What is a prompt?

A prompt is the message you send to AI. The clearer you are about what you need, the easier it is for AI to give a suitable result. For example, "write about coffee" gives something very different from "write 3 sentences promoting iced milk coffee for my cafe".

Imagine giving work to a new employee. If you only say "do a report", they have to guess. The same goes for AI.

Vague prompt: "Write about coffee."

Clear prompt: "Write 3 sentences promoting iced milk coffee for my small cafe, in a friendly tone, for Facebook."

A clear prompt answers: what to write, for whom, how long, and where it will be used. No special words are needed, just write as if instructing a person.

Step by step

1. Open ChatGPT

   On a computer or phone, open a web browser and go to chatgpt.com. You can also click "Open ChatGPT" in this lesson's prompt box.

2. Send a vague prompt

   Type and send the line below. Read the result.

3. Send a clear prompt

   Click "New chat". Copy the sample prompt, fill it in and send.

4. Compare the two results

   Reopen both chats. See which result you could use right away.

What did you learn?

• A prompt is the message you send to AI.
• A vague prompt makes AI guess.
• A clear prompt says what, for whom, how long and where.
• You do not need special words to write a good prompt.