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How to write good AI prompts
In short: A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. Good prompts explain the task, the context, who the result is for and what format you want. Giving an example and asking the AI to check its work helps too. Short, vague prompts give generic answers; clear prompts save time.
Why the way you ask matters
An AI chatbot only knows what you tell it in the conversation, plus what it learned in training. If you type "write an email", it has to guess everything: who it is for, why you are writing and what tone to use. The result is usually bland. A few extra sentences of detail make a big difference.
Think of it like briefing a new colleague. You would not just say "write an email". You would explain the situation, the goal and the tone.
A simple recipe: the four Cs
- Clear task: what exactly do you want? "Write a short email declining an invitation."
- Context: the background. "It is from my neighbour, for her daughter's birthday party on Saturday. We are away that weekend."
- Customer: who will read it. "My neighbour is friendly and we get on well."
- Construction: the shape you want. "Warm, under 80 words, offer to drop a card round next week."
Before and after
| Vague prompt | Clearer prompt |
|---|---|
| Explain Wi-Fi. | Explain how home Wi-Fi works to a 70-year-old who has never used a computer. Use one everyday comparison and keep it under 150 words. |
| Make a meal plan. | Make a 5-day dinner plan for a family of four, vegetarian, each meal under 30 minutes, with a combined shopping list at the end. |
| Fix my CV. | Here is my CV. I am applying for an IT support role. Suggest five specific improvements and explain each one in a sentence. Do not invent any experience. |
Tricks that help
- Give an example of what good looks like: "Write it in the same style as this paragraph: ..."
- Ask for options: "Give me three versions: formal, friendly and very short."
- Ask it to ask you questions first: "Before you start, ask me anything you need to know."
- Break big tasks into steps: outline first, then each section.
- Ask it to check itself: "List any statements in your answer that I should double-check."
- Keep improving: reply with "shorter", "less formal" or "add a bullet list" rather than starting again.
What not to put in a prompt
Prompts may be stored by the company that runs the tool and, depending on your settings, used to improve it. Keep out passwords, bank details, ID numbers, health records and other people's private information. If you need help with a real document, remove names and numbers first. Our guide Using AI tools safely covers this in more depth.
Tip: Save prompts that work well in a note on your phone. Re-using a good prompt is faster than writing a new one each time.
Always read the result
Even a perfect prompt can produce a wrong fact, an odd phrase or a missing detail. Read every answer before you send, publish or rely on it. You are still the author, and you are responsible for what goes out with your name on it. See AI for everyday tasks for more ideas.
Key takeaways
- A prompt is your instruction; detail and context give better answers.
- Use the four Cs: clear task, context, who it is for and the format you want.
- Examples, options and step-by-step requests improve results.
- Keep private details out of prompts and always read the result.
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