Prompting Course: Basics
Use examples for better results
Few-shot thinking: show your desired format and tone instead of just describing it.
Section 3: Use examples for better results
Section titled “Section 3: Use examples for better results”Learning objectives
- Understand why examples often beat pure explanation
- Know roughly how many examples to start with
- Create simple but effective examples
Show rather than just explain
A concrete example shows tone, format, and level of detail in a way that’s hard to capture in abstract terms.
Without example – task only:
TASK: Categorize customer emails into the right category.CATEGORIES: Technical support, Billing questions, Product informationWith examples:
TASK: Categorize customer emails into the right category.CATEGORIES: Technical support, Billing questions, Product information
EXAMPLES:Email: "My app crashes every time I try to log in."Category: Technical support
Email: "Why have I been charged an extra 299 kr?"Category: Billing questions
Email: "Does product X support Bluetooth 5.0?"Category: Product informationHow many examples?
- Start with none – see if the model handles the task.
- Add one – often enough.
- Two to three if responses still vary too much.
How to create good examples
- Realistic – close to the actual phrasing you receive in practice.
- Variation – different types of customers or case types if needed.
Avoid repeating the same tone and situation if you want to teach the model breadth.
Summary
Section titled “Summary”- Examples = pattern for tone, format, and detail.
- Start small (0–1), increase only if needed.
- Make them realistic and varied where appropriate.
Test your knowledge
Question 1 of 2
Question 1 of 2
You're building a customer service assistant and add two examples to show variation. Which option follows the course's advice best?