Lesson 3

Prompt Formula

Role + Task + Context + Format = Better Output. Four ingredients that turn a vague request into a precise brief.

RoleTaskContextFormat

Role: who should answer

"You are a senior tax accountant" or "Act as a skeptical investor". A role sets vocabulary, depth and point of view. Keep it relevant: a role that doesn't fit the task adds nothing.

Task: what exactly to do

Use a clear verb and a clear finish line. "Write a 150-word product description" beats "help with my product". If there are several steps, number them.

Context: what it needs to know

Audience, goal, background, constraints, what you've already tried. This is the ingredient beginners skip and the one that matters most. See section 4.

Format: what the output looks like

Table, bullets, email, JSON, three options, under 200 words, plain language. If you don't specify, you get Claude's default, which may not be what you need.

Before and after

Weak: "Write a LinkedIn post about our launch."

Strong: "You are a B2B copywriter. Write a LinkedIn post announcing our invoicing app's launch. Audience: freelance designers who hate chasing payments. Tone: friendly, no hype. Format: under 120 words, one question at the end, no hashtags."

Try this prompt

You are a [role]. [Task with a clear verb and finish line]. Context: [audience, goal, background]. Format: [length, structure, tone].

Avoid