Be Specific
❌ Bad: "Write an email"
✓ Good: "Write a professional email to my manager asking for a meeting about Q2 goals. Keep it to 3 sentences."
Step 2 of 3
Try a useful prompt.
The difference between a great AI response and a mediocre one is usually the prompt. Learn to write prompts that get you what you actually want.
Foundation
What makes a good prompt?
Think of prompts like instructions to a human. If you're vague and brief, you'll get vague responses. Be specific, and you'll get exactly what you need.
Give Context
❌ Bad: "Brainstorm ideas"
✓ Good: "Brainstorm 5 content ideas for a beginner AI blog. Topics should appeal to non-technical people aged 25-40."
Specify the Format
❌ Bad: "Summarize this"
✓ Good: "Summarize this article in 2-3 bullet points, focusing on the main findings."
Formula
The simple prompt formula
If you're not sure where to start, use this structure:
Context
Briefly explain the situation or background. "I'm writing a LinkedIn post about..."
Task
Clearly state what you want. "Please write 3 variations of the opening line..."
Format
Specify how you want it presented. "Format as a numbered list with brief explanations."
Example: "I'm writing a welcome email for new users of our app. Please write a short, friendly welcome message (under 100 words) that explains the main benefit and includes a button label suggestion."
Pitfalls
Mistakes to avoid
❌ Being too vague
"Write something good about productivity" → AI guesses what you want and often misses.
❌ Assuming context
AI doesn't know your industry, audience, or goals unless you say so explicitly.
❌ Asking too much at once
10 tasks in one prompt = muddled response. Break it into 2-3 focused prompts instead.
❌ Forgetting to say "no"
Tell AI what NOT to include: "Don't mention pricing" or "avoid technical jargon."
Try It
Score your prompt
Paste a prompt below and get instant feedback on how to improve it.
Ready for step 3?
Now that you know how to write good prompts, let's build a habit and explore real use cases.
Go to Step 3: Keep Learning