Prompt engineering: make the task clear

What prompt engineering covers #

Prompt engineering concerns how instructions and examples are expressed. It includes many techniques, rather than one universal formula. The Prompt Report surveys a broad taxonomy of these techniques.

Write a useful brief #

Make the task concrete before adding elaborate role descriptions.

• State the outcome and intended audience.
• Provide relevant reference material and distinguish it from instructions.
• Specify the output structure and what counts as a useful answer.
• Ask for uncertainty and unsupported claims to be identified.

Using only the notes below, draft a 300-word project update for a non-technical manager. Separate completed work, risks and next steps. Flag missing information instead of filling it in.

Reference notes:
[Insert approved notes here.]

Change one thing and compare #

Try a clearer constraint or a representative example, then compare the result against the same criteria. Keep what helps on your actual tasks. A successful prompt on one task does not establish reliability on another.

Sources & further reading

• The Prompt Report — research survey ↗