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How to write good prompts: 10 tips to get better answers from AI

Ten practical tips, with before-and-after examples, for asking ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude for things and getting far more useful answers.

Official sourcePublished · 3 min read
Hands holding a phone next to a laptop on a desk
Image: Firmbee on Pixabay

A prompt is what you type to the AI: your question or request. The same tool can give you a generic answer or a perfect one, and the difference is almost always how you ask. These ten tips work with ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and nearly any assistant.

The golden rule

Write as if you were asking a very smart person who knows nothing about you or your situation. Anything you don’t tell them, they’ll have to guess.

The four parts of a good prompt A good prompt has four parts: who you are or the context, the specific task, the format you want, and limits or tone. THE 4 PARTS OF A GOOD PROMPT 1ContextWho you are andwhat it's for 2TaskWhat you want,with a clear verb 3FormatList, table,length… 4Limits and toneWhat to avoid andhow to sound
You don't always need all four, but the more you include, the better. Chart by Best AI Today.

1. Give context

Tell it who you are, what you need it for and who will read it.

  • ❌ Write an email asking for a day off.
  • ✅ I work in a store and need to ask my manager for Friday off to go to a wedding. We get along well. Write a short, polite email.

2. Be specific about the task

Start with a clear verb: summarize, compare, fix, translate, list, explain. “Tell me about…” gets vague answers.

3. Ask for a format

If you want a table, a list of steps or a 100-word text, say so.

  • ✅ Compare these three phones in a table with price, battery and camera.

4. Give examples

If you have a style in mind, show it. Paste something you wrote and add: “Write another one in this same tone.” One example beats lots of explanation.

5. Break big tasks down

Instead of asking for a whole business plan at once, go step by step: first ideas, then pick one, then the details. That way you stay in control at each stage.

6. Give it a role

Asking it to act as someone specific helps set the level and tone.

  • ✅ Act as a patient math teacher and explain fractions as if I were 12.

7. Say what you don’t want

Limits count too: “no jargon”, “no more than five sentences”, “don’t make up facts; if you don’t know, say so”.

8. Ask it to ask you

When you’re not sure what you need, end with: “Before answering, ask me any questions you need.” The AI will help you narrow it down.

9. Correct as you go

The first answer doesn’t have to be the final one. Reply with what you’d change: “shorter”, “more casual”, “drop the second point”. It’s a conversation, not a search.

10. Check important facts

AI can be wrong with great confidence. If the answer includes figures, dates, laws or health topics, ask for its sources and verify them. We explain why in why AI makes things up.

A template to copy

For something quick, fill this in:

I'm [who you are] and I need [what] for [why / for whom].
Make it a [list, table, email…] of about [length].
Tone: [formal, friendly, funny…]. Avoid: [what you don't want].
If you're missing information, ask me before answering.

Bonus tip: save it for good

If you always ask for things the same way, save your instructions. Gemini calls them skills and ChatGPT has custom instructions. More in Gemini’s latest updates and ChatGPT’s.

Sources

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