What are 50 more ways to get better results from AI tools?

Tips 11–18

Ask so the first answer lands

How the boxes work.

Each tip has a box with a prompt: words you paste into the AI’s message box. Tap the box to read it, tap Copy, then paste. Replace anything in [square brackets] with your own details first.

New here? Start with the first ten tips. These are tips 11 to 60.

Say who it’s for. The same topic needs different words for a teenager, a boss or a neighbor.

Prompt to copy: name the reader

Explain [topic] to [who]. They know [what they know] and don't know [what they don't]. Use plain words and one example from everyday life.

Give it a job to play. A role sets the voice and the level. Pick a real kind of person.

Prompt to copy: give it a role

You're a patient high-school chemistry teacher. Explain why ice floats on water, then ask me one question to check I got it.

Say what you’ll do with the answer. Reading aloud, emailing a boss and pinning to a fridge all need different answers.
Prompt to copy: say how it’ll be used
```
I'll read this out loud at my sister's wedding, so it must sound natural spoken and take about two minutes. Draft a toast about [what you want to say].
```

Say what to leave out. A short list of “nothing that…” saves you rounds of editing.

Prompt to copy: list the no’s

Suggest five birthday gifts for my dad. He likes fishing and hates clutter. Nothing over $50, nothing that needs batteries.

One job per message. Ask for the outline, then the draft, then the polish. Each step is easier to check.
Prompt to copy: step one only
```
Step 1 only: list the five main points my report on [topic] should cover. Don't write anything yet.
```
Say what you already tried. Otherwise it hands you the first thing you already ruled out.
Prompt to copy: skip what failed
```
I'm trying to [goal]. I already tried [A] and [B], and got [what happened]. Don't repeat those. What else could I try?
```
Name the length and shape. Say how many bullets, how many words, or how many sentences.
Prompt to copy: set the shape
```
Give me this as three bullet points, each under 15 words, then one sentence on what to do first.
```
Ask for a good and a weak example. Seeing both shows what “good” means for your job.
Prompt to copy: good versus weak
```
Show me one good and one weak example of [thing, such as a cover letter or a budget]. Say what makes the difference.
```

Tips 19–26

Give it what it needs

Say which parts matter. In a long text, point at the parts you care about.

Prompt to copy: point at what matters

Below is a long contract. I only care about cost, length of term and how to cancel. Quote those parts exactly and tell me where you found them.

[paste the contract, with private details removed]

Tell it your level. A beginner and an expert need different answers to the same question.
Prompt to copy: set your level
```
I'm a beginner at [topic]. Explain [topic] to me at that level, and tell me which five words I should learn first.
```
Use your own facts, not its memory. Give names, dates and numbers. Tell it to ask when something is missing.
Prompt to copy: stick to your facts
```
Use only the facts below. If you need something that isn't there, ask me instead of guessing.

[paste your facts]
```

Ask it to look up recent news. Its memory stops at a date. Some tools can search the web and some can’t, so make it say which.

Prompt to copy: use search

Today is [date]. If you can search the web in this chat, find the latest on [topic] and give me the links. If you can't, say so now and don't present your memory as current.

Feed a long job in pieces only if you must. Try pasting it all at once first. Split it only if the app says it’s too long.

Prompt to copy: paste in parts

I'm going to paste a long report in [number] parts. Wait until I say "that's all" before you answer. When I do, start by quoting the last sentence of the final part, so I know you read it all.

Tidy messy notes. Ask it to sort and trim, and to add nothing.

Prompt to copy: tidy my notes

Here are my messy notes. Group them under headings, remove repeats, and keep every fact. Don't add anything new.

[paste your notes]

Give your limits. Budget, time, skills and tools. Without them, you get a plan you can’t follow.
Prompt to copy: state your limits
```
I have two hours on Saturday, $100 and basic hand tools. Plan a project to [goal] that fits. Tell me what you assumed.
```
Hide private details first. Swap real names and amounts for labels, then keep the labels in the answer.
Prompt to copy: use stand-in labels
```
I'm hiding private details with labels: names become Person A and Person B, and amounts become $X. Keep those labels in your answer.
```

Tips 27–34

Shape the answer you get back

Answer first, reasons after. Then you can stop reading as soon as you have what you need.
Prompt to copy: answer first
```
Give me your answer in one sentence first. Then the reasons, shortest first.
```
Ask for two options and a pick. Two choices with a downside each is easier to judge than a long menu.
Prompt to copy: two ways and a pick
```
I want to [goal]. Give me two ways to do it, the main downside of each, and the one you'd pick for me and why.
```
Ask for a simpler version. You can say “again, simpler” as many times as you need.
Prompt to copy: say it simpler (same chat)
```
Say that again for someone who has never heard of [term]. Use no jargon and one everyday comparison.
```
Turn it into a checklist. A list in the order you’ll do things is easier to follow than a paragraph.
Prompt to copy: make a checklist
```
Turn these steps into a checklist I can tick off, in the order I'll do them. Mark any step I can't undo.

[paste the steps]
```

Compare in a table. Set rows for what you care about so the choice shows itself.

Prompt to copy: compare side by side

Compare [A], [B] and [C] in a table. Rows: price, biggest plus, biggest problem, who it suits. Say which cells you're unsure of.

Set the tone. Describe a person who would sound right, not just an adjective.

Prompt to copy: set the tone

Rewrite this to sound friendly but firm, like a neighbor who really needs the fence fixed. No threats, no exclamation marks.

[paste your draft]

Cut it down. Shorter is often better. Tell it what must survive the cut.
Prompt to copy: cut it in half
```
Cut this to half the length. Keep every number and date. Don't add anything new.

[paste the text]
```
Ask for a rough draft with blanks. Blanks are honest. Made-up details are not.
Prompt to copy: leave blanks for guesses
```
Give me a rough first draft of [what you need]. Put ??? wherever you would have to guess a fact. Don't fill those in.
```

Tips 35–42

Steer while you work

Change one thing at a time. If you change five things, you won’t know which one helped.
Prompt to copy: change one line
```
Keep everything the same except the opening line. Give me three new versions of just that line.
```
Fix only what you asked. For proofreading, say not to touch your wording.
Prompt to copy: proofread only
```
Fix the spelling and grammar only. Don't change my wording or my meaning.

[paste your text]
```
Ask what it changed. It can change more than you asked. The list is a guide, not proof, so compare old and new yourself for anything that matters.
Prompt to copy: list the changes (same chat)
```
List every change you made since my last version, one line each, so I can check them.
```
Say why when you push back. “Too formal” is vague. Say who reads it.
Prompt to copy: give the reason (same chat)
```
That's too formal. My readers are retired neighbors, so use short sentences and warm words. Try again.
```
Ask for the next step only. For something new to you, one step at a time beats a wall of text.
Prompt to copy: one step at a time
```
I'm new to [topic] and I want to [goal]. Tell me only the next step, then wait for me to say it's done.
```
Ask what to ask next. You may not know the best next question. Let it suggest three.
Prompt to copy: ask what to ask next
```
Based on what I've told you about [topic], what three questions should I ask next? Say why each one matters.
```

Ask it to play the other person. Practice a hard talk before you have it.

Prompt to copy: rehearse a hard talk

Play my [landlord, boss or neighbor] who is [how they'll react]. I want to ask for [what you want]. Respond the way they would, one reply at a time, and stay in character until I say stop.

Tell it to say “I’m not sure.” It tends to fill a gap with something plausible. Give it permission to say it doesn’t know.
Prompt to copy: allow “I’m not sure”
```
If you aren't sure, say "I'm not sure" and tell me how you'd find out. Don't fill gaps with a guess.
```

Tips 43–50

Check and be careful

List what to check. Names, numbers, dates and quotes are where mistakes hide.

Prompt to copy: list the checkables (same chat)

Mark each number, name, date and quote in your answer as either "from the text I gave you" or "from your general knowledge (I should verify)". Flag any you're unsure of.

Ask again in a new chat. If the answers differ, treat both as uncertain. If they match, that’s a good sign but not proof, so still check key facts.
Prompt to copy: ask from scratch (use a new chat)
```
[Paste the same question you asked before, with nothing else.]
```

Treat medicine, money and law as a starting point. Use it to prepare, then ask the professional.

Prompt to copy: prepare for the expert

I'm going to talk to my [doctor, lawyer or accountant: pick one] about [topic]. List the questions I should ask and the facts I should bring. Don't tell me what to decide.

Open the links. It can invent a link that looks real, and it often can’t tell which ones are real. Open every link before you rely on it.
Prompt to copy: ask for something checkable (same chat)
```
For each claim, tell me what to search for: the organization, document title and year. Only give a web address if you searched the web just now. Say which claims you can't source.
```
Ask for the other side. It’s easy to get a one-sided answer. Ask for the best case against.
Prompt to copy: argue the other side (same chat)
```
Now argue the other side as well as you can. What would a smart person who disagrees with me say?
```

Test it on a small case. Run it on one simple example you can check by hand.

Prompt to copy: try a small case (same chat)

Show me how [the method you just described] works on one simple example with real numbers, step by step, so I can check it by hand.

Ask for honest, not nice. These tools can lean toward agreeing with you. Ask for the weak spots.

Prompt to copy: ask for honest

Here is my [work]:
[paste it]

Give me your honest opinion, not what I want to hear. What's weakest about it? If it's good, say so and why.

Make it explain what you’ll rely on. If you’d have to defend it, you should understand it. Treat the explanation as a lead, not proof: check the weakest step it names, and one other.
Prompt to copy: explain it to defend it (same chat)
```
Explain your answer step by step as if I have to defend it to my boss tomorrow. Point out which step is the weakest.
```

Tips 51–56

Everyday jobs to try

Sum up a long thread. Paste the email or text thread and ask what you need to know.
Prompt to copy: sum up a thread
```
Summarize the thread below: what was decided, what's still open, and what I need to do by when.

[paste the thread]
```

Reply to a hard message. Ask for two versions and send the one that sounds like you.

Prompt to copy: a kind no

Help me reply to this message. I want to say no kindly and keep the friendship. Give me two versions, one short and one warmer.

[paste the message]

Plan the week’s dinners. Give your limits and let it do the list.

Prompt to copy: plan dinners

Plan five dinners for two. We don't eat [food], we have 30 minutes on weeknights, and I'll shop once. Give me the shopping list grouped by store aisle.

Learn with a tutor. Ask for one idea at a time and a question after each.

Prompt to copy: tutor me

Teach me [topic] with one small idea at a time. After each idea, ask me one question. Don't move on until I answer.

Practice for an interview. Have it ask the questions and wait for your answers.

Prompt to copy: practice an interview

I have a job interview for [role] on [day]. Ask me five likely questions one at a time, wait for my answer, then tell me what to improve.

Decode a letter or bill. Ask what it says, what they want and by when. Then check with the sender.

Prompt to copy: decode a letter

Explain this letter in plain words: what it says, what they want from me, and by when. Tell me what to check with them directly.

[paste it, with account numbers removed]

Tips 57–60

Settings and safe habits

Look through your app’s settings. Find memory (what the AI keeps between chats), custom instructions (rules it follows every time), and whether your chats are used to train the AI. Then decide.
Ask in the language you think in. You can get answers, or send replies, in your own or another language.
Prompt to copy: ask in your language
```
Reply in [language]. Use simple words. If a word has no good translation, keep it in English and explain it.
```

Ask it how to use itself. It may not know every feature of your app, so check the app’s help page for anything it names.

Prompt to copy: find features

What can you do in this app that I might not know about? Give me five things that fit what I do: [your job or hobby]. Say which ones you're not sure about.

Keep your best prompts. When a prompt works, make it reusable and save it where you can find it.
Prompt to copy: make a reusable prompt (same chat)
```
Turn my last three requests in this chat into reusable fill-in-the-blank prompts, with [brackets] for the parts that change.
```

Start here

Start with the first ten

These fifty add to the ten that matter most.

The first ten.

If you haven’t yet, read How do I get better results from AI tools? It has the ten habits to build first.

Showing the work

How this answer was made

Written from daily use of AI tools for building and writing, and drafted with Claude. The tips are habits that work for the author, not rules, and none is a promise. The sources below back the main ideas: give examples, say what done looks like, and ask for checks.

Each box holds a line to paste. Replace anything in [square brackets] with your own details first.