Prompt

When using tools powered by artificial intelligence (AI)—like ChatGPT—you interact with them by typing something in. That input you give is called a prompt. It could be a question, a command, or even a few lines of context. The AI reads that prompt and tries to respond in a way that makes sense based on what you’ve asked.

Think of a prompt like giving instructions to a very fast, very smart assistant. The better your instructions, the better the results you’ll get.

Why do Prompts Matter?

A prompt is more than just a question—it’s how you steer the conversation with AI. A well-written prompt helps the AI understand what you’re looking for. On the other hand, if your prompt is vague or unclear, the AI might give you a confusing or unhelpful answer.

For example:

• Vague: Tell me about dogs.
• Clear: Can you explain the differences between Labradors and Golden Retrievers in terms of temperament and exercise needs?

The second prompt is more specific, so the AI knows exactly what to focus on.

Types of Prompts

Not all prompts are the same. Here are a few common types you might hear about:

Zero-shot prompts: You give the AI a task without any examples. You’re relying on its existing knowledge to figure out what to do.
Example: “Translate this sentence into Spanish.”

Few-shot prompts: You give the AI a few examples so it can understand the pattern you’re looking for.

Example: Translate the following into Spanish:

• Hello → Hola
• Thank you → Gracias
• Good night →

Chain-of-thought prompts: These encourage the AI to explain its thinking step-by-step before giving an answer. This is especially useful for solving math problems or making decisions.

Example: “Explain your reasoning before solving: If a train travels 60 miles in 1 hour, how long will it take to travel 180 miles?”

What is Prompt Engineering?

Prompt engineering is the skill of designing prompts to get the best results from AI. It’s about figuring out how to phrase your questions or instructions in a way that the AI understands clearly.

This often means:

• Trying different versions of a prompt
• Tweaking the wording
• Adding more context or examples
• Being specific about what you want

The goal is to guide the AI toward the most useful, accurate, and relevant answer.

Tips for Writing Better Prompts

Whether you’re asking the AI to write an email, generate ideas, or solve a problem, here are some simple tips to make your prompts more effective:

• Be specific: The more detailed your request, the better the response. Avoid vague or general language.
• Give context: Let the AI know what you’re trying to do or who the answer is for.
• Keep it clear and concise: Long and rambling prompts can be confusing—even for AI.
• Use examples when needed: If you want a certain format or tone, show the AI what you mean.
• Try, test, and tweak: Sometimes a small change in wording can make a big difference. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Prompts are at the heart of how we use AI tools today. They’re the starting point for everything—from writing a poem to summarizing an article to solving a tricky problem. And as AI continues to grow, learning how to write better prompts becomes a powerful skill.

With a little practice, anyone can learn to “talk” to AI in a way that feels natural—and gets results.