Guide

Prompting basics: how to get better answers from AI

The quality of an AI answer depends heavily on the question. You do not need magic words, just clarity.

1. Say who it is for and what you want

Instead of "Explain inflation", try: "Explain inflation to a 15-year-old in 150 words, using an example about pizza prices."

2. Give context

Paste the relevant text, say your goal, and mention constraints (budget, tools, deadline). The model cannot read your mind or see your screen.

3. Specify the format

"Give me a table with three columns", "five bullet points", "a friendly email under 120 words", "JSON with these keys".

4. Show an example

One or two samples of the style you want ("here is a paragraph I like") often beats a long description.

5. Break big jobs into steps

Ask for an outline first, approve it, then request each section. For tricky problems, ask the model to think step by step.

6. Ask it to check itself

"List the assumptions you made", "what could be wrong with this answer?" or "give sources I can verify". Then verify them - models can invent citations.

7. Iterate

Treat it as a conversation. "Shorter", "more formal", "explain the second point more" all work.

What not to do

Do not paste passwords, private customer data or confidential documents into tools you do not control.
Do not rely on a single answer for medical, legal or financial decisions.
Do not assume it knows today's news unless it can search the web.

A template to copy

Role: You are an experienced [role].
Task: [what you want done]
Context: [background, audience, constraints]
Format: [how the answer should look]
Check: Tell me anything you are unsure about.