Crafting Effective Prompts for Specific Answers: a short guide

     When using a generative AI chatbot like ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot, crafting the right prompt is key to obtaining a relevant, insightful and accurate response.

     Let’s explore how to craft a powerful prompt when your goal is to obtain a specific answer.

     What do you want to know?  Do you want a brief fact or a detailed explanation? For example, if you want to know the capital of France, a simple prompt like “What is the capital of France?” is sufficient. But if you’re looking for a deeper insight, like the history of France’s capitals, you’ll need to refine your prompt.

     Clarity. That leads us to clarity. Vague prompts lead to vague or irrelevant responses. For example, “Tell me about France.” is vague. A clearer prompt would be: “What is the history of France’s capitals?” Another important element of crafting the right prompt when you are looking for a specific answer is whether you want a simple or detailed response.

That takes us to Request for Depth or Simplicity. A simple request prompt would be: “Can you briefly explain photosynthesis?” On the other hand, if you were looking for more details in your request, a prompt might read: “Please provide a detailed explanation of the process of photosynthesis, including the role of chlorophyll, light absorption and the Calvin cycle.”

     In summary, if you are looking for a specific answer for a prompt, What do you want to know?, Clarity and Request for Depth or Simplicity are three important elements to consider when crafting your prompt.