The quality of an AI answer depends on the quality of your question. A good prompt takes thirty seconds longer to write and often saves ten minutes of fixing. Use this simple four-part formula.

The formula: Role, Task, Context, Format

• Role: who the AI should act as.
• Task: exactly what you want done.
• Context: who it is for and any key facts.
• Format: how the answer should look, such as length, tone or a table.

Weak prompt vs strong prompt

Weak: Write about healthy food.

Strong: You are a friendly nutrition writer. Write a 300-word blog introduction about easy healthy breakfasts for busy college students in India. Use simple English and end with a question for readers.

More tips

• Give an example of the style you want.
• Ask for step-by-step reasoning on complex problems.
• Ask the AI to list its assumptions or ask you questions first.
• Follow up. Say “make it shorter” or “use a more casual tone”.

Always check the result

AI can sound confident and still be wrong. Verify facts, numbers and quotes before you publish or rely on them, and do not share private information in prompts.