Basic Prompt Structure
Every great prompt has a simple skeleton. Think of it like filling out a form: you tell the AI what to do, give it the information it needs, and tell it how to respond. The basic structure has four parts, though you don’t always need all of them.
A well‑structured prompt = Instruction + Context + Input + Format.
The Four Parts Explained
- Instruction: What do you want the AI to do? (e.g., "Summarize", "Explain", "List")
- Context: Background information that helps the AI understand the situation.
- Input: The specific data or question you want it to work on.
- Format: How you want the answer – bullet points, JSON, table, etc.
Example: Putting It All Together
Weak prompt: "Tell me about climate change."
Structured prompt:
Instruction: Explain the main causes of climate change.
Context: I am a high school student writing a report.
Input: Focus only on human activities (fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture).
Format: Write 3 short bullet points, each under 20 words.You Don’t Always Need All Four
For simple questions, just the instruction is enough. Example: "What is 2+2?" But when you need precision, add more parts. The more important the task, the more structure you should use.
Two Minute Drill
- Basic prompt structure: Instruction + Context + Input + Format.
- Instruction tells the AI what to do.
- Context gives background.
- Input is the specific data to act on.
- Format controls how the answer looks.
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