Writing Clear Instructions

Writing Clear Instructions

Writing Clear Instructions

The difference between "meh" AI outputs and "wow, that's exactly what I needed!" often comes down to how clearly you communicate. Let's level up your instruction-writing skills!

Why Clarity Matters

AI is incredibly powerful but also incredibly literal. It will do exactly what you ask—no more, no less. If you're unclear, it will make assumptions, and those assumptions might not match what you actually wanted.

Think of AI like a very capable but very literal intern:

  • Follows instructions precisely
  • Doesn't read your mind
  • Needs context to make good decisions
  • Gets better with clear feedback

The Clarity Checklist

Before hitting send on your prompt, ask yourself:

✅ Is my request specific? (Not "write something" but "write a 300-word blog intro") ✅ Have I provided context? (Who's the audience? What's the purpose?) ✅ Are my constraints clear? (Length, format, tone, style) ✅ Have I included examples? (If relevant) ✅ Is there any ambiguity? (Could this be interpreted multiple ways?)

The 6 Principles of Clear Instructions

1. Use Action-Oriented Language

Start with a clear verb that tells the AI exactly what to do.

Weak verbs (vague):

  • "Something about..."
  • "Stuff related to..."
  • "Things involving..."

Strong verbs (clear):

  • Write, create, generate, design
  • Explain, describe, summarize, analyze
  • List, compare, evaluate, outline
  • Rewrite, improve, expand, condense

Examples:

❌ "I need something about email marketing" ✅ "Write a beginner's guide to email marketing"

❌ "Do something with this code" ✅ "Debug this Python code and explain what was wrong"

❌ "Help with my presentation" ✅ "Create an outline for a 10-minute presentation about climate change solutions"

2. Specify Exactly What You Want

Don't make the AI guess. Be explicit about deliverables.

Vague: "Write about productivity"

Specific: "Write a 500-word article about productivity tips for remote workers, including 5 actionable strategies"

Even more specific: "Write a 500-word article about productivity tips for remote software developers, including 5 actionable strategies. Each strategy should have a brief explanation and a practical example. Target audience: developers with 2-5 years of experience working from home."

The difference:

  • Vague: AI picks random productivity topics
  • Specific: AI knows the audience, length, and structure
  • Very specific: AI delivers exactly what you need

3. Define Your Constraints

Constraints aren't limitations—they're guardrails that help AI give you better results.

Key constraints to specify:

Length:

  • Word count: "Write a 300-word summary"
  • Paragraph count: "Explain in 3 short paragraphs"
  • Time: "Create a 5-minute speech"
  • Items: "List 10 ideas"

Format:

  • "Format as bullet points"
  • "Create a table with 3 columns"
  • "Write in Q&A format"
  • "Structure as: intro, 3 main points, conclusion"

Tone:

  • "Professional and formal"
  • "Casual and friendly"
  • "Humorous but informative"
  • "Empathetic and supportive"

Audience:

  • "For complete beginners"
  • "For industry experts"
  • "For teenagers"
  • "For C-level executives"

Example with constraints:

Write a 400-word blog post about the benefits of meditation
for busy professionals. Use a calm, encouraging tone.
Structure: brief intro, 4 key benefits (with examples),
short conclusion with a call-to-action.
Format with clear headings for each benefit.

4. Provide Context

Context helps AI understand the bigger picture and make better decisions.

What context to include:

  • Purpose: Why do you need this? (presentation, blog, email, learning)
  • Audience: Who will read/see this?
  • Background: What's the situation?
  • Goals: What should this accomplish?

Without context: "Write about our new product"

With context: "Write a product announcement email for our new project management software. Audience: existing customers who currently use our basic plan. Goal: get them excited about upgrading. Tone: enthusiastic but not pushy. Length: 3 short paragraphs."

The difference: Context helps AI choose the right angle, tone, and details.

5. Use Examples When Helpful

Sometimes showing is better than telling.

When to use examples:

  • You want a specific style or format
  • The task is unusual or creative
  • You have a reference you like
  • You want consistency with existing content

How to use examples:

Style example:

Write a product description in this style:

Example: "Meet the CloudDesk 3000: Your office, anywhere.
This isn't just a laptop—it's your creative studio,
your command center, your window to the world.
Lightweight enough to forget it's there, powerful enough
to handle anything you throw at it."

Now write a similar description for wireless headphones.

Format example:

Create social media posts following this format:

Example:
🎯 Tip: [One-sentence tip]
💡 Why it matters: [Brief explanation]
✨ Try this: [Actionable step]
#Hashtag #Hashtag

Create 3 posts about time management using this format.

6. Break Down Complex Requests

If you're asking for something complicated, break it into steps or clearly numbered parts.

Complex (confusing): "I need a marketing plan with social media strategy and email campaigns and also some blog ideas and maybe some ad copy"

Broken down (clear):

Create a marketing plan with the following components:

1. Social Media Strategy
   - 3 platform recommendations with rationale
   - Posting frequency for each
   - Content themes

2. Email Campaign Outline
   - 5 email sequence for new subscribers
   - Subject lines and brief content description for each

3. Blog Content Ideas
   - 10 blog post titles
   - Target keyword for each

4. Ad Copy
   - 3 variations of a Facebook ad (headline + body)

Target audience: Small business owners
Product: Accounting software

Common Clarity Mistakes

Mistake #1: Assuming Shared Knowledge

Bad: "Write about the thing we discussed"

  • AI doesn't remember previous conversations (unless in the same chat)

Good: "Write a 300-word summary of the benefits of meditation, which we discussed earlier: reduced stress, better focus, improved sleep"

Mistake #2: Ambiguous Pronouns

Bad: "Make it more professional"

  • What is "it"? More professional than what?

Good: "Rewrite this email to be more professional: [paste email]"

Mistake #3: Unclear Comparisons

Bad: "Write something like that article"

  • Which article? Like it in what way?

Good: "Write a blog post similar in tone and structure to this article: [paste article or describe it]. Match the conversational tone and use of real-world examples."

Mistake #4: Hidden Assumptions

Bad: "Create a workout plan"

  • For who? What goals? What equipment? How much time?

Good: "Create a 4-week beginner workout plan for someone with no gym equipment, working out at home for 30 minutes, 3 times per week. Goal: general fitness and weight loss."

The "Clarity Test"

Before sending your prompt, ask:

  1. Could someone else read this and know exactly what I want?
  2. Have I eliminated all ambiguity?
  3. Would I be able to evaluate if the output is "correct"?

If you answer "no" to any of these, add more clarity!

Real-World Examples: Before & After

Example 1: Business Email

Before (unclear): "Write an email about the meeting"

After (clear): "Write a professional email to my team summarizing yesterday's project kickoff meeting. Include: 3 key decisions made, assigned action items with owners, and next meeting date (Friday, 2pm). Tone: positive and action-oriented. Length: 4 short paragraphs."

Example 2: Content Creation

Before (unclear): "Give me some social media ideas"

After (clear): "Generate 5 Instagram post ideas for a sustainable fashion brand targeting Gen Z. Each post should include: a catchy caption (2-3 sentences), 3-5 relevant hashtags, and a suggested visual concept. Tone: authentic, eco-conscious, not preachy."

Example 3: Learning

Before (unclear): "Explain APIs"

After (clear): "Explain what APIs are to someone with no programming background. Use a real-world analogy (like a restaurant menu), keep it under 200 words, and end with one practical example of an API people use without realizing it."

Example 4: Code Help

Before (unclear): "Fix my code"

After (clear): "Debug this Python function that's supposed to calculate the average of a list of numbers but returns an error. Explain what's wrong, provide the corrected code, and briefly explain why the fix works. Here's the code: [paste code]"

Pro Tips for Crystal-Clear Instructions

  1. Use formatting: Break up long prompts with line breaks, bullet points, or numbers

  2. Front-load the important stuff: Put the main request first, details after

  3. Use quotation marks: For exact phrases you want included

  4. Specify what NOT to do: Sometimes it helps to say "Don't include X" or "Avoid Y"

  5. Include success criteria: "The output should be..." or "I'll know this is successful if..."

Practice Exercise

Improve these unclear prompts:

  1. Unclear: "Write something about coffee" Your clear version: _____

  2. Unclear: "Help me with my presentation" Your clear version: _____

  3. Unclear: "Make this better: [text]" Your clear version: _____

The Bottom Line

Clear instructions are the foundation of great AI outputs. Spend an extra 30 seconds clarifying your prompt, and you'll save 10 minutes of back-and-forth revisions.

Remember: AI is powerful but literal. Treat it like a capable colleague who needs clear direction, not a mind reader.

What's Next

Now that you can write clear instructions, let's learn how to provide context and examples that take your prompts from good to great!