# A clearer prompt

Build Alone · Episode 01 · buildalone.co/episodes/ai-vocabulary/

Good prompts make the job clear. Start with four parts: task, context, output, and checks.

## Copy and adapt

Task: [What do you want the AI to do?]

Context: [Provide the notes, document or facts it needs.]

Output: [Specify the audience, length and format.]

Checks: [What should it avoid? When should it ask instead of guessing?]

## Example: a team update

Using only the meeting notes below, write a team update.

Include:
- Three key decisions
- Next steps, owners and due dates
- Any unanswered questions

Keep it under 150 words. If a detail is missing, say so. Don't invent it.

Notes:
[Paste your notes here]

## Before you use the answer

1. Check that names, decisions and dates match the notes.
2. Check whether anything important was left out.
3. Edit instructions and try again if the format was unhelpful.
4. Only share material you have permission to share with that AI service.

Giving the model a document in a prompt is not fine-tuning. Fine-tuning is additional training that changes the model. A clear prompt is a useful starting point, not a guarantee of accuracy.