What is a prompt in AI?

Steps

1. 1

   Open any AI chat tool.

   ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot or Grok all work the same basic way. There is a box at the bottom where you type.

2. 2

   Type what you want, like you would ask a smart new coworker.

   That message is your prompt. Plain words work best.

3. 3

   Add the details the AI cannot know.

   Who it is for, what you have, and what you want back. The AI does not know your customers, your prices or your company unless you tell it.

4. 4

   Press send and read the answer.

   Treat it as a first draft, not the final word.

5. 5

   Reply to fix it.

   You can say "shorter", "less formal" or "add the price". Each reply is a new prompt, and the AI remembers the chat so far.

Prompts you can copy

A basic prompt

Write a short thank you email to a customer who paid their invoice early.
Their name is [first name]. Keep it under 50 words and friendly.

The same prompt with more detail

You are writing as the owner of a small [type of business].
Write a thank you email to [first name] at [company], who paid invoice [number] [number] days early.
We have worked together for [how long].
Keep it under 60 words, warm and plain, no sales pitch.
End by saying we are glad to have them as a customer.

A prompt that asks the AI to help you write the prompt

I want to use AI to help with [task, for example writing quotes for customers].
Ask me 5 short questions, one at a time, about what you need to know to do this well.
After I answer, write the best prompt I can save and reuse for this task.

Example

This is a made-up example. Two prompts for the same job.

Prompt A: "Write an email to a customer."

The AI has to guess everything. You get a long, generic email that could be from anyone.

Prompt B: "Write a short email to Sam at Rivera Electric. Their order of 40 breakers ships Thursday, not Tuesday, because our supplier was late. Say sorry once. Under 70 words."

Now the AI has the who, the what, and the rules. You get a short email you can send after one read. Same tool, very different answer. The only thing that changed was the prompt.

Tips

• A prompt can be one line or a full page. Longer is fine if every line adds a fact or a rule.
• Write like you talk. You do not need special words or code.
• If you use the same prompt a lot, save it in a note so you can paste it next time.
• Put fill-in parts in [square brackets] so you know what to change each time.

What not to do

• Do not assume the AI knows your business. It only knows what is in the prompt and the chat.
• Do not paste private customer data, passwords or anything your company says to keep out of AI tools.
• Do not take the first answer as true. Check facts, numbers and names before you use them.

Ready to try some? Browse the prompt library or the full hub. For the next step, read how to write a good prompt.

FAQ

Is a prompt the same as a question?

A question is one kind of prompt. A prompt can also be a task, like "turn these notes into an email", or a set of rules for how the AI should answer.

Do I need to learn prompt engineering?

No. If you can explain a task to a new hire, you can write a good prompt. Give the facts, say what you want back, and add a rule or two.

Does the same prompt work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini?

Mostly yes. A clear prompt works in all of them. The answers will be a bit different, so try the one you have.

Why did I get a different answer to the same prompt?

AI tools do not give the exact same words every time. That is normal. If you need the same format each time, describe the format in the prompt.

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First posted October 28, 2026. Last updated October 28, 2026. Free to copy and use, CC BY 4.0.