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Guide to a good prompt

The purpose of this guide is to clear rules and recommendations for creating effective prompts a well-formulated prompt is crucial for the quality and relevance of the generated results, especially when working with AI-powered systems such as ChatGPT.

Characteristics of a good prompt

Clarity and precision

  • Formulate the prompt clear and unambiguous.

  • Avoid vague or ambiguous terms.

Example (bad):
"Explain that."

Example (good):
explain in simple terms how conditional formatting works in Excel

2. Insert examples

  • Use specific examplesto clarify expectations regarding the outcome.

  • Examples show the model the desired tone, structure, or content.

Example:

create a welcome email for new customers. Example:
Hello [Name], welcome to c-entron! …

3. Defined criteria for good results

  • Determine, what is considered a good result:

    • Tone of voice (e.g., factual, friendly)

    • Form (e.g., bullet points, continuous text)

    • Content that should be included or avoided

Example:

"Responses should be factual and solution-oriented. No flippant comments or emojis."

4. Provide detailed instructions

  • Specify, how something needs to be done – not just what.

  • Structural guidelines, length, structure, etc. help to maintain consistent quality.

Example:

"Divide the text with subheadings. Use a maximum of 5 paragraphs and start with a summary."

5. Describe specific use cases

  • Concrete Contexts or roles enable more targeted responses.

  • Name, for whom or for what the answer is meant.

Example:

"Write instructions on how to create tickets for new employees in the help desk team."

6. Consider user-friendliness

  • Provide information on the optimal Presentation of results:

    • Tables, lists, continuous text, text modules?

    • Readability (e.g., simple language, short sentences)

Example:

summarize the solution in a numbered list with a maximum of 7 steps

Summary: Checklist for a good prompt

Criterion

Explanation

Clearly formulated

No ambiguities, clear language

Provided with examples

Shows what the result should look like

Targeted & specific

Use case and target group clearly specified

Structural specifications included

Format, tone, length, or structure

User-friendly presentation

Easy to understand, easy to read

Clear evaluation criteria

What is a good result? What should be avoided?

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