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Want to get better answers from AI? It's easier than you think!

When you talk to AI like ChatGPT, Claude, or Midjourney, what you say matters a lot. A good prompt (that's the message you send to AI) gets you a great answer. A bad prompt? Not so much.

The good news: there are only 5 simple rules you need to follow. Let's learn them together!

The 5 Rules at a Glance

Rule	What it means	Example
🎯 Goal	Tell AI what you want	"Write a thank-you email"
📝 Context	Give background info	"It's for my teacher who helped me with math"
⚠️ Limits	Set boundaries	"Keep it short, about 50 words"
📋 Format	Say how you want it	"Use bullet points"
💡 Examples	Show what good looks like	"Like this: Dear Teacher..."

That's it! Now let's look at each one.

Rule 1: Tell AI Your Goal 🎯

What is it?
Tell AI exactly what you want to achieve.

Bad prompt:

"Write something about dogs"

Good prompt:

"Write a short paragraph explaining why dogs make great pets for kids"

See the difference? The good prompt tells AI:

What to write (a paragraph)
The topic (why dogs are great pets)
Who it's for (kids)

Try this!

Instead of saying...

❌ "Help me with my homework"
✅ "Explain how plants make food using sunlight, in simple words a 10-year-old can understand"

Rule 2: Give Context 📝

What is it?
Share background information so AI understands your situation.

Without context:

"Write a birthday message"

With context:

"Write a birthday message for my grandma who just turned 80. She loves gardening and has a good sense of humor."

The context helps AI write something personal, not generic.

What context to include

Who is it for? (my boss, my friend, my mom)
What do they already know? (they're an expert / they're a beginner)
What's the situation? (it's formal / it's casual)

Rule 3: Set Limits ⚠️

What is it?
Tell AI what it should and shouldn't do.

Think of it like giving rules to a helper:

How long should the answer be?
What tone to use? (funny? serious? friendly?)
What to avoid?

Examples of good limits

Type	Example
Length	"Keep it under 100 words"
Tone	"Use a friendly, casual tone"
What to avoid	"Don't use complicated words"
Language	"Write in simple English"

Why this matters:

❌ "Write me a story" → AI might write 2,000 words!
✅ "Write me a 3-paragraph story" → Perfect length!

Rule 4: Choose a Format 📋

What is it?
Tell AI how to organize the answer.

Different formats work for different needs:

If you want...	Ask for...
Easy to scan	Bullet points
Step-by-step instructions	Numbered list
Comparison	A table
Quick answer	One paragraph
Detailed explanation	Multiple sections with headings

Example

Without format:

"Tell me about healthy breakfast foods"

With format:

"Give me 5 healthy breakfast ideas as a numbered list. For each one, include the food name and why it's healthy."

The second prompt gives you an organized answer you can actually use!

Rule 5: Show Examples 💡

What is it?
Give AI an example of what you want.

This is like showing someone a picture before asking them to draw. It helps AI understand exactly what you're looking for.

How to use examples

Write product descriptions like this example:

Example:
Product: Blue water bottle
Description: Stay hydrated in style! This 500ml blue bottle keeps drinks cold for 12 hours. Perfect for gym, work, or school.

Now write one for: Red backpack

When you show an example, AI copies the style and format. Magic!

Let's Put It All Together

Here's a complete prompt using all 5 rules:

🎯 GOAL:
Write an Instagram caption for my bakery's new chocolate cake.

📝 CONTEXT:
- My bakery is called "Sweet Dreams"
- We're a small, family-owned shop
- Our customers are young adults who love desserts

⚠️ LIMITS:
- Keep it under 50 words
- Use a fun, friendly tone
- Include 2-3 emojis
- Don't use hashtags (I'll add those myself)

📋 FORMAT:
One short paragraph

💡 EXAMPLE:
"Weekend calories don't count, right? 🍰 Our fresh strawberry cheesecake is calling your name! Stop by Sweet Dreams and treat yourself."

Result from AI:

"Chocolate lovers, this one's for you! 🍫 Our new triple chocolate cake just dropped at Sweet Dreams. Rich, fudgy, and absolutely heavenly. Your taste buds will thank you! 😋"

Perfect! The AI followed all our rules.

Quick Cheat Sheet

Before you send a prompt to AI, check these boxes:

Did I say what I want? (Goal)
Did I give background info? (Context)
Did I set limits? (Limits)
Did I say how to organize it? (Format)
Did I show an example? (Examples)

You don't always need all five. But the more you use, the better your results!

Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

Problem	Why it happens	How to fix it
Answer is too long	You didn't set a length limit	Add "Keep it under X words"
Answer is too vague	You didn't give enough context	Add more background info
Answer doesn't match what you wanted	You didn't show an example	Add an example of good output
Answer is too formal/casual	You didn't set the tone	Add "Use a [friendly/professional] tone"

Practice Time!

Turn these bad prompts into good ones:

❌ "Write a poem"
✅ "Write a 4-line poem about summer for a children's book. Make it rhyme and use simple words."

❌ "Give me recipe ideas"
✅ "Give me 3 easy dinner recipes that take under 30 minutes. Use chicken as the main ingredient. List ingredients and steps for each."

❌ "Help with my presentation"
✅ "Write 5 bullet points about why recycling is important. This is for a school presentation to 6th graders. Keep each point under 15 words."

Try it now!

Use these 5 rules with Magic Prompt and see the difference yourself. Start generating better prompts →

Summary

Great AI prompts have 5 parts:

🎯 Goal — What do you want?
📝 Context — What should AI know?
⚠️ Limits — What are the rules?
📋 Format — How should it look?
💡 Examples — What does good look like?

Use these rules every time, and you'll get better answers from any AI tool.

Happy prompting! 🚀