The Anatomy of a Good AI Prompt

AI tools only know what you tell them. A short, vague request gets a generic answer. A clear prompt with a few simple parts gets an answer you can actually use.

You do not need clever tricks. You need to be clear.

Tell the AI who to act as. It sets the level of expertise and the point of view.

Act as a friendly personal trainer.

Say exactly what you want, using an action word: write, explain, plan, compare, summarise, or list.

Create a three-day-a-week workout plan.

Give the details that make the answer fit you.

I am 40, a beginner, I have 30 minutes a session, and I only have dumbbells at home.

Say how you want the answer to look: a table, bullet points, steps, an email, or a short paragraph.

Put it in a table with the day, exercises, sets, and reps.

Say how it should sound: friendly, formal, simple, funny, or encouraging.

Keep the language simple and encouraging.

Set limits: length, things to avoid, or must-haves.

No jumping exercises, and keep each session under 30 minutes.

Act as [role]. [Task]. Here is my situation: [context]. Give it to me as [format]. Use a [tone] tone. [Constraints].

Writing

Act as an editor. Rewrite this email to sound polite but firm. Keep it under 100 words.

Research

Explain the pros and cons of heat pumps for a small home in a cold climate, as a simple table.

Planning

Plan a two-day trip to Lisbon for a couple who love food, on a medium budget, as a timeline.

Learning

Explain compound interest like I am 12, with one everyday example.

• “Make it shorter.”
• “Give me three other options.”
• “Explain step two in more detail.”
• “Now turn it into a checklist.”

• Asking in five words and expecting a perfect answer
• Leaving out who it is for
• Not saying what format you want
• Accepting the first answer without checking facts
• Sharing private details you should not

• Did I say who the AI should be?
• Did I say exactly what I want?
• Did I give my situation?
• Did I ask for a format and tone?
• Did I set any limits?