Prompting fundamentals

Prompting is how you tell ChatGPT what you want to know, make, or change. A prompt can be a question, an instruction, or a goal. You don’t need technical syntax or a rigid formula. Start in your own words, review the response, and use follow-up messages to shape the result.

A short prompt is often enough. For larger or more important tasks, include the parts that matter:

Use only the parts that help. You don’t need to fill in every item or follow a required format.

Review the first result, refine the instructions, and reuse the workflow when it works.

Start with the result, not a detailed list of steps. Include the audience or format when those details change what ChatGPT should produce.

Connected sources require the matching plugin, and availability can depend on your plan and workspace settings.

This prompt explains what to create and who will read it. Describe a process when the process itself matters. Otherwise, leave ChatGPT room to search, compare information, and adjust its approach.

Share the information that could change the result. Add only the sources that matter, and explain what ChatGPT should take from each one.

When ChatGPT has access to connected sources, name where it should look and what it should find. You don’t need to describe every search it should run.