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What should I include in a prompt?
A prompt is the input that starts or continues an interaction with a language model. You do not need a special formula or secret wording. OpenAI’s Help Center advises using clear, specific, natural language and enough context for the assistant to understand what you want. Its guidance puts it this way: “As ChatGPT grows more intuitive, you can rely more on natural, goal-driven language and less on perfect phrasing – focus on your objectives and let the AI help you get there.” (OpenAI Help Center)
For a practical starting point, cover these parts when they matter:
- Task: Say what action the assistant should take, using a specific verb such as explain, compare, summarize, draft, or troubleshoot.
- Goal and audience: Explain what the answer is for and who will use it. A guide for a beginner needs different explanations from a technical note for an experienced reader.
- Context: Supply relevant background, source text, definitions, or facts the assistant would not otherwise know.
- Output: Specify the desired format, tone, or length when those details affect whether the result is usable.
- Constraints and priorities: Identify must-haves, things to avoid, and what to prioritize, such as accuracy, brevity, or a range of options.
- Check: Ask the assistant to flag assumptions, uncertainty, or missing information when that would help you assess the answer.
OpenAI Academy summarizes a similar framework as “role, task, context, output, limits, and check.” Treat it as a useful checklist, not a required incantation. (OpenAI Academy: Power Prompting)
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How do I write a better AI prompt?
1. Name the task and the result you need
Replace a vague request such as “Tell me about solar panels” with a defined job: “Explain the main trade-offs between rooftop solar panels and a home battery for a homeowner deciding which to install first.” The task tells the assistant what to do; the goal helps it decide which details matter.
2. Add context that changes the answer
Include relevant facts that are missing from the conversation: your location, experience level, intended use, source material, or constraints. For example, a troubleshooting request may need the device model and the exact error message. Avoid dumping in background that has no bearing on the result. OpenAI Academy notes that irrelevant information can make an answer less helpful, while pertinent context gives the assistant a better basis for responding. (OpenAI Academy: Prompting)
3. Describe what a usable answer looks like
Tell the assistant whether you need a short summary, a step-by-step explanation, a table, a draft email, or another format. Specify the audience and tone if they matter. If you want choices rather than one recommendation, ask for options and state how you want them compared. “Be helpful” is less actionable than “Give me three options, compare their setup effort and cost, and explain which suits a beginner.”
4. State the boundaries
Constraints prevent predictable misunderstandings. You might say to use only text you provide, avoid jargon, distinguish confirmed facts from assumptions, or leave out recommendations beyond the stated budget. Add a priority when requirements compete: for example, “Keep it brief, but do not omit safety steps.”
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Adapt this checklist to the task; leave out sections that do not matter.
Task: Do [specific action].
Context: Use [relevant facts, text, or background].
Audience and purpose: This is for [reader or use].
Output: Return [format, length, or tone].
Constraints and priorities: Include [must-haves]; avoid [known issue]; prioritize [criterion].
Check: Flag assumptions, uncertainty, or missing information where relevant.
For example:
Task: Summarize the meeting notes below and identify decisions and next steps.
Context: The notes are for a project team deciding what to do this week.
Output: Use three headings: Decisions, Action items, and Open questions. Keep the summary concise.
Constraints: Do not invent owners or deadlines. Mark any unclear assignment as “not specified.”
Check: Flag places where the notes do not establish what was decided.
The format is a convenience, not a prerequisite. A natural-language request that clearly communicates the same information can work just as well.
Should I use one prompt or several?
Choose based on how connected the instructions are and how much control you need over intermediate work. OpenAI Help Center guidance recommends breaking complex tasks into smaller, focused prompts and refining with follow-ups. OpenAI Academy’s prompting guidance notes that newer reasoning capabilities can allow related context and instructions to be consolidated. That model-specific observation is not a universal rule: capabilities vary, and the best approach depends on the task. (OpenAI Help Center; OpenAI Academy)
- Use one prompt when the requirements are tightly related and you can describe the desired result clearly in one assignment.
- Use separate prompts or follow-ups when a task has distinct stages, you need to review an intermediate result, or the first answer will help clarify what to ask next.
For a long report, for instance, you could first ask for an outline, revise its scope, then request a draft of a particular section. If the steps are straightforward and the context belongs together, providing them in one prompt may be more convenient.
How do I get ChatGPT to follow my instructions?
Make instructions concrete, put relevant context in the conversation, and say which requirement takes priority if two could conflict. If the answer misses something, use a follow-up that identifies the gap rather than repeating the entire request. For example: “Keep the structure, but add a section explaining the setup steps. Use only the details in my notes; label anything they do not establish.”
For a reporting workflow, OpenAI Academy’s journalism training applies the “role, task, context, output, limits, and check” approach and encourages surfacing uncertainty and missing facts. That is a useful example for journalism, not a formal standard every user must follow. (OpenAI Academy: Power Prompting)
How should I revise and check an AI answer?
- Compare the response with your goal. Identify what is missing, too broad, unclear, or in the wrong format.
- Give a targeted follow-up. State what to change, what to keep, and any additional context needed. Ask for a rewrite, not just a general improvement.
- Check important claims independently. Verify consequential facts against reliable sources, especially before relying on them for a decision or publishing them.
- Resolve uncertainty rather than hiding it. Ask what assumptions the answer made or what information is missing; provide that information if you have it.
Prompting is a way to steer an answer, not proof that the answer is true. OpenAI’s developer documentation discusses experimentation and testing when building API-based applications; that implementation advice is distinct from writing an everyday request in a consumer chat. (OpenAI API documentation: Prompt engineering)
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