Write a Prompt in Order

A prompt that works is written in order: state the role, the task, the format and the limits, then ask for sources. This page gives the procedure and a before-and-after example.

Start with the role. One line telling the model what perspective to take removes the most common guess it would otherwise make on its own.

State the task in a single sentence. A task that fits in one sentence is a task the model can answer in one pass; a task spread across three sentences usually gets a partial answer.

Give the format you want back: a list, a table, a paragraph count, a length in words. Without a format, the model chooses one, and you spend a second turn asking it to change.

Set the limits: what to leave out, what not to assume, what to do if the information is missing. Limits are what stop a confident-sounding invention.

Finally, ask for sources. A model asked for sources will name them; you then confirm each against the original document, dataset or announcement.

Temperature is a sampling setting: near 0 the output is nearly deterministic, and values closer to 1 make it noticeably more varied. For factual work, keep it near 0. A before-and-after example is shown in the figure below.

• Role: one line, the perspective to take.
• Task: one sentence, the single thing to answer.
• Format: list, table, paragraph count or word length.
• Limits: what to exclude, what not to assume, what to do if information is missing.
• Sources: ask for them, then confirm each one.

Further reading

• The Documented Assistants
• Check What It Says