💡 Tips & Tricks

Topoi works best as a thinking partner — one that grows more helpful the more you share. These tips help you get the most out of each session.

✏️ For Students: Get More Out of Topoi

🧭 Getting Started

  • Upload your assignment or paste the prompt. The more Topoi knows, the better the help.
  • Say what you’re trying to do. “I’m brainstorming,” “I need help with a thesis,” etc.
  • Tell it if it’s a paper or a speech. The guidance will shift accordingly.

🧠 Brainstorming & Planning

  • Start messy. Even half-formed thoughts can lead to useful conversations.
  • Play the “Why?” game. Go deep — that’s where insights hide.
  • Ask for counterpoints. Explore the other side of your idea to make your argument stronger.

✍️ Drafting & Revising

  • Paste a paragraph and ask for help. Try: “Is this clear?” or “What’s missing?” Topoi can help you spot confusion and strengthen your support.
  • Trust your instinct if something feels off. Topoi is good at confirming that feeling — and pointing to where the logic, structure, or tone may need adjustment.
  • Explore sentence-level choices. If a sentence feels awkward, ask: “What’s making this hard to read?” or “How can I say this more precisely?” Topoi won’t rewrite it — but it can help you understand how to revise.
  • Ask about transitions and flow. Say: “Does this paragraph connect well to the next one?” or “Am I guiding the reader clearly?”

🧠 Thinking Deeper

  • Have Topoi act as a reader. Say: “Pretend you’re my professor — how would you respond?”
  • Push back on suggestions. You don’t have to agree with everything — Topoi learns more when you disagree.
  • Use your nickname. Signing in helps Topoi respond more naturally and personally.

✅ Final Tip

Topoi helps you think — but you are the writer. Your voice matters most.

Want More from Topoi?

Registering is completely free and unlocks helpful features for serious writers:

  • ✅ Longer sessions for sustained work
  • 🚀 Access to a more capable GPT model
  • 🔗 Share your sessions with a private link
  • 📂 Revisit and resume past sessions anytime — useful when you pause to research, go to class, or even sleep (yes, sleep is still allowed!)

We never share your email. Topoi’s privacy policy is clear and enforced: no third-party data sharing, ever.

Just sign up here to get started.

🎓 For Teachers: Using Topoi in Your Classroom

🧑‍🏫 Encourage Process, Not Product

  • Frame Topoi as a thinking partner. It asks questions, probes logic, and supports student agency.
  • Use milestone check-ins. Encourage students to use Topoi during brainstorming, drafting, and revision.
  • Collect chat transcripts as process artifacts. They show how student thinking evolves.

🔍 Foster Metacognition

  • Ask for reflection. “What did you learn from working with Topoi?” “What advice did you ignore, and why?”
  • Talk about AI as audience. How does writing change when you explain your ideas to a language model?
  • Model Topoi sessions live. Show how clarity, specificity, and revision all matter.
  • Emphasize student-led revision. Topoi doesn’t rewrite student work — instead, it helps students understand why something may feel unclear or off-track. This supports a core goal of writing instruction: helping students trust their instincts and make intentional changes.

🛠 Practical Use Tips

  • No login required. But signing in allows saving, sharing, and reviewing sessions.
  • Create custom prompts with students. Build effective session openers together.
  • Help students set boundaries. Topoi will challenge them — and that’s the point.

Note for Teachers

Topoi accepts uploads of plain text(.txt), PDF(.pdf), and Word(.docx) files.

We recommend preparing assignment sheets and/or rubrics as files students can upload directly into the chat. Also consider providing students with custom prompts to help them get started. For example, for a research assignment you might suggest they begin with: "What is a peer reviewed source?" or "How can I evaluate sources for this paper?"

Note: Topoi is not a grading tool. It’s designed to support student thinking, not to replace it. Encourage students to use Topoi as a partner in their writing process, not as a shortcut."

Thinking Bigger

Many teachers serve as informal administrators — shaping writing programs, mentoring colleagues, or selecting tools for the classroom. If that’s you, here’s what matters:

  • Topoi promotes process over product. It’s designed to reinforce rhetorical thinking, not shortcut it.
  • It’s free, private, and transparent. No hidden charges. No data sharing. No tricks.
  • It complements — not replaces — instruction. Think of Topoi as a digital writing center assistant, not a grading tool or generator.
  • We’re open to partnerships. If you're curious about using Topoi in your school or program, get in touch. We’re in beta — and listening.