Unbranded prompt
An unbranded prompt is a question to an AI platform that names no brand, like "What's the best coffee subscription?" Also called non-branded.
An unbranded prompt is a question to an AI platform that doesn't name any brand. It's another name for a non-branded prompt. "What's the best coffee subscription in the UK?" is unbranded. "Is Fernhill Coffee any good?" isn't, because it names Fernhill.
They're the questions people ask before they've chosen anyone, which makes them where new customers find you.
Why they're the real test
When the question names no brand, the platform has to decide by itself who to put forward. That shows whether it ties you to your category at all. A branded prompt can't tell you that, because you're named in the question.
For example, Kestrel Roasters tracks "What's the best roaster for espresso beans?" across two platforms for a week, 14 answers in all. Kestrel is named in 5. Harrow & Pine is named in 9. That gap is worth more attention than any number from Kestrel's branded prompts.
Writing them
Write them the way a customer would ask, as whole questions, with the details people add: a budget, a place, a use. "Best espresso beans for a beginner under £10" tells you more than "espresso beans," because that's how people ask, and because the details change which brands get named.
Cover the stages of a purchase too, from learning about the category to comparing brands to getting ready to buy.
In AnswerOrbit
Keep unbranded prompts apart from branded ones, in their own topics or with a tag, so the branded ones don't lift your numbers. In Topics and prompts, Generate prompts suggests prompts for a topic, and the Demand tab shows how often people ask about a word or phrase.