What makes a good AI prompt?

Provide context and roles, clearly state objectives and formats, and offer examples or constraints - the more specific, the better.

Is a longer prompt always better?

The key is clarity, not length; provide necessary context and requirements, but avoid redundancy.

Are there pre-made prompt templates available?

Yes, you can refer to TheAI Academy's prompt library for directly applicable templates.

How to Write Effective AI Prompts: 10 Instantly Actionable Tips

Well-crafted prompts can vastly improve the quality of AI responses. This article teaches you 10 core techniques for writing effective prompts using real-life examples.

Why Prompts are So Important

The same AI model can produce answers that vary greatly in quality depending on how well the prompt is written. Mastering the techniques below will make you more proficient when using ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.

1. Provide Role and Context

First, tell the AI "who you are, who you're doing it for, and what the purpose is." For example, "You are an experienced marketing copywriter writing a Facebook ad for a budgeting app."

2. Specify Output Format

Do you want a list, table, JSON, or a 300-word short article? Specify directly to avoid back-and-forth.

3. Provide Examples (Few-Shot)

Give one or two examples of what you want, and the AI will imitate the style and structure, greatly improving accuracy.

4. Set Limits and Conditions

Specify word count, tone, what to avoid, and who the audience is, all upfront.

5. Think Step-by-Step

For complex tasks, add "please reason step-by-step before giving a conclusion" to reduce errors from jumping to conclusions.

6. Iterate Rather than Trying to Get it Right the First Time

Treat the conversation as a collaboration: ask for a draft first, then request modifications to a specific section, which is better than trying to get it perfect in one go.

7. Ask it to Ask You Questions

"Before starting, ask me 3 questions that will improve the result" — let the AI fill in the gaps in information.

8. Use Traditional Chinese and Specify Local Context

Clearly require "using Taiwanese traditional Chinese" to avoid simplified Chinese or awkward translations.

9. Make Good Use of System Prompts and Custom Commands

Set your long-term preferences (tone, identity, taboos) as custom commands, which will take effect every time.

10. Verify and Fact-Check

AI may "speak nonsense with a straight face." For important facts, verify yourself or ask it to provide sources.

Extended

To find more AI assistants, see AI Assistant Category; to see recommended tests, see Best AI Chatbots.