How do you write a good prompt?

To write a good prompt, be specific about what you want, give the model the context it needs, state the exact format for the answer, and — if the task is fussy — show one example of a good result. Vague prompts get vague answers. The more clearly you describe the job, the audience, and the shape of the output, the better the response.

What makes a prompt actually work?

Run through this checklist before you hit send:

1. Be specific. Say exactly what you want. "Write about dogs" is weak; "Write a 100-word intro for a blog post about crate-training puppies" is strong.
2. Give context. Tell the model who it is writing for, why, and any facts it needs. It can't read your mind or your files.
3. State the format. Ask for a bulleted list, a table, three options, JSON — whatever you actually need to use.
4. Set a role. "You are an experienced copy editor" nudges the tone and depth in a useful direction.
5. Show an example. For anything with a specific style or structure, one sample output is worth a paragraph of description.
6. Iterate. Treat the first answer as a draft. Tell the model what to fix and ask again.

What does that look like in practice?

Before: "Write a product description for my headphones."

After: "You are a copywriter for a consumer audio brand. Write a 50-word product description for wireless over-ear headphones aimed at commuters. Emphasize noise cancellation and battery life.

Friendly, confident tone. Return just the description, no headline."

The second version tells the model the role, length, audience, key selling points, tone, and output format. That is the whole difference between a generic paragraph and something you can nearly paste in as-is. You don't need all six items every time — but when an answer disappoints, it is almost always because one of them was missing.

Add the missing piece and ask again rather than starting over.