Reading · 14 min · Lesson 1 of 12
Prep: Prompts as specifications
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About this lesson
Professional prompts read like short specifications. They state the goal, the inputs, the constraints, the output format and what to do when information is missing.
Techniques
- Step-by-step instructions for multi-part tasks
- Few-shot examples: show two or three input and output pairs
- Output formats: tables, JSON, bullet lists, fixed headings
- Self-check: ask the model to review its answer against your criteria
- Negative instructions: say what to avoid
Tell the AI what to do when unsure: If information is missing, ask me up to three questions instead of guessing.