I need to name or rename a product. Product and buyer context - Product: [PRODUCT DESCRIPTION] - Primary buyer: [TARGET AUDIENCE] - Core outcome or promise: [CORE BENEFIT] - Existing name and reason for changing it, if applicable: [CURRENT NAME AND ISSUE] - Brand voice, category conventions, and names to avoid: [NAMING CONSTRAINTS] First, ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing. Do not invent product capabilities, customer evidence, trademark availability, domain availability, or market research. Generate 20 name candidates in four deliberate directions: descriptive and clear; evocative but relevant; coined or compound; and names that signal the product's job to be done. Keep names easy to say aloud, reasonably easy to spell after hearing once, and appropriate for [TARGET AUDIENCE]. Avoid generic category labels, forced spellings, accidental negative meanings, and names that overpromise the product. For each candidate, provide: name; naming direction; one-sentence rationale tied to the product benefit; likely first impression; and one possible confusion or risk. Then rank the best 5 in a comparison table with scores from 1-5 for clarity, distinctiveness, fit with the buyer, extensibility, and pronunciation. Give a recommended winner and two runners-up, with a short positioning line for each. Self-check before answering: confirm every rationale follows from my supplied inputs, and flag any candidate that needs legal, linguistic, domain, or trademark review. Do not present a name as cleared or available.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [PRODUCT DESCRIPTION] | Describe what the product does, how it works, and its category. | A browser-based tool that turns approved support articles into draft customer replies for SaaS support teams. |
| [TARGET AUDIENCE] | Name the primary buyer or user and the context in which they choose the product. | Support leaders at 50-500 person B2B software companies. |
| [CORE BENEFIT] | State the main outcome the product delivers. | Faster consistent replies without agents searching a knowledge base. |
| [CURRENT NAME AND ISSUE] | Enter the existing name and why it needs to change, or write New product. | ReplyBot; it sounds generic and implies fully automated customer messages. |
| [NAMING CONSTRAINTS] | List your brand voice, competitor naming patterns, words to use or avoid, and any practical limits. | Calm, practical, credible; avoid bot, AI, genius, and invented spellings; competitors use short two-word names. |
How to use
- Paste the prompt and replace every bracketed field with product facts.
- Read the risk note beside each name before becoming attached to a favorite.
- Check the top options with trademark counsel, native speakers in relevant markets, and domain searches.
- Follow up with: “Create three positioning routes and homepage headlines for the top two names.”
Variations
Name Change Memo
Use when you need to explain a rename internally or to customers.
Write a concise product-name change memo using [OLD NAME], [NEW NAME], [REASON FOR CHANGE], [AUDIENCE], and [EFFECTIVE DATE]. Produce a customer-facing announcement, an internal FAQ, and a migration checklist. Explain what changes and what does not, including URLs, billing, contracts, integrations, and support references only when supplied. Do not claim trademark clearance or customer approval. Flag missing operational details and ask up to 3 questions only if required inputs are absent.
Naming Criteria
Use before a naming workshop or agency brief.
Turn [PRODUCT CONTEXT], [TARGET BUYER], [BRAND STRATEGY], [COMPETITOR EXAMPLES], and [CONSTRAINTS] into a product-naming brief. Produce a one-page document with the naming objective, audience associations to create, associations to avoid, name territories, linguistic requirements, decision criteria, and research steps. Include a weighted scorecard for evaluating names. Do not generate names or assert legal availability. Ask up to 3 questions only for missing required inputs.
Name Testing Survey
Use when you have finalists to test with likely buyers.
Create a neutral name-testing survey for [PRODUCT DESCRIPTION], [TARGET RESPONDENTS], [NAME FINALISTS], [CURRENT ALTERNATIVE], and [DECISION TO MAKE]. Write an introduction that does not lead respondents, randomized name-rating questions, open-ended association questions, pronunciation and category-fit checks, and demographic or role filters. Include a plan for comparing results without treating a small sample as proof. Do not make claims about respondents or results. Ask up to 3 questions only if inputs are missing.
Tips
- A good product name needs to work in a sentence spoken by a buyer, salesperson, and support agent; say finalists aloud in those contexts.
- Separate legal clearance from creative screening: an AI can identify obvious risks but cannot determine trademark or domain availability.
- If the product may expand, avoid names that lock it to one feature unless that feature is the durable category wedge.
- Test recognition and recall separately; a name can be liked in a survey yet be difficult to remember a day later.
FAQ
Can AI check whether a product name is trademarked?
It can flag obvious conflicts, but it cannot clear a name. Use qualified trademark counsel before investing in a name.
Should a product name describe exactly what it does?
Not always. Descriptive names reduce explanation, while more distinctive names can be easier to own; the buyer and category determine the balance.
How many names should I test?
Use a short, well-defined finalist set, usually three to five. Too many options make feedback shallow and comparisons unreliable.