Write better prompts: asimple 3-part formula

Why your answers feel generic

AI chat tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot are only as good as what you ask them. A one-line question like “write a post about our café” gets a bland, one-size-fits-all answer, because the tool has to guess everything else: who you are, who it is for, and what you want back.

The fix is a simple habit. Before you send a prompt, make sure it has three parts.

Part 1: role and context

Tell the AI who it should act as, and give it the background it can’t know. Who is your business? Who are your customers? Where are you?

• “You are a social media manager for a family-run café in Doha.”
• “Our customers are office workers and students; we are known for Karak tea and fresh pastries.”

Part 2: the task

Say exactly what you want done, with any limits. Be specific: how many, how long, what tone, what to avoid.

• “Write 5 Instagram captions announcing our new winter menu.”
• “Keep each under 40 words, friendly and a little playful. No hashtags in the text.”

Part 3: the format

Tell it how you want the answer laid out, so you can use it straight away: a list, a table, short bullet points, or English and Arabic side by side.

• “Give me a numbered list, with a suggested emoji for each caption.”

Put it together

You are a social media manager for a family-run café in Doha.
Our customers are office workers and students, and we are known
for Karak tea and fresh pastries.

Write 5 Instagram captions announcing our new winter menu.
Keep each under 40 words, friendly and a little playful.
No hashtags in the text.

Format: a numbered list, with one suggested emoji per caption.

A good prompt reads like a brief you would give a new team member.

Three bonus tips

• Keep the conversation going: if the first answer is close but not right, say what to change (“shorter”, “more formal”, “add a call to action”) instead of starting again.
• Give an example: paste a past post you liked and say “in this style”.
• Always check facts: AI can sound confident and still be wrong, especially with prices, dates and laws.