To configure pipeline prompts, go to HighGround → Settings, then click the Pipeline tab.
HighGround generates content through a multi-step writing pipeline. Each step has its own AI prompt that controls how that phase of content creation behaves. This page gives you full access to edit every prompt in the pipeline, letting you fine-tune exactly how the AI writes, edits, and polishes your content.
Warning: Incorrect or poorly written prompts may produce poor results. If something goes wrong after editing, each step has a Restore to default button to revert to HighGround’s tested defaults.
Content Type
Toggle between Post Prompts and Page Prompts at the top of the page. Posts and pages use entirely separate prompt sets, so you can tailor the writing style and behavior differently for each content type.
The Pipeline
HighGround’s writing pipeline consists of 10 steps for new content, plus a dedicated rewrite prompt for updating existing posts. Each step runs sequentially - the output of one step feeds into the next.
Step 1: Generate Outline - Controls how the AI structures the article before any writing begins. This prompt defines how headings are organized, how section instructions are written, and the overall content architecture. It’s the foundation everything else builds on, so clarity here pays dividends downstream.
Step 2: Write Introduction - Governs how the AI opens the article. This prompt sets expectations for length, tone, and hook style for the introductory paragraphs.
Step 3: Write Section - The core writing prompt used for every H2 section in the article. This is where you define your voice, sentence structure, formatting preferences, and word-level restrictions. Because it runs once per section, even small changes here have a compounding effect across the entire article.
Step 4: Write Conclusion - Controls how the AI wraps up the article. This prompt defines the closing tone, length, and whether a call to action or next step is included.
Step 5: Edit & Polish - A post-writing editing pass that cleans up sentence-level issues, tightens the tone, and performs light rehydration by adding missing function words. Think of this as the AI’s self-editing step - it catches patterns like hypophoras, gerund-heavy sentences, and fake anecdotes that slipped through during writing.
Step 6: Proofread - A final accuracy and grammar pass. This step catches doubled or missing words, spacing errors, punctuation issues, factual inaccuracies, and sentence fragments. It’s intentionally conservative - if something reads fine, it’s left alone.
Step 7: Internal Links - Controls how the AI inserts internal links into the finished content. This prompt defines anchor text style, link spacing, and linking behavior.
Step 8: External Links - Controls how the AI searches for and inserts outbound links to authoritative external sources.
Step 9: ChatGPT Images - The prompt sent to ChatGPT’s image generation when creating images for the article. Use this to define the visual style - for example, the default enforces hyper-realistic photography with no text or illustrations.
Step 10: Auto Alt Text - Controls how the AI writes alt text for generated images. This prompt defines length, format, and what the alt text should focus on.
Update Pipeline: Rewrite Section - A separate prompt used exclusively when updating existing posts (either through Auto-Update or manual “Update With HighGround”). This prompt tells the AI how aggressively to rewrite outdated sections and what to look for when reviewing old content.
Editing Tips
Each prompt is a free-text field. You’re writing instructions that the AI follows, so be specific and direct. A few things to keep in mind:
The default prompts have been extensively tested and tuned for high-quality output. Before making major changes, consider copying the existing prompt somewhere safe so you can reference it later. Start with small, targeted edits rather than rewriting an entire prompt from scratch. If results degrade after a change, use the Restore to default button on that specific step to roll back.
The prompts work together as a system. For example, if you loosen restrictions in Step 3 (Write Section) but keep Step 5 (Edit & Polish) strict, the editor may undo what the writer added. Keep your prompts aligned with each other.
Saving
Click Save Post Prompts or Save Page Prompts (depending on which tab you’re on) to apply your changes. A Restore Defaults button at the bottom resets all prompts for the selected content type back to HighGround’s defaults in one action. These settings take effect on the next post HighGround creates or updates.
