How to Write Prompts That Work
Write clear, reusable prompts using a simple five-part structure.
30 minutes Course overview1. Better instructions beat clever tricks
A prompt is simply what you ask an AI to do. You don’t need secret commands or magic phrases. You need to tell it enough to know what success would look like.
Compare “Write an email” with “Write a friendly 120-word email to a colleague asking to move our catch-up to Thursday. Give two subject-line ideas and don’t invent a reason.” Both are prompts. One gives the model a usable brief.
2. The five-part prompt recipe
- Task: what do you want it to do? Explain, draft, compare, brainstorm, plan or summarise?
- Context: who is it for, and what situation matters?
- Format: paragraph, table, checklist, email, questions or step-by-step guide?
- Constraints: length, tone, budget, reading level, what to leave out?
- Examples: if you have a sample style or a model answer, show it.
Not every request needs all five. A one-sentence question is fine. Add details when the result would otherwise require guesswork.
CONTEXT: I’m a busy office worker and new to AI.
FORMAT: A table with idea, time needed and first step.
CONSTRAINTS: No paid apps, no coding, no access to work records.
EXAMPLE: “Use a reusable email template” is the level of simplicity I want.
3. Invite questions before the answer
Sometimes you don’t yet know what information matters. Add “Ask me three questions before you start.” That turns the AI into a planning partner rather than a guessing machine.
4. Tell it what not to assume
For sensitive or factual topics, it’s useful to write “If you don’t know, say so. Don’t invent facts or sources. Tell me what needs checking.” This doesn’t guarantee accuracy, but it sets a sensible expectation.
5. Common mistakes
Too vague: “Make this better.” Better: “Make this clearer and friendlier without changing the meaning.” Too much at once: asking for a full business plan, logo, accounts and website in a single message. Better: agree the goal and tackle one part at a time. Missing the audience: a proposal for a director is different from an explanation for a ten-year-old.
Try it yourself
Pick a task you have this week. Write a prompt using at least task, context, format and one constraint. Ask the AI to answer, then improve the prompt once.
Compare the original and revised results. Which part of the prompt made the biggest difference?
Can you explain it back?
Answer each question before opening the explanation. You aren’t being graded — this is how you make the knowledge stick.
1. What does ‘context’ add to a prompt?
It helps the AI understand the situation, audience and relevant background.
2. Do you need all five prompt parts every time?
No. Use the parts that remove ambiguity for the particular task.
3. What should you say if the AI is guessing essential facts?
Ask it to identify unknowns, avoid inventions and request the missing information.