What These Prompts Are For
Cortex is only as useful as the questions you bring to it. A vague question like "what is happening with NVDA?" returns a vague answer. A precise, structured prompt returns a structured analysis with labeled observations, inferences, and the data points that would prove your thesis wrong. These five ready-made prompts are designed to produce that second kind of answer, every time.
Each prompt is paired with a preset so Cortex draws from the right data source. Copy the prompt into chat, swap in your ticker and timeframe, and read the response in full before acting on any part of it.
When to Use Ready-Made Prompts
Use these when you want a consistent, disciplined starting point rather than improvising your question each session. They are especially useful when you are pressed for time, when you are new to a particular data source, or when you want to make sure you are not skipping a check that matters. Think of them as a pre-flight checklist for your analysis, not a substitute for reading the output carefully.
Prompt 1: Flow Discipline
Preset: Flow Sniper
This prompt is built for screening unusual options activity on a specific ticker without letting excitement override analysis. It forces Cortex to separate what the data actually says from what you might want it to say.
Use it when you see a large sweep or an unusual print and want to know whether it is worth acting on. Paste it into Cortex with your ticker and timeframe, then read the FACT versus INFERENCE sections before you do anything else.
- Use the Flow Sniper preset, then type: Analyze options flow for [TICKER] over the last [TIMEFRAME]. Tag each observation as FACT (what the data shows) or INFERENCE (what it might mean). Then give me one scenario where this flow is wrong, and state the exact price level or flow event that would prove the thesis invalid.
How to read the output: The FACT section is your anchor. The INFERENCE section is your hypothesis. The invalidation scenario is your stop. If Cortex cannot produce a clear invalidation, the data is too ambiguous to trade.
Prompt 2: Dark Pool Context
Preset: Dark Pool Radar
This prompt prevents you from reading too much into a single dark pool print. It treats prints as inputs into a larger picture, not conclusions on their own.
Use it when you spot a large off-exchange cluster on a name and want to know whether it represents real institutional positioning or algorithmic noise.
- Use the Dark Pool Radar preset, then type: Summarize dark pool activity for [TICKER] today. Separate observation (where prints clustered, at what price, with what premium) from interpretation (what that might indicate about institutional intent). Then compare the dark pool direction to the visible tape - do they agree or disagree? State what additional signal would be needed to confirm the dark pool read.
How to read the output: Look for the comparison section. When dark pool direction and the visible tape agree, the signal has more weight. When they disagree, that tension is the most important thing in the response - it usually means hedging activity or a split between two different institutional participants.
Prompt 3: GEX and Dealer Mechanics
Preset: GEX Scout
This prompt gets you a mechanical read on the current gamma environment before you enter a trade. It produces two concrete scenarios - one supportive, one adverse - so you know what winning and losing look like before you size in.
Use it before entering any options trade, and especially before taking a position around a scheduled event like an earnings print or a Fed speaker.
- Use the GEX Scout preset, then type: Describe the current GEX structure for [UNDERLYING]. What is the GEX rating, the Anchor Point, and the Flip Level? Then give me a supportive scenario (where dealer hedging works in my favor) and an adverse scenario (where it works against me). State the specific price level or GEX event that proves the adverse scenario is playing out.
How to read the output: The Flip Level is the most critical number. If price is above the Flip in a positive gamma environment, the supportive scenario is the base case. If price is below the Flip, the adverse scenario becomes the base case. Size your position accordingly.
Prompt 4: Risk and Position Sizing
Preset: Full Scan (or My Portfolio for journal-based sizing)
This prompt enforces the discipline that most traders skip when they are in a hurry: defining the stop, calculating max risk, and checking for concentration before entering. It runs every time, not just when you feel uncertain.
Use it before every entry, and again after a large move in an existing position changes its risk profile.
- Use the Full Scan preset, then type: I am considering [TRADE DESCRIPTION] with a maximum risk of [X]% of my account. Calculate the dollar risk at a [Y]% stop, confirm whether that stop lands at a meaningful level from OptionFlow, DealerEdge, or dark pool data, and flag any correlated positions in my portfolio that would increase my effective exposure beyond the [X]% limit.
How to read the output: The most important sentence is the one about correlated exposure. A single name might be 1% of your account, but if you already hold three other names with the same sector and directional bias, your real exposure is higher. Cortex surfaces that connection; do not ignore it.
Prompt 5: Multi-Source Synthesizer
Preset: Full Scan (or Market Recap for end-of-day digests)
This is your morning-prep prompt. It pulls from every Cortex tool simultaneously and produces a single thesis with the two biggest risks to that thesis clearly stated. Use it before the open to set your bias, your primary levels, and the things you are watching for.
- Use the Full Scan preset, then type: Run a pre-market synthesis for [TICKER or MARKET]. Prioritize: 1) flow and positioning signals from OptionFlow and dark pool, 2) key levels from DealerEdge, 3) catalysts from NewsEdge. Summarize in this format - Thesis: [one sentence]. Key levels: [two or three prices]. Top two risks: [specific data points that contradict the thesis].
How to read the output: Read the thesis first, then go directly to the risks. The risks are what you manage the trade around. If Cortex lists a risk that you do not understand or cannot monitor, either ask a follow-up question to clarify it or reduce your size until you do.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the invalidation section. Every prompt above includes an invalidation scenario or a risk statement. That part of the response is the most important. Traders who skip it are using Cortex for confirmation bias, not analysis.
- Using a mismatched preset. Each prompt is tied to a specific preset for a reason. Prompt 3 requires GEX Scout because that preset gives Cortex direct access to DealerEdge data. Running it under Flow Sniper produces a weaker answer. Always check the preset before you send.
- Treating the output as a trade recommendation. Cortex synthesizes data and produces analysis. It does not tell you what to do. The decision - including sizing, entry timing, and whether to trade at all - is yours.
- Not following up. Cortex holds context across the conversation. If the response raises a question, ask it. "Why does the dark pool direction disagree with the flow sentiment?" is a one-line follow-up that often produces the most valuable insight in the session.
Related: Cortex Quick Start - Advanced Cortex: Prompt Engineering for Traders - Cortex Feature Overview