The Only Prompt Formula You’ll Ever Need for ChatGPT

Have you struggled to write effective prompts for ChatGPT and other AI systems?

Prompting is an art — craft the perfect prompt and you’ll get amazing customized results. Mess it up and you’ll get lackluster generic responses.

In this guide, we break down the proven 6-part formula for prompts that produce stellar AI outputs every time. Master this framework and you’ll prompt like a pro.

The Hierarchy of Prompt Components

Not all parts of a prompt are made equal. There is an order of importance to the 6 key pieces:

1. Task — The action verb + goal. Start prompts with a clear task.
2. Context — Background info to constrain possibilities.
3. Exemplars — Examples to guide the AI.
4. Persona — Who you want the AI to be.
5. Format — Visualize and specify desired structure.
6. Tone — Casual, formal, excited, etc.

Think of the task as mandatory, context and exemplars as highly recommended, and persona, format, and tone as optional bonuses.

But including all 6 pieces results in the highest quality outputs tailored to your needs.

Breaking Down Each Component

Now let’s dig into each prompt component with real examples:

The Task

Always begin your prompt with a clear action verb + goal. For example:

• “Generate a 3-month fitness plan for me”
• “Analyze these survey results and summarize key takeaways”
• “Write me an email to my boss with an update”

Context

Provide just enough background to constrain the possibilities. Helpful questions:

• What’s the user’s background?
• What does success look like?
• What’s the environment?

For the fitness example, we could give context: “I’m a 70kg male looking to gain 5kg of muscle over 3 months while only going to the gym twice a week.”

Exemplars

Include examples or frameworks to guide the AI:

• “Rewrite this resume bullet point using the structure: Accomplished [X] by [Y] which resulted in [Z]”
• “Answer this common interview question using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result)”
• “Follow the format of this existing job description I’m including”

Persona

Specify who you want the AI to be. Some options:

• An industry expert like Warren Buffett
• A fictional character like Batman
• A generic role like “product manager” or “recruiter”

Format

Literally visualize and describe the exact structure you want for the output. Examples:

• “Summarize in a table with 3 columns: original feedback, team responsible, priority”
• “Break summary into H2 section headers and paragraphs in markdown format”
• “Send as an email with sections for tl;dr, background, and results”

Tone

Specify the desired tone or feeling:

• “Write in an enthusiastic tone”
• “Use clear, concise language in a confident yet friendly style”
• “Show optimism and positivity”

Putting the Formula Into Practice

Now you have the complete formula for crafting prompts that produce exceptional AI outputs tailored to your needs.

With practice, you’ll intuitively include the right prompt components. Your prompts will go from generic to generating exactly what you want to accomplish.

Soon you’ll prompt like a pro!