Build a short task brief
A useful prompt tells the assistant what to produce and what information it may rely on. Long prompts are not automatically better. Prefer a small, concrete brief with an explicit review point over an elaborate role description.
Separate instructions from the material to be analyzed. Label pasted source text clearly. If a document contains instructions aimed at an AI, those are part of the source—not permission to change your task.
- Task: draft, summarize, compare, organize or explain.
- Audience and purpose: who will use the result and why.
- Source: relevant notes or a clearly identified approved document.
- Constraints: no invented facts, sensitive data excluded, decisions held for review.
- Format: length, columns, headings or a short list of open questions.
Practice example · fictional information only
Task: Draft a vendor follow-up email for my review. Audience: our vendor contact. Source facts: quote requested Monday; no reply recorded as of Thursday; deadline is not confirmed. Keep it under 120 words, neutral and professional. Do not invent a deadline or say the vendor is late. Put missing information below the draft, not in the email.
Change the prompt to match the work
For extraction, ask for only what the source explicitly states. For drafting, specify which facts are approved and which are unknown. For comparison, define the criteria instead of asking which option is ‘best.’
Practice example · fictional information only
Comparison practice: Compare these two fictional proposal summaries using only scope, stated timeline and stated exclusions. Use one row per criterion. Mark anything not stated as ‘not provided.’ Do not infer cost, recommend a vendor or treat missing information as a negative score.
Try it thoughtfully
Write a prompt for a low-risk task you regularly do. Underline the source facts. Circle every request that would require new information. Add a rule for how the assistant should handle those gaps.
Refine one thing at a time
If the first answer is too long, ask for a shorter version while retaining the verified facts. If it missed a requirement, point to the exact source or constraint. If it invented a fact, remove that fact and ask it to identify unsupported claims before producing another draft.
Do not keep adding unrelated tasks to rescue an unclear conversation. Restate the current objective, remove irrelevant material and review a smaller output.
Practice example · fictional information only
Revise only the tone: make this draft calmer and more direct. Preserve all dates, names and facts exactly. Keep the unresolved deadline unresolved. After the revision, list any factual changes you made.
Save the pattern, not confidential examples
A reusable prompt is a checklist for the job. Replace real names and records with placeholders when saving it for others. Include a review checklist so the prompt does not imply the output is automatically approved.
These Academy examples are generic learning exercises, not Ginny installers or substitutes for your purchased product instructions. Do not paste them into a product's installation instructions as an upgrade.
Continue learning
- Verification and human review before work leaves your desk
- Workflow habits that make AI assistance repeatable
- Context and memory: what continuity really requires
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