Guide to creating effective prompts for AI

This guide explores the essential components needed to craft high-quality prompts for AI systems. It breaks down each element – ​​Character, Context, Task, Exemplar, Format and Tone – explaining their definitions, purposes and providing practical examples. You’ll learn the recommended order for assembling these components to maximize clarity and efficiency, whether you’re generating content, planning trips, or building reusable templates. By following this structure, you can ensure that your AI interactions are accurate, consistent, and tailored to your needs.

1.Character

• Definition: The identity, role or character that the AI must adopt when generating a response.
• Purpose: Aligns the voice, expertise and perspective of the response to the intended audience.
• Example: “You are a travel advisor with 20 years of experience helping retired couples plan independent excursions.”

2.Context

• Definition: The basic information or situation that frames the prompt.
• Goal: ensures that the AI ​​understands the scenario, constraints, user preferences or previous interactions.
• Example: “User is planning a 120-day world cruise and wants to nominate one video per day for YouTube.”

3.Task

• Definition: The specific action or output being requested of the AI.
• Purpose: Guides the AI ​​in what to do - such as generating, summarizing, translating or formatting content.
• Example: “Generate a list of video titles that are clear, bilingual (English and French), and include the day number.”

4.Example

• Definition: An example of an input-output pair or an example of a pattern to follow.
• Objective: clarifies expectations through a concrete illustration of the desired output.
• Example: Constraint: “Day 1 – Departure from Barcelona” Outing: “Day 01 – Departure from Barcelona | Departure from Barcelona »

5.Format

• Definition: The structure, layout, or style of data expected in the output.
• Purpose: Controls how the response should be delivered (e.g. table, list, JSON, Markdown, HTML).
• Example: “Provide output as a brand table with columns: day, title (FR), title (en).”

6.Tone

• Definition: The emotional or stylistic quality of the language used in the response.

• Objective: corresponds to the writing’s expectations of the target audience or the voice of the brand.

• Examples:

  • Friendly and casual for social media posts
  • Professional and neutral for reporting
  • Enthusiastic and inspiring travel content

Recommended order of components

When constructing a prompt, the order of these components can have a significant impact on the clarity and effectiveness of the AI’s response. While flexibility is important, adhering to a logical sequence helps ensure that all necessary information is conveyed. The preferred order of these components when making a high quality prompt is:

✅1. Character

Start by defining who the IA should be - this defines the voice, expertise and perspective. *Why first? * It immediately aligns response style and role.

✅2. Context

Next, provide background or situational information relevant to the request. *Why second? * It frames the scenario for the AI ​​to make informed decisions.

✅3. Task

Next, clearly state what you want the AI to do. * Why third? * Once the AI ​​knows who it is and the situation, it can focus on the objective.

✅4. Format

Specify how the output should be structured (e.g. table, bullets, HTML). * Why fourth? * This shapes the deliverable to meet your needs.

✅5. Tone

Define the style or emotional quality of the language. * Why fifth? * This refines the mood or formality of the response.

✅6. Copy (if necessary)

Finally, provide samples to illustrate expectations. * Why last? * Examples clarify everything above - ideal as reinforcement or disambiguation.

📌 Summary – Recommended order:

📝reusable branded prompt template

Persona: [Describe the role, expertise, or character of the AI]

Background: [Provide background, scenario or relevant details]

Task: [Clearly indicate the action or output you want]

Format: [Specify the desired output structure, e.g. table, list, JSON]

Tone: [Indicate style or emotional quality, e.g., friendly, professional]

Example:
    Entry: [Sample entry]
    Output: [Sample output]