How to Write a Good AI Prompt
Published 30 Sep 2026
Updated 30 Sep 2026
Last verified 30 Sep 2026 7 min read
The short version
Tell the AI what you want, who it’s for, what it should know, what shape the answer should take, and then refine. Good prompts are specific, not long.
What is a prompt?
A prompt is whatever you type to an AI. The clearer it is, the better the answer. There’s no magic wording: it’s about giving the AI what a human helper would need.
The seven habits
- Say the goal. “Write a short email asking a customer to pay an overdue invoice.”
- Give context. “It’s 14 days late; they’re usually reliable.”
- Name the audience. “A busy small-business owner I want to keep.”
- Set the format. “Under 120 words, plain text, with a subject line.”
- Set the tone. “Polite but firm.”
- Add limits. “Don’t sound aggressive. Include the payment link.”
- Iterate. Reply with changes: “shorter”, “warmer”, “give me three versions”.
Before and after
| Vague | Better |
|---|---|
| Write about my business | Write a 100-word “About us” for a two-person plumbing firm in Leeds. Friendly, local, mention 20 years’ experience. No jargon. |
| Help with my CV | Here is my CV [paste]. Rewrite the summary for a warehouse supervisor role. Keep it under 60 words and don’t invent skills. |
Task: [what you want] Background: [what it needs to know] Audience: [who it's for] Format and length: [e.g. bullet list, under 150 words] Tone: [e.g. friendly and plain] Rules: [things to avoid or include] Before you start, ask me any questions you need answered.
Prefer to fill in boxes? Use our free Prompt Builder.
Common mistakes
- Cramming everything into one giant prompt. Start simple, then refine.
- Not saying what you don’t want.
- Skipping the check. Always verify facts and numbers.
What to try next
Copy a ready-made prompt from the prompt vault, then learn to check the answer.
Sources
- General guidance written by Silent Overseer, tested across ChatGPT, Claude and Grok.
- Prompt Builder tool
Silent Overseer uses AI tools to help research and draft, and every article is reviewed before publishing. How we work. Spotted a mistake? We correct and date changes.