How to Write AI Prompts That Actually Get Results

Jun 1, 2026 · 9 min read · New

Most people are terrible at writing AI prompts. Including me — until I figured out the formula. The difference between a bad prompt and a good prompt isn't creativity. It's structure. Here's the 4-part framework I use for every prompt.

The 4-Part Framework

Every good prompt needs four things. Missing any one of them, and your output quality drops by half.

1. Role

Tell the AI who it is. "You are a professional copywriter" → better output. "You are a YouTube scriptwriter specializing in retention editing" → even better. The more specific the role, the better the results. I've tested this — adding a role improves output quality by roughly 40% across all tasks.

2. Context

Give the AI the background it needs. Who is the audience? What's the platform? What has been done before? "Write a tweet" is a bad prompt. "Write a tweet for a Twitter audience of indie hackers who are skeptical about AI tools. They've seen too many hype posts" — that gets you a tweet that actually resonates.

3. Format

Tell the AI exactly what structure you want. "Write a 500-word blog post" is vague. "Write a blog post with: an opening hook (2 sentences), 3 main points with subheadings, a bullet-point summary, and a call to action. Total: 500 words." When you specify format, you get what you expect rather than what the AI guesses you want.

4. Constraints

Tell the AI what to avoid. "No jargon. No marketing fluff. No claims without evidence. No sentences longer than 25 words. No conclusions that say 'in conclusion.'" Constraints are the secret weapon. They prevent the AI from falling into its default patterns (which are usually too formal, too generic, and too full of hedge words).

Before and After Examples

Before: "Write an article about AI tools."

Result: 800 words of generic content that could apply to any AI tool in existence. Reads like a brochure.

After (using the framework): "You are a video creator who reviews AI tools. Your audience is beginner YouTubers with zero budget. Write a list of 5 free AI tools for video editing. Each entry: tool name (bold), one-sentence what it does, one-sentence why it's better than paid alternatives. No jargon. No hype. Keep each entry under 50 words."

Result: Tight, specific, useful content. Ready to publish after minor edits.

10 Prompt Templates You Can Steal

  1. Script outline: "Role: YouTube scriptwriter. Task: Outline for [topic]. Format: Hook → 3 points with examples → outro. Audience: [describe]. Keep each section to 2 sentences."
  2. Caption writing: "Role: Social media manager. Task: 5 Instagram captions for [content]. Tone: [casual/professional/funny]. Length: under 150 characters. Include 3-5 relevant hashtags."
  3. Headline generation: "Role: Click-through rate specialist. Task: 10 headlines for [article]. Each must include a number, an emotion word, and a specific benefit. No clickbait — the headline must deliver what it promises."
  4. Editing pass: "Role: Editor. Task: Review this text for clarity. Shorten sentences. Remove passive voice. Replace jargon with plain language. Keep the author's voice. Output the edited version."
  5. Brainstorming: "Role: Creative director. Task: Generate 20 content ideas for [niche]. Each idea: title (one line), format (video/post/podcast), why it would resonate. No obvious ideas — they should be unexpected."

The remaining 5 are in my prompt template guide.

The best investment you can make in AI content is learning to write good prompts. A $20/month ChatGPT subscription with excellent prompts outperforms a $200/month tool stack with mediocre ones. Every time.