I Turned 5 AI Prompts Into One-Click Actions in Otter Blocks

Not long ago, I was relying on AI to manage repetitive tasks with my WordPress content. The constant cycle became tedious, prompting me to streamline some operations through the custom actions feature in the Otter Blocks plugin.

The clear benefit is that I anticipated significant time savings since I wouldn’t have to repeatedly write the same instructions for each task.

To bring this idea to life, I attributed a custom action to five repetitive content tasks that I’d been completing manually. After testing them all, I was generally satisfied with the outcome and recommend others in a similar position to give it a go. Although I had to make minor manual tweaks, the overall benefits were worthwhile.

If you’re interested to see how this works, stay tuned as I guide you through my personal examples over the next few moments.

Transforming My Commands into Custom Actions

Otter Blocks allows you to design bespoke AI actions for tasks you often repeat during writing. I stored five commonly used prompts, enabling me to execute them directly within the WordPress editor without the need to rewrite them continuously.

Once I saved these actions, they became accessible from the Edit with AI menu whenever I selected a block.

I tested all five against actual content:

To maintain consistency across the five programmed actions, I refrained from modifying the AI outputs. This ensured each prompt was applied to the same set of source material.

Here’s the outcome for each action.

1. Transform a paragraph into a question and answer

I often find myself needing to convert information into something a reader might genuinely inquire about.

Here is the prompt I saved to facilitate that:

Convert this paragraph into one question and answer. Formulate the question as a reader would typically pose it, not as we would express it. Respond in two sentences based solely on the content of the paragraph, using simpler words. Avoid reusing the original sentence structure. Include the question as a heading, with the answer directly below. This addition should occur after the paragraph. Do not replace or modify the existing paragraph.

This is what it generated:

The structure was appropriate, yet the answer required further scrutiny.

The question was clearly formulated, and the answer adhered to the requested format. However, “Otter charges things or limits your use” lacks clarity and isn’t something I would wish to publish verbatim.

In the future, using this action will spare me from the task of scripting a Q&A from scratch. I will just need to perform a quick manual review and rectify any issues in the phrasing.

The true value of a custom action lies in its ability to manage repetitive tasks, while I retain control over the final output.

2. Incorporate a practical use case

This prompt piqued my interest the most because it’s easy for AI to invent a plausible-sounding use case that isn’t supported by the original content.

I aimed to ensure that the prompt was restrictive enough to stay within the confines of the paragraph.

Here’s the saved prompt:

Insert a WordPress Quote block directly after this paragraph. Begin with “Use case:” and outline one clear, practical use case based solely on information explicitly mentioned in the paragraph. Highlight one specific feature, fact, or function noted in the paragraph and detail a realistic issue it addresses. Do not introduce new products, individuals, industries, features, or situations that are not adequately backed by the text. Limit it to 2-3 concise sentences. Do not alter or replace the existing paragraph.

Here’s the generated result:

Refining this prompt required more adjustments than the others.

Key elements of the restrictions included:

• Only use information explicitly stated in the paragraph.
• Select one specific feature, fact, or function.
• Avoid introducing new products, individuals, industries, features, or scenarios.
• Utilise two to three succinct sentences.

These limitations provided the AI with minimal freedom to invent a plausible yet unsupported use case.

The more precise the prompt concerning what the output can and cannot include, the more beneficial the result becomes.

It also fulfilled my specific request: it produced a WordPress Quote block rather than merely another paragraph.

This custom action is particularly useful for documentation and product content where I frequently need the same supporting elements.

3. Divide a paragraph into a lead line and bullets

This is likely the most effective of the five.

I frequently encounter paragraphs containing multiple ideas that would be easier to digest as a brief introduction followed by bullet points.

Here is the saved prompt I used:

Restructure this paragraph into a concise lead line followed by up to three bullets. The lead line should set the scene, while the specifics reside within the bullets. Ensure the bullets are parallel, maintaining the same grammatical structure. Do not include anything that is not already presented. Should there not be three ideas, use fewer than three bullets. Add this after the paragraph. Do not replace or alter the existing paragraph.

The output generated by Otter Blocks was:

Out of the five actions listed, this is the one I would prioritise first.

Additionally, there is a small detail in the prompt that yields significant benefits:

“Use fewer than three bullets if there are not three ideas.”

I prefer requesting AI to deliver a maximum instead of demanding a precise number.

When I specify “give me three bullets,” it might feel obligated to find three points even if the source only contains two. Requesting “up to three” allows it to refrain from fabricating an additional point when one is lacking in the source material.

That “up to [number]” phrasing is advantageous and applicable to most reusable AI prompts.

4. Highlight the most common mistake

For tutorials and guides, I frequently wish to append a small warning post-explanation.

Rather than drafting the same warning manually each time, I transformed it into an action.

The prompt I saved was:

Compose a brief note on the most frequent mistake a person might make in this context, along with an alternative action to take. Limit your response to two sentences. Base this solely on the content of the paragraph. Place this after the paragraph. Do not replace or change the existing paragraph.

And here’s the outcome:

This prompt earns a place in my roster due to its specific intent.

I can apply it when creating tutorials, setup guides, and documentation, eliminating the need to specify the format each time.

The crucial restriction remains: “Base it only on what the paragraph states.”

This keeps the cautionary note linked to the information the reader has just reviewed rather than prompting the AI to create an entirely unrelated mistake.

5. Convert a paragraph into a tip box

Finally, this action is more straightforward than the others.

Occasionally, I’ve already covered a concept and want to isolate the most significant action into a compact tip format.

Here’s the prompt I saved:

Transform this paragraph into a concise tip box. Create a one-line title for the tip, followed by one or two sentences explaining how to achieve it. Use only the information present in the paragraph. Place this after the paragraph. Do not alter or change the existing paragraph.

This was the outcome when I applied it to my target text:

Otter Blocks successfully extracted the setup instruction from the paragraph and rendered it in the desired format.

This serves as a prime illustration of a custom action that doesn’t require complexity to be effective.

The real benefit comes from being able to execute it with a single click whenever necessary.

Two Principles for Effective Prompts

After experimenting with all five actions, I observed that the effective aspects of the prompts were less about clever phrasing and more about establishing clear parameters for the AI.

1. Specify where the output should be placed

I aimed to preserve my original paragraph and position the new content below it.

Thus, every prompt included:

Add this after the paragraph. Do not replace or change the existing paragraph.

This single instruction significantly clarifies the intended functionality.

2. Suggest a maximum, not a fixed count

Stating “up to three bullets” is preferable to “three bullets.”

“One or two sentences” is more effective than mandating two sentences every time.

When the source doesn’t contain enough information, the AI should have the flexibility to stop.

Operating Costs

Utilising custom actions does not incur additional Otter AI credits.

You link your preferred AI provider via the settings, and that provider is responsible for managing model usage and billing.

As such, the merit of custom actions lies not in obtaining further AI credits.

Rather, it revolves around transforming your recurring instructions into handy shortcuts.

The True Advantage of Custom AI Actions

The integrated AI options in Otter Blocks cover the basic functions: to rewrite, summarise, shorten, translate, and implement similar transformations.

However, custom actions offer a distinct advantage.

They empower you to define what your recurrent AI tasks will be.

For me, this means no longer needing to pause my writing, switch to another AI tool, clarify my requirements, copy the paragraph, then copy the response back, and repeat.

I simply select the block, choose the action, and review what is returned.

Of course, the prompts still need to be optimised. The outputs still require checking. But I only need to establish the instructions once.

That is what makes a custom action worthwhile to preserve.

Give it a Try

Consider the last few WordPress articles you composed.

Was there a small AI task you performed repeatedly?

Perhaps you consistently asked for bullet points. Maybe you wanted a brief tip following each explanation. Perhaps you kept converting sections into questions and answers.

Those tasks may be far more suited for a custom action than a generic “rewrite” button.

Formulate the prompt once. Save it in Otter Blocks. Then make it an action executed with a single click.

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