How To Write Effective AI Prompts: A Guide

Getting an AI to do what you want isn’t magic. It’s all about crafting the right AI prompts. A few well-chosen words are the difference between getting exactly what you need or something totally off the rails. 

Whether you’re brainstorming ideas for your next project or asking Otter what you missed in the last all-hands meeting, knowing how to talk to AI is a skill worth mastering. Let’s explore how to write prompts that get AI to deliver spot-on results. 

What is an AI prompt? 4 key aspects

An AI prompt is the set of instructions you give an AI tool to generate a response. Just like in human conversations, what you say (and how you say it) directly impacts the reply. The best AI prompts ensure the AI understands your needs and delivers useful, relevant results.

To write an effective prompt, consider these four key aspects:

• Perspective: Defining your role helps the AI tailor responses to your needs. Are you a busy professional trying to keep up with your task list, a student reviewing lecture notes, or a team leader delegating tasks? Let the AI know. When it understands your perspective, it can provide more relevant and actionable insights.
• Action: Be specific about what you want the AI to do. Precise requests lead to more valuable responses. For example, instead of “Tell me about AI,” try “Tell me how generative AI improves workplace productivity.” Or, when chatting with Otter AI, highlight the aspect of the meeting you want it to focus on — key takeaways, action items, or the joke your favorite coworker cracked.
• Context: AI can’t make accurate assumptions, so give it the right details to work with. If you’re writing a product description, mention the target audience and key features. For a social media post, specify the platform and tone.
• Structure: Outline how you want the response formatted — a bulleted list, a five-paragraph essay, or a bite-sized recap. This helps the AI organize its response to suit your needs, making it easier to use and understand.

How to write a prompt for AI: 7 tips

Writing efficient AI prompts can save time and increase productivity. Follow these simple tips to craft prompts that yield helpful results every time:

1. Be clear and specific

AI isn’t a mind-reader. The more specific you are, the better your results will be. Instead of using vague prompts, narrow down exactly what you’re looking for to give the AI some direction.

This is especially important when you ask for something detailed or complex, like feedback on a specific goal or a breakdown of a multi-step project. In these cases, you don’t want to leave room for ambiguity. It’s better to spell it out so nothing gets lost in translation.

2. Use natural, conversational language

AI models are designed to understand everyday human language, so speak to them the way you might talk to a colleague or friend. Instead of “Generate a summary of Ken’s contribution to the meeting today,” try something like, “What did Ken talk about in today’s meeting?” This makes the interaction smoother. Just avoid excessive slang or jargon the AI might not know.

Another thing to keep in mind is that AI works in a monkey-see, monkey-do kind of way. If you phrase things naturally, you’ll likely get responses in a natural, human-like tone and style. But if you sound like a robot, don’t be surprised if the AI gives you a response that’s equally stiff and mechanical.

3. Use proper grammar and spelling

While AI understands natural, informal language, it gets confused by misspellings, grammatical errors, and shorthand. Before submitting your prompt, double-check for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Even if you’re in a rush, a quick proofread ensures you won’t end up with something completely off-track. 

4. Provide examples of what you want

When you give the AI an example of what you’re looking for, it has a clearer reference for how to style and structure its response. Say you’re using AI to write a company-wide announcement. If you provide an example of a previous announcement that fits the tone you’re going for, the AI will try to match the style, length, and overall vibe when writing the new announcement.

5. Build on previous prompts

AI has a memory like an elephant — it can remember context from earlier prompts in a conversation, which helps it refine and improve responses. Don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions or build on earlier prompts. 

After receiving the first draft of the company-wide announcement, you could ask the AI chatbot to adjust the tone, add more details, or even change the format. This helps you fine-tune the response until it’s exactly what you need without having to start from scratch every time.

6. Focus on one task at a time

AI is intelligent (it’s in the name), but it has its limits. If you overload it with too many requests, it’s like asking someone to juggle conference calls, answer emails, and solve a technical issue all at once — and we all know how that ends.

Instead, break larger tasks into smaller, manageable pieces. Say you want the AI to give you a detailed marketing strategy. Start by asking for an outline. Then, follow up with specific requests for each section, like target audience or competitor analysis. This allows the AI to focus on one task at a time so it can deliver better results overall.

7. Refine as you go

AI can be a powerful tool, but sometimes it takes a few tries to get exactly what you want. Don’t be afraid to refine and adjust your prompts as you go along. AI learns from your feedback, and the more you interact with it, the better it understands your needs.

If the first response isn’t quite right, try rephrasing your request or offering more context. For example, if you ask for a social media caption and get something too formal, add a note like “Make it more casual” or “Add some humor” to guide the tone. Small tweaks help the AI nail the vibe you’re going for.

Supercharge your productivity with Otter AI Chat

AI exists to make your life easier. But only Otter AI Chat can make your work life effortless. 

It’s like ChatGPT specifically built for your meetings. Whether you need a summary of all of your week’s sales meetings or want to draft a follow-up email for a specific call, Otter AI Chat can answer questions and generate meeting-specific content instantly — bringing you ideas you never would have found on your own. Plus, Otter’s AI meeting assistant auto-joins, auto-shares, and auto-summarizes meetings, saving professionals and teams an average of 4 hours a week. 

Ready to streamline your workflow? Try Otter today and unlock a new level of productivity.