AI Prompting Best Practices

Prompting that actually works.

This page summarizes the Five Principles for Prompting Generative AI: Give Direction, Specify Format, Provide Example, Evaluate Quality, and Divide Labor. Clear prompts lead to clearer outputs.

Quick formula: Role + Goal + Context + Constraints + Output Format.
Prompt Output

The Five Principles

Direction → Format → Examples → Evaluate → Divide

1) Give Direction

Assign a role, give context, and set rules.
  • Role: “Act as a tutor / recruiter / analyst.”
  • Context: who it’s for + why + background info.
  • Do/Don’t: remove fluff and prevent mistakes.
Example Prompt 
You are an auditing tutor.

Goal: Teach internal controls in simple terms.

Context: I’m a student. Explain the 5 COSO components.

Rules:
- No jargon
- Include 1 restaurant example
- Under 220 words

Output format:
- 5 bullets + 2-sentence summary

2) Specify Format

Tell the AI exactly how to structure the output.
  • Choose: bullets, table, outline, steps, JSON, rubric, code.
  • Specify length + tone + audience level.
  • Add constraints: “no extra text,” “use headings,” etc.
Table Prompt 
You are a writing coach.

Goal: Improve my resume bullets.

Constraints:
- One line per bullet
- ATS-friendly
- No emojis

Output format:
Create a table with columns:
1) Original
2) Improved
3) Skill shown

3) Provide Example

Examples reduce guessing (zero-shot → few-shot).
  • No example = the AI guesses your style.
  • 2–3 examples usually improves accuracy and tone.
  • Give direction first, then show examples.
Few-Shot Prompt 
Rewrite this into a professional bio for my website.

Style examples:
Example A (tone): confident, clean, modern
Example B (structure): 2 short paragraphs + 3 bullets

My info:
- Name: Violeta Esquivel
- Major: Accounting (minor in IS)
- Experience: La Taqueria Tradicional
- Goal: internship-ready bio

4) Evaluate Quality

Avoid “blind prompting.” Verify and refine outputs.
  • Ask for assumptions and a self-check.
  • Test prompts on more than one input.
  • Keep a human in the loop for judgment calls.
Quality Check Prompt 
Before finalizing, evaluate your answer.

Checklist:
- What assumptions did you make? (max 3 bullets)
- What might be wrong or incomplete?
- Improve clarity for a student audience

Return: revised answer only.

5) Divide Labor

Break big tasks into smaller prompts for more control.
  • Use a sequence: brainstorm → outline → draft → edit → check.
  • Different prompts for different jobs (writer vs editor vs verifier).
  • Focused prompts are often cheaper and more consistent.
Workflow Prompt 
Task: Write a one-page lab report.

Prompt 1 (Outline): Create an outline with headings + bullets.
Prompt 2 (Draft): Write the full draft using the outline.
Prompt 3 (Edit): Improve clarity + grammar, keep my voice.
Prompt 4 (Check): Verify requirements are met; list missing items.

Infographic: Prompt Recipe

Screenshot this section for your submission

1) Direction Role • Goal • Context Do/Don’t rules 2) Format Bullets • Table • Steps Length • Tone 3) Examples 2–3 samples Zero-shot → Few-shot 4) Evaluate Assumptions Self-check 5) Divide Split tasks More control Screenshot this infographic for Lab 4 submission.

Examples (Bad → Improved)

Shows how direction + format improves results

Example A: Vague prompt

Problem: no direction + no format.
Bad Prompt 
Explain prompting.
Improved Prompt 
You are a professor teaching students how to prompt Generative AI.

Goal: Summarize the five principles of prompting.

Constraints:
- Student-friendly language
- Max 180 words
- Include one “bad vs improved prompt” mini example

Output format:
- Numbered list 1–5
- End with a 1-sentence takeaway

Example B: Divide labor

Problem: one mega prompt. Fix: split into steps.
Bad Prompt 
Write my lab report and make it perfect.
Improved Prompt 
We will divide this into 4 prompts.

Prompt 1 (Outline): Create a one-page lab report outline with headings.
Prompt 2 (Draft): Write the full report using that outline.
Prompt 3 (Edit): Improve clarity + grammar, keep student voice.
Prompt 4 (Check): Confirm requirements are met; list anything missing.

Checklist

Use this before you hit “enter”

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