Write an AI request that gives you a useful draft

You ask AI for help and get general tips, text of the wrong length or things you did not ask for. The reason is usually in the request. AI cannot see your situation and generally knows only what you tell it. When your request specifies the task, context, format and constraints, you get a draft you can assess and improve.

Four things your request should include

1. Task: what the AI should do, such as summarise, brainstorm, explain or write a draft.
2. Context: what it needs to know about the situation and your goal. Provide only what the task needs.
3. Format: how you want the answer presented, such as a list or a short message, its length and its audience.
4. Constraints: what information the answer may use or what it must not add, such as “use only the items I mentioned”. Length belongs under format. A good constraint lets you see directly from the answer whether the AI followed it.

Write a request step by step

1. 1

   Choose a task whose result you can assess

   Start with something you know so you can tell whether the answer is good. In this example, you are packing for a weekend trip.

2. 2

   Name the task

   Write one sentence saying what you need.

3. 3

   Add the context the task needs

   Explain what the AI needs to know about your situation. Leave out information the task does not need.

4. 4

   Specify the format

   State the structure and length, such as three steps with a duration in minutes.

5. 5

   Set one constraint you can check

   For example, limit the information to be used or specify what must not be added to the response.

6. 6

   Read the response as a draft

   Check whether the response followed the format and constraint. If it departs from your request, ask for one correction in the same conversation.

Example: a packing plan

I am getting ready for a weekend trip on Saturday. I have 30 minutes to pack. I am packing a shirt, spare socks, a water bottle, a sandwich and a raincoat. Create three steps, give each a duration in minutes and group the items. Use only the items I mentioned in the plan. End by listing one thing I still need to find out.

For example, the AI answered: “Step 1 (10 min): gather your clothes — the shirt, spare socks and raincoat. Step 2 (10 min): prepare the sandwich and fill the water bottle. Step 3 (10 min): add a flask and check that you have everything. Still to check: Saturday's weather forecast.”

• The task and format are correct: there are three steps, each with a duration.
• The context is reflected: the steps fit into 30 minutes.
• The constraint was not followed: I did not mention a flask, so it is an addition.
• A follow-up request fixes just that: “Remove the flask because I did not mention it. Keep the steps and durations unchanged.”

Once the plan is right, you can change one condition at a time. Say what changes and ask to keep everything else. Then compare the new version with the previous one: did only what you requested change?

Keep all the items mentioned and make the plan fit into 20 minutes. Briefly explain what you changed and what you left unchanged.

How to tell whether the request worked

• The response performs the task you asked for rather than a related task.
• The response uses the context you provided instead of offering general tips that could apply to anyone.
• The response has the format and length you requested.
• The response follows the constraint you set, and you can check this directly.

Common stumbling blocks

• The context is missing and the response stays general. Add one fact about your situation, such as the time available or your goal.
• There is too much context. A long explanation buries the important information, and names or other identifying details may slip in. Remove everything the task does not need.
• The constraint cannot be checked. “Make it good” or “be precise” does not tell you what to look for in the response. Write a constraint you can check in the answer, such as “use only this information” or “do not add anything I did not mention”.

I have a biology test on Thursday and one hour available this evening. The topic is cell structure. Create three questions I can use to test myself, each with a short answer for checking. Ask only about these: the cell membrane, nucleus and mitochondrion.