Legal

Explain a clause prompt

A copy-and-paste prompt for ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini that gets a professional explain a clause on the first try, plus the cheapest model that does it well.

What most people type

what does 'indemnify and hold harmless' mean in plain english

It works, but the AI has to guess your jurisdiction, if relevant, so the first answer usually needs another round. The version below asks for exactly what a professional would deliver.

The better prompt

Explain in plain English what "indemnify and hold harmless" means in a contract. Cover what each part ("indemnify" and "hold harmless") means, who protects whom, and a short everyday example. Note that the meaning and how far it goes can vary by contract and jurisdiction ([jurisdiction, if relevant]). Keep it to a short explanation of about 150 words, and add a one-line note that this is general information, not legal advice.

Replace the [brackets] with your details before you send it: jurisdiction, if relevant.

Why this version works

  • Asked for both terms explained separately. The phrase combines two ideas; splitting them avoids confusion.
  • Added a short everyday example. Examples make legal terms easy to grasp.
  • Flagged variation by contract and jurisdiction. Meaning and scope differ, so the answer stays accurate.
  • Set a short length and legal note. Keeps it quick and appropriately cautious.

What a professional explain a clause prompt covers

  • Plain-language explanation request
  • A simple example
  • Short length

Best AI model for this prompt

This is a everyday task: definition of a common legal term; accuracy matters but it's well-known. You don't need the most expensive model. The cheapest model at each company that handles it well:

CompanyModelPer usePer 1,000 uses
AnthropicClaude Sonnet 5.5$0.0027$2.69
OpenAIGPT-6.1 Terra$0.0013$1.34
GoogleGemini 3.8 Flashcheapest$0.0010$1.01

Pay-per-use list prices for this prompt and its expected answer (about 250 tokens). On a monthly chat plan, the same choice shows up as more messages before you hit your limit. See today's AI prices.

Explain a clause prompt for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini (Legal) · PromptSaver