The Field Guide / Get better results
Write prompts that work: a 5-part recipe
Role, task, context, format and checks. A simple structure that works across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok, with copy-paste examples.
Most bad AI output comes from vague requests. The official prompting guides from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google agree on the basics: be clear and specific, give context and examples, and say what format you want. This recipe turns that into five parts you can fill in every time.
The recipe
- Role: who the AI should act as (“You are an experienced bookkeeper who explains things simply”).
- Task: one clear job, starting with a verb (“Write”, “Compare”, “Summarize”).
- Context: who it is for, why, and the facts it must use. Paste the source material.
- Format: length, structure and tone (“3 bullet points, under 80 words, friendly”).
- Checks: what to do when unsure, and what to avoid (“If a fact is missing, write [CHECK] instead of guessing”).
Role: You are [ROLE, E.G. A FRIENDLY SUPPORT LEAD FOR A SMALL BAKERY].
Task: [ONE CLEAR TASK STARTING WITH A VERB].
Context: This is for [AUDIENCE]. The goal is [GOAL]. Use only these facts:
[PASTE FACTS OR SOURCE TEXT]
Format: [LENGTH, STRUCTURE, TONE].
Checks: If any fact you need is missing, write [CHECK] instead of guessing. Do not invent prices, dates, names or statistics.Four habits that help more than clever wording
- Show an example. Paste one past email or post you liked and say “match this style”. All three vendor guides recommend examples.
- Give it the source. Paste the menu, policy or notes. Tools like NotebookLM answer from documents you upload, which reduces made-up answers.
- Ask for a plan first on bigger jobs: “Before writing, list the sections you will include.”
- Iterate in the same chat. “Shorter, warmer, remove the second paragraph” is faster than starting over.
Before and after
Before: “Write a post about our sale.” After:
Role: You write social posts for a small independent bookshop. Our voice is warm and a little nerdy.
Task: Write 3 options for an Instagram caption announcing our sale.
Context: 20% off all used books, Saturday and Sunday only, this weekend. Audience: local regulars.
Format: Each under 60 words, 1 emoji max, end with our address: [STORE ADDRESS].
Checks: Do not add any offer that is not listed above.Anthropic's own team builds a real prompt step by step, a good model for the habits in this guide.
Tools mentioned
Listings link to each tool's official site. Prices change often; confirm on the vendor's page.
Perplexity
Answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources, with deeper research mode for reports.
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Upload docs, PDFs and links, then ask questions or get an audio overview grounded only in your sources.
HuggingChat
Free chat with open-source models, with web search and community assistants.
Typefully
Writing and scheduling app for X, LinkedIn and Threads with AI rewrites and post ideas.
Buffer AI Assistant
Scheduler with a built-in writing helper that repurposes one idea into posts for each network.
Gamma
Turns a prompt or outline into a presentation, doc or simple website.
Sources
Factual claims in this article come from these pages. We have not tested every tool mentioned.