The best prompts are simple: they say what you want, who it is for and what the result should look like. This guide shows a repeatable process you can use with any AI assistant.
Prerequisites
You need access to an AI assistant and a task you want help with, such as drafting an email or summarising notes.
Step-by-step
- State the goal. “Write a 150-word product update email.”
- Add context. Who is the audience? What do they already know?
- Provide material. Paste the notes or facts the answer should rely on.
- Set the format. Ask for a bullet list, a table or a specific tone.
- Iterate. Reply with what to change: “Shorter, friendlier, add a call to action.”
Example
Write a friendly 120-word email to existing customers announcing our new dashboard. Use the notes below. End with a link to the help page.
Troubleshooting
- Answer too generic? Add more context and an example of what you want.
- Facts look wrong? Provide the facts yourself and ask the AI to use only those.
- Too long? State a word limit.
Conclusion
Treat prompting as a conversation: start clear, review the result, and refine. To understand why AI sometimes gets facts wrong, read our explainer on large language models.
