How to write good instructions for AI — simply explained

The difference between a useful AI answer and an empty one almost always comes down to the instruction. You do not need a course to get good at this — just a habit.

Why vague instructions give vague answers

An AI tool responds to what you give it. Type "write an email about the meeting" and you get a generic email that could suit anyone. The tool does not know who the recipient is, what tone you want, or what actually happened in the meeting.

Give it a little context and you narrow the answer down to something you can use. It is not about writing more, but about writing the right thing.

The four things a good instruction contains

A simple rule of thumb covers most tasks. Include:

• Who you are, or who the text is for. "We are a small plumbing firm" or "the recipient is an existing customer".
• What you want. An email, a summary, five suggested headlines — be specific about the format.
• The tone. Friendly, short and direct, formal. One word is often enough.
• Any limits. "Max 100 words", "no jargon", "in British English".

You will not always need all four. But the more important the task, the more it pays to include them.

An example that shows the difference

Imagine you need to reply to a customer who is complaining.

Vague instruction: "Write a reply to an unhappy customer."

Better instruction: "Write a short, friendly reply to a customer whose delivery was late. We apologise, offer a new delivery on Thursday, and do not want to sound grovelling. Max 80 words, in British English."

The second answer you can almost send as it is. The first one you have to rewrite entirely.

Show an example when you can

If you have a piece of text whose tone you like — a previous email, a paragraph from your website — paste it in and say "write in the same style". A good example explains more than ten adjectives. This is one of the fastest ways to get answers that sound like you, rather than like a robot.

Ask for edits instead of starting over

One of the most common mistakes is writing a brand-new instruction when the first answer misses. You do not need to. Point instead at what was wrong:

• "Too long — cut it in half."
• "Too formal — make it more conversational."
• "Good, but drop the last paragraph."

The tool remembers the conversation, so small adjustments build on what you already have. Three or four rounds are often faster than hitting the mark on the first try.

What you should not paste in

A good instruction does not mean everything goes in. Be careful with personal data, passwords, sensitive contracts and confidential material. For anything touching customer data, use a business version with proper terms, not a personal free account. A short house rule on what staff can paste where is worth having in place early.

Practise on the tasks you do often

You do not get good at this by reading about it, but by trying it on real tasks. Pick one thing you do every week — replying to quote requests, writing meeting notes, drafting product descriptions — and use the four points a few times. After a week or two it becomes second nature.

If you would like help working out which tasks in your business are the best fit for this, you are welcome to have a quick chat.