Turn a question into a task#
A prompt is an instruction for the assistant. It does not need specialist language or a special formula. Naming the result helps: instead of “Help me with an email”, say who it is for, what they need to know and what you need from them.
Here you will write a prompt for an ordinary text conversation. No paid mode or API is needed for the method. Aim for a usable draft you can compare against your materials.
Six useful ingredients#
- Goal: what should be produced, or which decision should the work support?
- Context: what would a person taking on this task need to know?
- Materials: pasted text, numbers, an attachment or a link. Identify the evidence to use.
- Audience: who is the result for, and what do they already know?
- Constraints: length, tone, deadline and details that must not be invented.
- Output: paragraphs, a table, steps, questions or a document draft.
Two sentences may be enough for a simple task. These six points are a checklist, not a compulsory form. Mark unavailable material as missing.
Example: announcing a new date#
Draft a short email to participants in our workshop. The date is moving from 12 May to 15 May. The time, 17:00, and venue stay the same. Ask participants to confirm attendance by 10 May. Use a friendly tone and no more than 100 words. Provide a subject and email body. Do not invent a reason for the change. Mark the venue name and signature as [to complete].
Expect an email draft, not proof that the date or address is correct. Check both dates, the time, the response deadline and the placeholders. An illustrative subject could be: “New workshop date: 15 May”.
Refine one specific thing#
If an answer misses the mark, identify the problem and the desired change. “Make it shorter” can work, but “Reduce the second paragraph to one sentence and keep the confirmation deadline” is more precise. A tone example or a list of details to retain can help.
Keep all dates and the time. The opening is too formal: make it more natural. Avoid “We wish to inform you”. Show only the revised draft.
Stay in the same conversation when the revision needs the earlier draft. A new chat can help when the task changes or context becomes confused. It is not a universal accuracy improvement.
Personal instructions and checks#
Custom user instructions express preferences such as language, brevity or explanation style. They are not the service’s system rules and cannot override every other constraint. See the interface chapter for the documented scope and guidance on the available options.
For factual claims, request sources and open them. For numbers, recalculate at least the key result. For writing, check for promises or circumstances absent from your materials. No prompt guarantees a completely error-free answer.
If Grok cannot see an attachment, paste the relevant passage or attach the file again. “Read it carefully” cannot supply a missing file. Build a reusable prompt in the workshop.