How do I write good prompts for Claude?
Key principles of effective prompting
Start with a clear instruction: tell Claude exactly what you want it to do. Instead of 'Write about dogs,' say 'Write a 300-word article for pet owners about the benefits of adopting a senior dog.'
Provide context: include background information, your audience, and the purpose. For example, 'I'm a high school teacher preparing a lesson on climate change for 10th graders. Create a list of five discussion questions.'
Specify the format: if you need a table, bullet points, or a specific tone, say so. 'List the pros and cons in a two-column table' or 'Explain in simple terms for a beginner.'
- Use natural language—no need for special syntax.
- Break large tasks into smaller prompts for better results.
- Ask Claude to think step-by-step for reasoning tasks.
- Provide examples of desired output when possible.
- Use follow-up prompts to refine or correct.
Advanced techniques
For complex tasks, use a structured approach: first ask Claude to outline a plan, then approve it, then ask for the final output. This 'chain of thought' method improves accuracy.
You can assign a role to Claude: 'Act as an experienced editor and review this paragraph for clarity and grammar.' This helps set the tone and expertise level.
If Claude's response isn't quite right, don't start over—give specific feedback. 'That's too technical; rewrite it for a general audience' or 'Add more examples from history.'
Common mistakes
- Being too vague—'Tell me about history' won't give useful results.
- Assuming Claude knows what you're thinking; state your assumptions explicitly.
- Not iterating—the first response is often a starting point, not the final answer.
