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How do I write a good ChatGPT prompt?
Short answer
Tell ChatGPT who it's helping, what you want, the facts to use, the format and the tone. A good prompt reads like a brief to a new assistant: "I'm a UK plumber. Write a polite text to a customer confirming Tuesday's boiler service, under 40 words, British English, using these details." Then ask for changes until it's right.
The five-part formula
- Who: "I run a small cleaning business in Leeds."
- Task: "Write a reply to this enquiry."
- Facts: paste the notes, price list or email. Ask it to use only these.
- Format: "Under 80 words", "a table", "three bullet points", "a text message".
- Tone: "friendly but firm", "plain English", "British English, no exclamation marks".
Before and after
Vague:
Write an email about a late payment.
Better:
I'm a UK electrician. Write a second payment reminder to [customer] for invoice [number], [£ amount], due on [date], now 14 days late. Polite but firm, mention that statutory late payment interest may apply for business customers, British English, under 120 words.
Fixing common problems
| Problem | Add this |
|---|---|
| American spelling or dollars | "British English, UK context, pounds sterling" |
| Too long | "Under 60 words" or "cut it by half" |
| Made-up facts | "Use only the information I've given. If something's missing, ask me." |
| Sounds robotic | "Write it the way a friendly local tradesperson would talk" |
| Wrong every time | Give it an example you like and say "match this style" |
Keep your best prompts
Save prompts that work in a note on your phone or as custom instructions, so you don't rewrite them each time. We've done some of that for you: the prompt library, the free prompt pack and trade sets such as ChatGPT prompts for tradespeople.
Related questions
Do the same prompts work in Copilot, Gemini and Claude?
Mostly, yes. The same formula works in any AI assistant, though the wording of answers differs.
Should I put customer details in the prompt?
No. Use placeholders like [customer] and fill them in yourself. See can I put customer data into ChatGPT?
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