Writing better prompts

Why most answers disappoint

Most weak answers come from vague questions. 'Help with my budget' gives the assistant almost nothing to work with. A good prompt tells it who it is helping, what to do, what it knows and what the answer should look like.

The four parts

1. Role: who the assistant should act as, for example 'a senior management accountant'.
2. Task: one clear action, for example 'draft variance commentary'.
3. Context: the facts it needs, pasted in or described.
4. Format: how the answer should look, for example 'three bullet points, under 120 words'.

Before and after

The same request, written two ways.

Write something about our sales this month.

A stronger version

Role: You are a management accountant. Task: draft a short commentary explaining the change in revenue from last month. Context: Revenue rose from [X] to [Y]. The main drivers were [list]. Format: three bullet points, plain English, under 120 words. Do not invent reasons that are not listed above.

Step-by-step: improve any prompt

1. Write the task in one sentence.
2. Add the role and the audience.
3. Paste the facts the answer depends on.
4. State the format and length.
5. Add one rule that prevents guessing, such as 'if information is missing, ask me'.
6. Read the answer. If it is wrong, say what was wrong and ask for a fix, rather than starting again.

Use the loop, not one perfect prompt

Good results usually come from two or three short rounds, not one long message.