Prompt engineer cheat sheet

One page, next to whatever assistant you have open. The lab behind it is Write Better Prompts.

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Put that line at the end of the prompt. The assistant asks what you left out before it drafts.

BRIEF

Part	What to write	Use it when
Background	Who you are, the situation, and why it matters.	The answer could apply to anyone.
Role and reader	Who it acts as, and who will read the result.	The tone is wrong, or the reader is missing.
Instruction	One task, starting with a verb.	You asked for "something about" a topic.
Example	One sample of the voice or the layout.	You can describe good, but not show it.
Format	Shape, length, and order.	The reply is too long, or the wrong shape.

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. Stay in the same chat.

The answer is	Change this
Too generic	Add the situation it 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.
Several jobs at once	Ask for the outline first. Write each part next.
Facts you do not trust	Use only what I pasted, and quote the line you used.

Three starts

Email

Write a [tone] note to [reader] about [topic].
Facts: [dates, amounts, names].
Ask them to [one action].
Under [number] words. Plain language.
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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.
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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.
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Leave out

Passwords, card numbers, identity numbers, full health records, and a child's details. Replace them before you paste. Check every number, name, and date yourself before you send the result.