensive output. For instance, you might instruct ChatGPT to use three subheadings for each talking point and include 2-3 paragraphs under each subheading. This approach not only encourages more in-depth responses but also helps in maintaining the flow and coherence of the content, making it more engaging for the readers.

Content-enhancing prompts are another potent tool in your arsenal for generating detailed and enriched content. You can ask ChatGPT to incorporate elements like analogies, examples, tips, famous quotes, or statistics to add depth and interest to the content.

For example, you might prompt ChatGPT to write an introduction in the second person, using an intriguing statistic about cat ownership in North America. This method not only adds an interesting touch to the content but also helps in making it more relatable and engaging for the audience.

2. Give it an Outline to Follow

An outline can serve as a roadmap for ChatGPT when generating longer outputs. By providing a structured breakdown of the main points and sub-points you want to cover in your content, you effectively guide the AI towards a more focused and coherent narrative.

This structure helps to prevent the AI from veering off-topic and ensures that the final output is comprehensive and well-organized.

For instance, if you’re writing an article about the benefits of a healthy diet, your outline might include sections like ‘Introduction’, ‘Nutritional Needs’, ‘Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables’, ‘Importance of Hydration’, and ‘Conclusion’. Feeding this outline to ChatGPT helps ensure that each section of your article is covered in depth.

You don’t necessarily have to create the outline yourself. You can also ask ChatGPT to generate an outline for you based on a given topic. This can be particularly useful when you’re dealing with a complex topic or if you’re unsure about the best way to structure your content. Simply prompt the AI with a request like “Create an outline for an article on the benefits of a healthy diet”, and let it do the work for you.

3. Use the Custom Instructions Feature

The custom instructions feature is a powerful tool in ChatGPT that allows users to seed the AI with background information and guide its outputs. This feature is particularly useful when you want to influence the direction of the AI’s responses and ensure they align with your specific needs or the context of your topic.

In the second text box of the custom instructions feature, you can specify that you want ChatGPT to generate longer, more thorough responses. By doing so, you effectively instruct the AI to go beyond its default response length and delve deeper into the topic, providing more detailed and comprehensive content.

4. Encourage Elaboration

Encouraging ChatGPT to elaborate on its responses leads to more in-depth content. Asking for examples, explanations, and comparisons allows the AI model to explore the topic from different angles, resulting in longer responses.

Additionally, using terms like “explain,” “continue,” or “go on” will prompt ChatGPT to keep writing and provide more detailed answers.

5. Use the AIPRM Chrome Extension

The AIPRM Chrome Extension is a third-party plugin that provides access to a vast community library of prompt templates and the “power continue” feature. This extension can help you generate longer responses by prompting ChatGPT to continue writing when it stops in the middle of its output, ensuring a more comprehensive essay.

The “power continue” feature facilitates easy guidance of ChatGPT towards generating extended responses. For example, simply type “Go On” after the initial answer, and the AI will continue to generate more content on the topic. This feature is especially useful for overcoming token limitations and ensuring a smooth content generation process.

6. Break Blog Posts and Longer Articles into Multiple Prompts

Sometimes, expecting ChatGPT to write an entire piece of content in one go is not the best approach. Think of ChatGPT as a racecar – if you don’t keep your hands on the wheel, you’ll go fast, but you may not end up where you want to go. (You might even crash and burn, erp!)

Taking a “back-and-forth” approach with ChatGPT can help you maintain more control over the quality and direction of the outputs that require less editing later on.

What I do is create a series of prompts or a “prompt workflow” for specific types of content. This method involves breaking down a long blog post or article into several prompts, resulting in a more in-depth response from ChatGPT. For example, my how-to tutorial prompt workflow consisting of five prompts (one of which is repeated 2-3 times) can easily create a 1000-2000 word blog post.

Utilizing the Advanced Playground Version

The advanced playground version of ChatGPT provides extended control over the AI model’s output, facilitating parameter adjustments and experimentation with diverse settings. Modifying settings like temperature and max tokens lets you manipulate the length and quality of ChatGPT’s responses, thereby refining the content generation process.

Keep in mind that Playground is not the same as ChatGPT – you will need to sign up for an account on Openai’s website and set up new billing details. The good news is that generating content with Playground is super inexpensive, and you can generate thousands of words for pennies.

Adjusting Parameters

In the advanced playground version of ChatGPT, you can adjust parameters like the temperature and max tokens to influence the length and quality of responses. The temperature setting controls the randomness of the AI’s output, while the max tokens setting determines the maximum length of the generated response.

By tweaking these settings, you can obtain longer, more comprehensive content tailored to your requirements.

Experimenting with Different Settings

Experimenting with different settings in ChatGPT can help you overcome limitations and optimize the AI’s output. Here are some settings you can try:

• Turn off chat history
• Enable custom instructions
• Adjust temperature settings
• Access beta features

By exploring these options, you can customize your ChatGPT experience to better suit your needs.

To make these adjustments, follow these steps:

1. Head over to the settings page in the advanced playground version.
2. Toggle the respective options to test various configurations.
3. Discover the optimal settings for generating long-form content that meets your specific needs.
4. Ensure a smooth and efficient content creation process.

Overcoming ChatGPT’s “Cool Down” Limitation

At the time of this writing, ChatGPT Plus is restricted to 50 outputs every three hours. If you plan on writing dozens of blog posts per day, this can be quite a hindrance. However, there are workarounds such as:

• Using the 3.5 language model for simple tasks and saving GPT-4 for the heavy-duty content creation
• Outsourcing research inquiries to free platforms like Perplexity
• Investing in a secondary tool like Jasper, Koala, or Surfer AI to pick up the slack when you’re in the cooldown zone with ChatGPT

Conclusion

To recap, learning how to make ChatGPT write longer, more comprehensive responses requires a combination of the following strategies:

• Using detailed prompts that provide specific instructions and guidance
• Encouraging elaboration by asking open-ended questions and prompting for more information
• Breaking down complex topics into smaller, more manageable parts
• Utilizing advanced settings and options to customize the AI model’s behavior

By implementing these strategies and surmounting the AI model’s limitations, you can exploit ChatGPT’s full potential for creating engaging content no matter what the niche or industry!

Want more help writing blog posts with AI? Join my newsletter and get a free ChatGPT workflow for creating in-depth product reviews!

FAQ