AI Prompting Guide

Best for: Simple questions with clear answers

Just type your question normally. No tricks needed. This is how most people use AI — and it works great for everyday questions. Only try fancier techniques when this doesn't give you what you want.

What's a good birthday gift for a 10-year-old who likes science?

Best for: Math problems, comparing options, planning

Just add "think step by step" to your question. This forces the AI to show its work instead of jumping to an answer — like asking a student to show their math. You can catch mistakes along the way. Skip this on "thinking" models like Claude Opus — they already do it automatically.

I'm choosing between two cars:
- Car A: $30,000, gets 35 mpg, $200/mo insurance
- Car B: $25,000, gets 25 mpg, $250/mo insurance

I drive 15,000 miles a year and gas is $3.50/gallon.
Which car is cheaper over 5 years?

Think step by step.

Best for: Getting a specific style, format, or tone

Show the AI 2-3 examples of what good output looks like, then ask it to do the same thing. It's like showing a new employee examples of past work before asking them to do something similar.

Write short product descriptions in this style:

Example: "Classic White Tee — Soft cotton, relaxed fit. The one you'll reach for every morning. $29"
Example: "Weekend Joggers — Stretchy, breathable, looks good at brunch or on the couch. $55"

Now write one for:
- A waterproof hiking jacket, $120
- A leather laptop bag, $89

Best for: Getting expert-level answers, matching a specific tone

Tell the AI to pretend it's a specific type of expert. "You are a friendly pediatrician" gives very different health advice than "you are a medical researcher." The more specific the role, the better the answer.

You are a patient, experienced home inspector
with 20 years in the business.

I'm buying my first house and the inspection report
mentions "minor foundation cracks." Should I be worried?
What questions should I ask the seller?
Explain like you're talking to someone who knows
nothing about houses.

Best for: Big decisions with multiple factors to weigh

Ask the AI to consider a problem from several different angles, evaluate each one, then combine them into a recommendation. It's like asking your friend to think about a decision from the money side, the lifestyle side, and the risk side before giving advice.

I'm deciding whether to accept a job offer in a new city.
Look at this from 3 angles:

Angle 1: Money (salary difference, cost of living,
  moving expenses)
Angle 2: Career (growth potential, industry trends,
  resume impact)
Angle 3: Personal (distance from family, city lifestyle,
  partner's job options)

After exploring all 3, give me your overall recommendation.

Best for: When you need to be really sure the answer is right

Ask the same question 3-5 times in separate chats and see if you get the same answer each time. If all 3 agree, you can trust it. If they give different answers each time, the AI is unsure and you should verify elsewhere.

[Ask this same question in 3 separate chats]

Based on these symptoms — persistent dry cough
for 3 weeks, no fever, worse at night — what are
the most likely causes? List them in order of
probability.

[Compare: if all 3 chats say the same top causes
→ high confidence. If they disagree → see a doctor.]

Best for: Complex questions that need real analysis

Some newer AI models (Claude Opus, OpenAI o3, Gemini Thinking) can "think" internally before answering. Instead of telling them exactly how to reason, just say "think carefully" or "think deeply" and let them figure out the best approach. It's like giving someone time to really think before they answer.

Think carefully about this.

I have $50,000 in savings, $30,000 in student loans
at 5% interest, and my employer matches 401k
contributions up to 5% of my $70,000 salary.

What's the smartest order to use my money?
Consider the math but also real-life factors.

Best for: Getting clean data, filling templates, organized lists

Tell the AI exactly how to organize its answer. Want a table? Ask for a table. Want bullet points with headers? Say so. Want it to fill in a template? Paste the template. This prevents rambling and makes answers easier to use.

Compare these 3 phones for me in a table with columns:
Phone Name | Price | Battery Life | Camera Quality | Best For

iPhone 16
Samsung Galaxy S25
Google Pixel 9

Best for: Keeping answers on topic, limiting scope, controlling length

Tell the AI what NOT to do, how long the answer should be, or what to exclude. Constraints narrow the output so you get exactly what you need without filler. Think of it like giving a contractor a budget and a deadline — they make better decisions with boundaries.

Write a product description for a standing desk.

Constraints:
- Maximum 3 sentences
- No superlatives (no "best," "amazing," "revolutionary")
- Must mention the price ($449)
- Don't compare to competitors
- Write for someone who already knows what a standing desk is