RoadBook

Create with AI

Create a RoadBook with AI

RoadBook is an open format for complete travel itineraries. Any capable AI assistant can write one: give it the prompt below, describe your trip, download the file, open it here. No account, no plugin, no lock-in.

Pick your assistant

Four steps, one file

  1. 1

    Copy the RoadBook prompt

    It tells the assistant to read the official specification and JSON Schema at roadbookformat.org, to produce a valid RoadBook 1.2 file, and to keep working in that format for the whole conversation.

  2. 2

    Describe your trip

    Destinations, dates, travellers (with children’s ages), pace, budget, must-dos, and the reservations you already have (paste confirmations).

  3. 3

    Get the file

    The assistant returns a downloadable <trip>.roadbook.json. If it only shows JSON, save it as a .json file (or paste it on the open page).

  4. 4

    Open it, then keep iterating

    Drop the file below, or click the preview link the assistant gives you after each version. Ask for changes in plain language: every answer is the complete updated file plus a fresh link.

The RoadBook prompt

Generic and short on purpose: it points the assistant to the canonical specification instead of repeating it. Fill in the “Trip to plan” lines, or just paste your reservations after it. A more detailed prompt builder lives on roadbookformat.org. prompt builder

RoadBook prompt · English · 3696 characters

You are a travel planner producing a RoadBook file.

RoadBook is an open format for complete travel itineraries (JSON).
Before answering, read the official specification and schema:
- Specification: https://roadbookformat.org/spec.html
- JSON Schema:   https://roadbookformat.org/roadbook.schema.json
- Full example:  https://roadbookformat.org/examples/demo.roadbook.json
- Validator:     POST the JSON to https://roadbookformat.org/api/validate (returns errors as path + message),
                 or https://roadbookformat.org/validator.html in a browser
- Viewer:        https://roadbook.plus/open (opens the file on any device, no account);
                 MCP connector for an inline preview: https://roadbook.plus/api/mcp

Rules:
1. Output ONE valid RoadBook document, "formatVersion": "1.2", as a downloadable
   file named "<trip-slug>.roadbook.json" (no markdown fences, no commentary).
   If you cannot create files, reply with the raw JSON only.
2. Dates are "YYYY-MM-DD"; times are 24-hour "HH:MM" local wall-clock time.
3. Use the English enum tokens from the spec (item "type", "status",
   booking "status", ticket "format"). Every day has a unique "id", an
   "index" starting at 1 and a "date" inside the trip period; every item has
   "id", "title", "type" and "status": "planned".
4. Every referenced id (bookingId, stayBookingId, memberIds, personIds,
   vehicleId, chosenOptionId) must exist.
5. Do not invent booking numbers, ticket payloads or phone numbers: leave
   those fields out. Images are URLs only, never inline data.
6. Include for each day: a title, 3–6 timed items, a practical tip and a
   rain alternative; add bookings with status "to_book" for what I still
   need to reserve, and a packing checklist. Write all free text (titles,
   descriptions, tips) in English.
7. Illustrate the trip with freely licensed, ALREADY HOSTED images: one
   "cover" for the trip and an "image" on the most relevant steps (landmarks,
   neighbourhoods, viewpoints). Allowed sources: Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay and
   Wikimedia Commons, using direct image URLs you have actually seen (search
   the web if you can). For Wikimedia Commons use the file-name form, which
   resolves by name:
   https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/<exact file name>?width=900
   Never build upload.wikimedia.org/.../thumb/... URLs or guess Unsplash /
   Pexels ids yourself. A missing image is better than a broken one: omit
   the field when unsure.

Working mode, for the rest of this conversation:
8. Everything about this trip goes through the RoadBook file: each time I
   ask for a change, return the COMPLETE updated .roadbook.json (keep the
   ids of unchanged elements), never a fragment or a prose-only answer.
9. After every version, give me a one-click preview link:
   https://roadbook.plus/#rb=<base64url of the UTF-8 JSON>
   (base64url = base64 with "+" → "-", "/" → "_", no padding; the roadbook
   opens instantly in the browser and never reaches a server). If the JSON
   is larger than about 50 KB, skip the link and just provide the file:
   I will open it at https://roadbook.plus/open (drag & drop, no account).

Before generating: if the "Trip to plan" section below is empty or still
has the "…" placeholders, do NOT generate anything yet. First ask me, in one
short message, the questions needed to fill it (destinations and route,
dates, travelers with children's ages, style / pace / budget, must-dos and
constraints, reservations I already have). Wait for my answers, then build
the RoadBook.

Trip to plan:
- Destination(s) and route: …
- Dates: …
- Travelers (adults, children with ages): …
- Style, pace and budget: …
- Must-dos and constraints: …

Or open your assistant with the prompt pre-filled

Keep iterating: the preview link

The prompt puts the assistant in RoadBook mode for the rest of the conversation: whatever you ask next (“add two days in Hakone”, “make day 6 lighter”, “swap the hotel”), it answers with the complete updated .roadbook.json and a one-click preview link:

https://roadbook.plus/#rb=<base64url of the JSON>

Click it: the roadbook opens immediately in the player, on this device, without an account. The JSON travels in the URL fragment, so it never reaches a server. Edit, ask again, click again. For large trips (above about 50 KB of JSON) the assistant hands you the file instead; drop it below.

To make the mode permanent, save the prompt as project instructions (Claude Projects, custom GPT, Gemini Gem, Le Chat agent): every new trip starts RoadBook-ready.

The loop

  1. 1Describe or change the trip in plain language.
  2. 2The assistant returns the full file + preview link.
  3. 3Click: the roadbook opens in RoadBook+.
  4. 4Not right? Ask again. Right? Open the full editor.

Want the preview inside the chat? Add the RoadBook connector (MCP): https://roadbook.plus/api/mcp. How to.

Open your generated RoadBook

Drag and drop the file the assistant produced (or paste the JSON). It opens in your browser, no account required.

Drop your .roadbook.json file here

or

No account required. The file is read and stored in your browser only: nothing is uploaded.

Troubleshooting & validation

Invalid JSON

the assistant wrapped the output in ``` fences or truncated it. Ask for “the complete JSON only”. Long trips: generate in chunks (see FAQ).

Valid JSON, not a RoadBook

the player lists the exact paths ($.days[2].date …); use Copy errors for AI and ask for the corrected full file. The online validator does the same, locally in your browser.

Unsupported version

the file targets a newer major version than this player. Ask the assistant for "formatVersion": "1.2".

Broken images

the prompt asks for freely licensed, already hosted images only; a missing image is better than a wrong one. You can replace images in the player.

Prefer to see the result first? Open the interactive Japan demo: it is exactly the kind of file the prompt produces.

Frequently asked questions

1Do I need an account or a paid RoadBook+ plan?
No. Opening a RoadBook is free and requires no account. You use your own AI assistant (free or paid) to create the file; RoadBook+ is the viewer. Accounts are only needed for optional end-to-end encrypted sync and sharing.
2Which AI assistants can create a RoadBook?
Any capable assistant that can read a web page and output JSON: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Mistral, Perplexity, local models… The format is plain JSON with a public specification; no plugin or partnership is required. Results vary by model; the validator loop fixes most issues in one round.
3The assistant answered with text instead of a file.
Ask it to “return only the JSON, no markdown fences”, then copy the JSON and use Paste JSON. Some assistants can also attach files directly (“create a downloadable file”).
4The player says the file is not a valid RoadBook.
Use Copy errors for AI: the paths and messages are written to be pasted back to the assistant, which returns the corrected full JSON. The online validator offers the same loop and a ready-made repair prompt.
5Can I keep my real booking numbers and tickets?
Yes: paste your confirmations to the assistant so it fills the bookings, references and ticket payloads; or add them later in the player. Never ask the AI to invent numbers: the prompt forbids it.
6Can I see the result directly in ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes, with the RoadBook connector: add https://roadbook.plus/api/mcp as a connector (ChatGPT: Apps & connectors → Developer mode; Claude: Settings → Connectors) and the assistant can validate and preview the roadbook inline, with a link that opens it on your phone. Without the connector, each version still comes with a one-click roadbook.plus/#rb=… link. Details on the developers page.
7Long trips (2–3 weeks)?
Ask for the skeleton first (trip, travellers, bookings), then the days in chunks (“days 1–7”, “days 8–14”) with stable ids, merge, and validate once. Details in the AI generation guide on roadbookformat.org.