How to Prompt
Every conversation with AI starts with a prompt. Get the prompt right and everything after it gets easier.
Talk to it like a capable new coworker: naturally, concisely, conversationally. Think out loud, in plain words. You do not need special phrases.
Based on the prompting foundations in Anthropic's Claude 101 and AI Fluency courses.
A good prompt, in three steps
Before your next conversation with Claude, consider: setting the stage (your role, objectives, and context), defining the task (what action you want Claude to take), and specifying rules (style, tone, and examples).
1. Set the stage
Give Claude the context only you have.
- Your role and objectives.
- What it should know.
2. Define the task
Name the action you want.
- Write, analyse, build, or something else.
- One job at a time.
3. Specify the rules
Say what good looks like.
- Style, tone, length.
- An example to copy, if you have one.
Set the stage
Give it the context only you have
AI cannot read your mind or your inbox.
A sentence of context is the cheapest win there is.
- What is your role, and what are your objectives?
- Is there context about your work that Claude should know?
Define the task
Name the one thing you want done
Vague in, vague out.
Be clear about the single action and the single output.
- What action do you want Claude to take?
- Write, analyse, build, or something else?
Specify the rules
Say what a good answer looks like
This is where most of the quality comes from.
Describe the shape of the answer you want.
- What style or tone do you want Claude to use?
- Are there examples you can attach to show what you are looking for?
An example prompt
All three steps in one real prompt. Each line is labelled with the step it does.
- 1Set the stage
I'm the marketing lead at an indie streaming startup, and we're preparing an investor pitch deck for Series A investors.
- 2Define the task
Can you research the current state of the independent film streaming market and identify key trends, competitor positioning, and growth opportunities?
- 3Specify the rules
Use current web research with citations and structure it as a professional report of up to 5 pages, with an executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, and growth opportunities.
Cannot describe it? Let it interview you
Add one line to your prompt: "Before you answer, ask me two or three questions." Answer them in plain words, and it has the context you would never have thought to give. You do not need the perfect prompt, you just need to answer good questions about your own work.
When the first answer misses
Your first prompt is the start of a conversation, not a one-shot request. Treat the first answer as a draft, then steer. You have three moves.
Ask follow-ups
Build on what it gave you.
- "Expand on the second point."
- "Make that more concise."
Give feedback
Say what worked and what did not.
- "Good, but too formal."
- "Cut the intro, keep the list."
Redirect or restart
Steer it back, or start clean.
- "I meant X, not Y."
- A fresh chat clears the context.
Common challenges, and how to fix them
When the answer is not quite right, it is usually one of these five. Each has a cause and a fix.
Too generic
Not enough context about your situation.
- Add your audience, role and constraints.
- Name specifics: "our enterprise client, second delay, keep it apologetic".
Too long or too short
It is guessing at the right length.
- Give it a number: "two paragraphs", "under 100 words".
- Or lift the cap: "a full analysis, length no concern".
Wrong format
It got the what, but not the how.
- Paste an example of the format you want.
- Or spell out the structure: "a bold header, then bullets".
Confident but wrong
It can state plausible but false facts, especially on niche detail.
- For anything that matters, verify the key facts.
- Ask for its sources, or turn on web search.
The tone is off
It defaults to helpful and professional.
- Name the tone: "more conversational", "authoritative and formal".
- Or give an example line in the voice you want.
The three steps, remembered as SDS:
- Set the stage: give it the context only you have.
- Define the task: name the one thing you want done.
- Specify the rules: say what good looks like, and show an example.
- Let it interview you: when you cannot describe it, ask it to ask you.
- Keep going: follow up, give feedback, or restart clean.
- Troubleshoot: too generic, too long, wrong format, confident but wrong, or tone off, each has a fix.
Keep it by you: grab the one-page SDS Cheat Sheet →
New to the tools themselves? Meet them in Claude 101 → Point it at something real with Use Cases → Or learn the framework behind good delegation in AI Fluency →