How to write a great prompt

Every big AI maker says some version of this in their own guide.

Steps

Put them in this order. Each one is a line or two, not an essay.

1. 1

   Role.

   Who the AI is and how good. "You are a sales coach with 20 years on the phones."

2. 2

   Goal.

   The job, and what you want to end up with. "Answer every new lead, so I end with replies ready to send."

3. 3

   Context.

   Who it is for and why it matters. Say why a rule exists and the AI follows it better.

4. 4

   Connect check.

   Tell the AI to open your inbox, calendar or CRM first, and say what it found. If it can't, it asks you to paste instead.

5. 5

   1 to 3 questions.

   Only ask what your data can't answer. Give each one a default so it never gets stuck.

6. 6

   Steps.

   Number them. Write in how a real pro would do the job.

7. 7

   An example.

   One short sample when the tone or shape is hard to explain.

8. 8

   Output.

   The shape and the size. A list, a table, under 80 words.

9. 9

   Self-checks.

   A short list the AI checks before it shows you anything.

10. 10

    Guardrails.

    Drafts only. No made up facts. Mark anything missing.

11. 11

    Save as a skill.

    One line at the end that saves it and says when it runs again.

Why should the AI read my data instead of me pasting it?

A prompt is only as good as what the AI can see. When you paste three emails, it guesses from three emails. When it reads your whole inbox or CRM, it works from the real thing.

Microsoft calls this the "Source" part of a Copilot prompt. Google says to tag your own Drive files with @. Anthropic tells Claude not to guess about anything it has not opened. So connect your tools first, then let the AI do the reading. Our connect page has the steps for each AI.

How many questions should a prompt ask me?

One to three, each with a default. More than that and people quit. Zero is fine when the data has every answer.

A good line looks like this: "How far back should I look? (Default: 60 days.)" Then tell the AI to skip any question you already answered. OpenAI's own guide warns that newer models can stop to ask too many questions, so give them a way to keep going.

Do I really need examples in my prompt?

Only when words can't explain what you want, like your tone. Google goes further and suggests examples in almost every prompt. Anthropic says a few real, varied ones work best, marked so the AI knows they are samples.

Keep the example short and real. One line in your own voice beats a long made up one.

How do I stop the AI from making things up?

Give it three rules and a check. Drafts only, ask before you send. Use only facts from my data or from me. If something is missing, write [check: what is missing] and keep going.

Then add two or three self-checks it runs before it shows you, like "every fact comes from their email." Microsoft's own help page says AI answers can be wrong, so you still read the draft before it goes out.

What changes from one AI to the next?

The 11 parts stay the same. A few small things change.

• Claude. Put long files at the top and your question at the end. Save it as a Skill or in a Project.
• ChatGPT. Newer models take a goal and run with it, so say clearly when to stop and ask. Save it in a Project or a custom GPT, on some plans.
• Gemini. Google's guide says persona, task, context and format. Save it as a Gem.
• Copilot at work. Write it as Goal, Context, Source and Expectations, and name the exact file or email thread. Save it in Copilot Prompt Gallery.
• Grok. The grok.com chat works like the others but stops when you close it. For jobs that run while you sleep, we use a Grok Bot.

How do I change a prompt for Microsoft 365 Copilot?

Sort the same prompt into four short blocks. Goal is the role and the job. Context is who it is for and why. Source is the exact files, emails or meetings, picked by name. Expectations holds the steps, the format, the checks and "leave it as a draft."

Then run it once. If it works, save it in Copilot Prompt Gallery and share it with your team. Saved prompts can't be edited, so save a new one when you change it. This needs a Microsoft 365 Copilot work license.

Prompts you can copy

A great prompt, all 11 parts (any AI with Gmail connected)

You are my sales assistant, a senior rep with 20 years of following up on leads.

Goal: answer every new lead from the last 7 days, so I end with replies ready to send.
Context: I sell [what you sell]. My buyers are busy owners. They reply when the note is short and about them, because long emails get skipped.

First, check that you can open my Gmail. Tell me how many new lead emails you found. If you can't open it, stop and ask me to paste them instead.

Ask me these, then run. Skip any I already answered.
1. How far back? (Default: 7 days.)
2. My booking link? (Default: leave [check: booking link].)

Do this:
1. Read each lead email and what they asked for.
2. Check my sent mail. Skip anyone I already answered.
3. Write one reply each: thank them, answer their question, give one next step.

Example of the tone, match this: "Hi Sam, thanks for asking about price. It starts at $X. Want 15 minutes Thursday to see if it fits?"

Give me a list: lead name, their question, my reply. Each reply under 80 words.

Before you show me, check each reply:
- It answers what they asked.
- Every fact comes from their email or from me.

Rules:
- Drafts only. Ask me before you send anything.
- Don't make up a price, date or promise.
- If something is missing, write [check: what is missing] and keep going.

Last, save these steps as a skill called "Answer New Leads" so you do it this way each time I ask.

The same prompt for Copilot at work

Goal: You are my sales assistant, a senior rep with 20 years of following up on leads. Answer every new lead email from the last 7 days, so I end with replies ready to send.

Context: I sell [what you sell]. My buyers are busy owners who reply to short notes about them.

Source: Use only my Outlook emails from the last 7 days that ask about price, a demo or a quote. Tell me how many you found. If you can't find any, say so and stop.

Expectations:
1. Skip anyone I already answered.
2. Write one reply each: thank them, answer their question, give one next step.
3. Give me a list: lead name, their question, my reply. Each reply under 80 words.
4. Before you show me, check that every fact comes from their email or from me.
5. Leave every reply as a draft. Don't make up a price, date or promise. If something is missing, write [check: what is missing].

Fix any prompt with the 11 parts

You are a prompt coach. Here is a prompt I use: [paste your prompt]

Check it against these 11 parts: role, goal, context, connect check, 1 to 3 questions with defaults, steps, example, output format, self-checks, guardrails (drafts only, no made up facts, mark what is missing), save as a skill.

Give me:
1. A score of 0, 1 or 2 for each part, with one short reason.
2. The fixed prompt, in plain words, all in one piece.

Don't add new facts about my business. If you need one, write [check: what is missing].

Where can I find prompts that already follow this?

These ones on our site are a good place to start.

• Find which numbers to stop calling reads your calls in Close, asks two questions with defaults and checks its own counts.
• Add new leads without repeats checks your CRM for the person before it adds them.
• Write a LinkedIn message for one person reads their profile first and leaves the message as a draft.
• Plan your whole week in 10 minutes reads your calendar before it books anything.

Want the shorter version first? Read how to write a good prompt, or look around the prompt library.

FAQ

What is the most important part of a prompt?

The goal. Microsoft says a clear goal is the only part you truly need. Google says the task should always have a verb, like write, find or plan.

How long should a great prompt be?

As long as the job needs, and no longer. Most of ours fit on one screen. Each of the 11 parts is a line or two.

What does "save it as a skill" mean?

You save the prompt inside your AI, so it does the job the same way next time without a paste. Claude calls it a Skill, Gemini calls it a Gem, ChatGPT uses Projects or custom GPTs, and Copilot uses Prompt Gallery.

Does this work in the free versions?

The 11 parts work in any AI chat. Connecting your inbox or CRM and saving skills can need a paid plan in some tools, so check your plan.

Sources

We read each of these guides on Oct 29, 2026 and put the ideas in our own words.

• Prompting best practices, Anthropic (Claude)
• Prompt engineering overview, Anthropic (Claude)
• Use custom Skills, Anthropic Help Center
• Prompt engineering, OpenAI
• Latest model prompting guide, OpenAI
• GPT-5 prompting guide, OpenAI Cookbook
• Prompt design strategies, Google Gemini API
• Writing effective prompts, Google Workspace
• Use Gems in Gemini Apps, Google Help
• Get started writing prompts in Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Support
• Understand Prompt Gallery in Copilot, Microsoft Learn
• Share your best prompts with others, Microsoft Support
• Best practices guide, xAI (Grok)

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First posted October 29, 2026. Last updated October 29, 2026. Free to copy and use, CC BY 4.0.