Guide · Jun 20, 2026
First, state the outcome, not just the topic. 'Write about remote work' invites rambling; 'write a 200-word argument for async standups aimed at skeptical managers' gives the model a target to hit.
Second, name the audience. The same information should be phrased completely differently for a customer, a colleague, or a child, and models are genuinely good at adjusting — but only when told.
Third, give it a format: a table, five bullets, a single paragraph, a subject line plus body. Fourth, include one example of what good looks like when you have one. Fifth, say what to avoid — banned words, tones, or approaches — because exclusions steer output as strongly as instructions.
None of these require prompt-engineering expertise. They're the same habits you'd use briefing a freelancer, and that's the most useful way to think about prompting in general.