--- language: en title: "Discovery prompt" description: "A discovery prompt asks for options in a category without naming brands, making it possible to track the alternatives presented for a specific need." canonical: "https://tropk.ai/en/resources/glossary/discovery-prompt" last_modified: "2026-10-12T16:12:44.225Z" --- # Discovery prompt Reviewed on 2026-10-06. ## What it means In Profound's terminology, a discovery [prompt](/en/resources/glossary/prompt) is a question used to request options or recommendations in a category without providing brand names. It lets you observe which alternatives a platform presents for a described need. The scope includes buyer requirements and usage context; changing these elements also changes the commercial opportunity being investigated. ## Why it matters for marketing For marketing, this type of question helps assess whether the brand appears among the options presented before the user names it. Its absence suggests investigating the response, the alternatives, and the criteria used within that scope. Asking directly about the brand may prompt a mention because of the wording, making it unsuitable for measuring discovery without prompting. ## Example in practice Consider a company that sells tools for furniture assembly. The team asks which suppliers offer kits suitable for independent installers who travel by motorcycle. If the response favors small tool cases and omits the company's portable line, marketing checks the sources and kit descriptions before deciding whether it needs to better explain weight, dimensions, and contents. ## How to apply or verify Write questions that include the buyer's task without preemptively naming the brand or its desired differentiators. Record the category, constraints, and platform; run a repeated sample and check whether there was an actual recommendation or only a general explanation. Count brands mentioned, brands recommended, and links separately, and make the criteria used for each interpretation of the response explicit. ## Important distinctions Discovery describes a tracking purpose, not a universally exclusive category. A question can be commercial and non-branded at the same time, as well as include informational elements. Inclusion on a list does not prove audience preference, purchase, or supplier superiority. It also does not reveal everything the system knows about a brand omitted from that response. ## Sources and references - [The AI Search Glossary: A definition of 300+ terms]() — Profound ## Continue a leitura - [Commercial prompt]() - [Validation prompt]() - [Unbranded prompt]() ## About the author [Luiz Gardelin]() Luiz Gardelin is the founder of Tropk.ai and works in GEO/AEO, product vision, strategy, and growth, helping brands understand and improve their presence in AI responses. --- [All pages in Markdown]()