This guide covers the fundamentals behind prompting strategies and discusses some advanced techniques. For in-depth information on prompting, see the Writer prompt crafting guide.

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Fundamentals

Directive writing

Be direct and to the point:

Write a short summary of the article titled "The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Employment"

Inclusive prompts

Include your audience in your prompt:

Explain the implications of the recent changes in tax laws for small business owners in California.

Structured formatting

Format your prompt with ### Instruction ###, followed by ### Question ###:

### Instruction ###
Write a poem in the style of Robert Frost.

### Question ###
What’s the poem about?

Task breakdown

Break down complicated tasks into multiple prompts:

First, provide a brief overview of derivatives. Then, explain how it's related to credit risk.

Positive language

Use directives like “do” instead of “don’t”:

Do provide an analysis of the potential benefits and drawbacks of using renewable energy sources in the manufacturing industry, focusing on the economic, environmental, and social impacts.

Mandatory instructions

Use phrases like You MUST:

You must provide a step-by-step guide to setting up a WordPress website, including domain registration, web hosting, and content creation.

Penalty warning

Use phrases like You’ll be penalized:

You’ll be penalized if you don't include at least three different methods for solving the following math problem: Find the area of a circle with a radius of 5 units.

Natural responses

Request a simple response:

Please provide a brief explanation of the difference between a virus and a bacterium, answering in a natural, human-like manner.

Unbiased descriptions

Make sure that your answer is unbiased and doesn’t rely on stereotype:

Please describe the cultural significance of sushi in Japan, making sure that your answer is unbiased.

Educational writing

To write an essay, text, paragraph, article, or any detailed text:

Write a detailed essay for me on the history of the monetary policy.

Style consistency

Improve the tone of the text to make the writing style more professional:

Revise the following paragraph to improve its grammar and vocabulary, but make sure that the writing style remains formal.

Creative writing

I’ll give you the beginning of a story. Finish it and keep the flow consistent:

As the sun began to set, the sky turned a deep shade of orange. The birds returned to their nests, and the crickets started to chirp.

Linguistic mimicry

Use the same language as the following paragraph to explain the importance of exercise:

The practice of meditation has been around for thousands of years. It's a way to calm the mind and body, and it can be done almost anywhere.

Precise instructions

Clearly state the requirements that the model must follow to produce content, in the form of keywords or instructions.

Write a short summary of the article titled 'The Impact of AI on Employment'. Ensure that the summary is no longer than 150 words and includes the main arguments.

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Advanced techniques

Example driven prompts

Use example-driven (few-shot) prompting:

Provide a list of idioms in English, along with their meanings and example sentences.
Here is an example for the output:

An idiom: ‘Break a leg’
Meaning: Good luck
Example sentence: ‘I’m sure you’ll do great in your interview. Break a leg!’

Chain-of-thought Prompts

Combine chain-of-thought (CoT) prompts with few-shot prompts:

System instruction: Create a product detail page for a fictional innovative smartphone by a retailer known as “TechTrend Electronics.”
Prompt 1: Start by describing the unique features of the smartphone, such as its solar-powered battery, triple-lens camera system, and foldable screen technology.
Prompt 2: Next, outline the benefits of these features for users, like extended battery life, exceptional photo quality, and enhanced device portability.
Prompt 3: Conclude with crafting compelling product descriptions and a call-to-action that entices customers to make a purchase during the upcoming holiday sale.

Delimited prompts

Use delimiters to structure text:

Summarize a series of healthcare claims documents for a fictional healthcare company, ‘HealthFirst Solutions’, using the following delimiter \n to separate different sections of the summary:
Claim Number: 123456789 \n
Date of Service: January 1, 2024 \n
Diagnosis: Acute sinusitis \n
Total Claimed: $300 \n
Status: Pending review \n