How to write a good AI prompt: the method that works in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot

A prompt is the request you write to the AI. When the answer comes back generic, shallow or off the mark, the problem is almost always the request, not the tool. The method below works the same way in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot.

The 5-part method

A good prompt answers five questions:

1. Role: who should the AI be? (“Act as an accountant”, “as an English teacher”.)
2. Task: what exactly do you want? Use a clear verb: write, summarize, compare, review, explain, list.
3. Context: who it’s for, what it’s for, what the AI needs to know (company, audience, situation).
4. Format: how the answer should look: a table, a list, an email, 3 paragraphs, up to 100 words.
5. Constraints: tone, language, what to avoid, what not to make up.

Before and after

Weak prompt:

Write an email asking a customer to pay.

Good prompt:

Act as the finance manager of a small computer store.
Write a polite but firm email to a customer whose $1,200 invoice is 15 days overdue.
Context: they have been a good customer for 3 years; I want to keep the relationship.
Format: subject line + body of no more than 120 words, offering the option to pay in 2 installments.
Don't use threats or legal terms.

6 techniques that improve any answer

1. Give examples. Show a text in the style you want (“write something similar to this”).
2. Ask for questions before the answer. End with: “Before you answer, ask me whatever you still need to know to get it right.”
3. Break big tasks down. First the outline, then each part. The AI makes fewer mistakes in steps.
4. Ask for the reasoning and a check. “Explain step by step and point out what might be wrong in your answer.”
5. Refine in the same conversation. “Shorter”, “more formal”, “change the example” — no need to start over.
6. Attach the material. Instead of pasting loose excerpts, send the PDF, the spreadsheet or the full text and say where to focus.

Ready-to-copy templates

Document summary:

Summarize the attached document in 5 bullet points for a busy executive.
Then list 3 risks or open issues that appear in the text, citing the page or section.
If something isn't clear in the document, say it isn't clear instead of guessing.

Explaining a topic:

Explain what [topic] is to someone who has never studied it.
Use an everyday analogy, then a practical example, and finish with 3 questions so I can test whether I understood.

Editing a text:

Edit the text below: fix spelling and grammar, make the sentences shorter and keep my tone.
Show the edited text and then a list of the main changes.

[paste the text here]

Most common mistakes

• A vague request: “help me with marketing” has no task and no format.
• Too many topics in one request: split them into separate messages.
• Trusting without checking: AI can make up numbers, laws, dates and references with complete confidence. Check anything important.
• Pasting sensitive data into a personal account: customer data, passwords and contracts. See how to use AI at work safely.

FAQ