Get better answers from AI chatbots.

AI chatbots don't know who you are, what you already know or what the answer is for. When the answer is generic, it's usually because the question was. These habits work with any of them.

1. Give it the context

Say who you are, who the result is for and what you're trying to achieve. One or two sentences of background changes the whole answer.

Vague:  Write an email about the meeting.
Better: I run a small web studio. Write a short, friendly email to a client
        moving our Thursday call to Friday at 2 pm, and apologise for the change.

2. Say what the answer should look like

Ask for the format you need: a numbered list, a table, three options, under 100 words, plain English, or Arabic. Otherwise you get whatever the chatbot defaults to.

3. Show an example

If you have something you like (an old email, a product description, a tone), paste it in and say "in this style". Examples work better than describing the style in words.

4. Let it ask you questions

For anything bigger, end your request with:

Before you start, ask me any questions you need answered to do this well.

You'll often realise you left out something important.

5. Improve it in steps

The first answer is a draft. Reply with what to change: "shorter", "more formal", "drop point 3", "explain it to a beginner". It remembers the conversation, so you don't need to start over.

6. Check the facts

Used this way, AI is a fast assistant rather than a replacement. I talk about that in the short video below.