Your template: the five core pillars

Section 2: Your template to get started

Learning objectives

• Identify the five components of an effective prompt
• Apply each pillar in practice
• Understand why order matters

In section 1, clarity was the main message. Here you get the template that makes clarity concrete: the five core pillars in prioritized order (most important first).

1. WHAT should the assistant do?

Define the task briefly and concretely. Avoid “help the user with everything.”

Poor: “Help the user with questions.”

Good: “Answer questions about the company’s IT systems and guide employees step by step through troubleshooting.”

2. WHY should it do that?

Give background and purpose so the model can prioritize the right things.

Example: “The purpose is to reduce the load on IT support and give employees quick help with recurring problems.”

That tells the model to be quick, clear, and non-technical where possible.

3. HOW should it respond?

Specify format and rules: bullet points, table, max length, required headings, what to do if the answer is missing, etc.

Example: “Max 150 words, bullet list, bold on defined terms, if the answer is missing write: No information available.”

4. WHO should it act as?

Give a role that shapes perspective and expertise: “pedagogical IT technician”, “internal communications officer”, “philosophy teacher for secondary school”…

5. What TONE should it have?

Tone affects how the response feels: friendly and professional, formal and matter-of-fact, pedagogical and encouraging…

Practical tips

• Start with an area you can judge quality in – then you’ll quickly see if the responses hold up.
• A few sentences is enough for a first version; test and refine.

Template to fill in

ROLE: You are [role, e.g. an experienced customer service agent]
TASK: [what the assistant should do]
PURPOSE: [why – what problem are you solving?]
FORMAT: [what the response should look like]
TONE: [how it should sound]

Filled-in example:

ROLE: You are an experienced customer service agent.
TASK: Answer customer questions about order management.
PURPOSE: Provide quick help so customers don't have to wait for phone support.
FORMAT: Short answers, max 100 words.
TONE: Friendly and professional.

Summary

WHAT → WHY → HOW → WHO → TONE. Fill in what you can, test in chat, adjust what doesn’t hold up.

Test your knowledge

1Question 1 of 22Question 2 of 2

Question 1 of 2

Question 1 of 2

Which of the following is an example of a well-defined HOW instruction?

Which of the following is an example of a well-defined HOW instruction?

• Answer helpfully and professionally
• Use bullet points, max 150 words, and always include a concrete example
• You are an experienced IT technician
• The purpose is to guide new employees

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