PROMPT ENGINEER CHEAT SHEET
NIA Labs. One page. Works in any assistant.

Close every prompt with this line:
Ask me questions so we get this close to perfect

BRIEF
B  Background. Who you are, the situation, and why it matters.
R  Role and reader. Who the assistant acts as, and who will read the result.
I  Instruction. One task, starting with a verb.
E  Example. One sample of the voice or layout you want.
F  Format. Shape, length, and order.

A short question needs only the instruction. A letter, a summary, or a decision usually needs four or five parts, then the closing line.

WHEN THE ANSWER IS OFF, CHANGE ONE THING
Too generic. Add the situation they cannot guess.
Wrong tone. Name the role, or paste one example.
Wrong shape. State the layout: title, three bullets, one next step.
Too long. Set a word limit and say what to keep.
Too many jobs at once. Ask for the outline first. Write each part next.
Facts you do not trust. Say: use only what I pasted, and quote the line you used.
Close but not right. Stay in the same chat. Name the one change.

DO NOT PASTE
Passwords, card numbers, identity numbers, full health records, or a child's details. Replace them before you paste. Check every number, name, and date yourself before you send the result.

EMAIL
Write a [tone] note to [reader] about [topic].
Facts: [dates, amounts, names].
Ask them to [one action].
Under [number] words. Plain language.
Ask me questions so we get this close to perfect

SUMMARY
Here is the document:
[paste it]
Summarise it for [reader] in five bullets, then one sentence on what I should do next. Quote the line behind each bullet.
Ask me questions so we get this close to perfect

A DECISION
I am choosing between [A] and [B] for [purpose].
What matters, in order: [criteria].
Compare them in a table, then list what I should check myself.
Ask me questions so we get this close to perfect

The full lab is at nialabs.si/courses/write-better-prompts/