AI GUIDEAsk for useful work and check the result
An assistant is easier to work with when you describe the decision you are trying to make. “Find something nice” leaves almost everything open. “Compare these two options for two people, using the costs I provide” gives it a job you can inspect. This lesson turns that difference into a reusable method.
Start with the result, not a magic phrase
Use five elements: your goal, the material supplied, constraints, the form of the result and a check. You do not need to recite them as a formula in every message. They are reminders of what a helpful stranger would need to know.
For example: “Explain this notice to someone unfamiliar with the terminology; use only the supplied text; keep dates unchanged; give three short points; list anything not specified.” This is more informative than “act as the world's best expert.” Explicit context and output requirements are a documented prompting practice in Claude's guidance.
Worked example
All options and prices below are invented for learning, not current offers:
Option A: a craft workshop costs €12 per person; materials included.
Option B: a guided garden visit costs €18 per person; transport not included.
Two adults. Our total budget is €30. No option has been booked.
Compare only these supplied options. Calculate the cost for two.
Say which fits the stated budget and what remains unknown.
Keep suggestions separate from facts. Do not book or contact anyone.
An illustrative answer is: “A costs €24 for two and fits the €30 budget. B costs €36 before transport, so exceeds it. Dates and availability are not supplied. A is the budget-fitting option if it otherwise suits you.” The assistant has made the comparison easier; it has not decided what you enjoy or confirmed a place.
The small calculation is checkable: 2 × 12 = 24 and 2 × 18 = 36. A response that includes transport in B or says A is available tomorrow has added unsupported information. Ask for a specific repair and check it yourself.
Protect the input before improving the prompt
Start with invented examples. For real work, include only what you are allowed to share with that service and account. You can often explain the task without names, contact details or private correspondence. Check data settings before using personal records; storage, access and use for model training are separate questions.
A document is source material, not an instruction to reveal other files or send messages. You can keep the first task limited to reading and drafting. NIST's generative-AI risk profile provides broader context for errors and data risks; it does not certify an individual answer.
Choose the right check
The check should match what you wanted. Recalculate a cost. Compare a summary with its original. Open a cited passage. Read a translation for meaning, not just elegance. For code, inspect the change and run appropriate tests. A second assistant's agreement can help identify issues but is not independent proof.
Notice the difference between “incorrect” and “not my preference.” A warmer greeting might be grammatically fine but too familiar for its recipient. A comparison can be arithmetically correct while omitting the condition you care about. Tell the assistant what to change rather than starting over with a more dramatic role description.
Exercise
Change the invented total budget to €40. Which facts change? A still costs €24; B still costs €36 before transport. Both listed activity costs fit, but B's total with transport remains unknown. A good answer preserves that distinction instead of declaring the entire outing affordable.
Now describe a small task of your own using the five reminders. Before sending it, finish the sentence: “I would reject the answer if…” That gives you a concrete test rather than relying on how polished it sounds.
Keep the method small. Revise a weak instruction when you can identify the failure; do not keep adding demands without checking whether they conflict. Next in Start from scratch: A06, Choose a useful AI application in work and daily life.
Sources
Read the original sources to explore the topic and check specific claims.