Show an example

Describing what you want is hard. Showing it is easy. One good example often does more than a paragraph of adjectives like "friendly but professional" or "short and punchy".

Why examples work

Words like "professional" mean different things to different people. An example removes the guesswork: here is the length, here is the tone, here is the layout. The AI can match a pattern more reliably than it can interpret an adjective.

One example may be enough

Paste a sample of the format you want and say what to copy.

Write a product update in the same style as this one.

Example:
"New: saved searches. Find any note in two clicks. Try it from the sidebar."

Topic: a dark mode for the mobile app.

For a tone or layout, one example is often enough.

Use two or three when the pattern is subtle

If you want the AI to sort things into categories, or to follow a rule that is hard to state, show a few cases, including one that is tricky.

Label each message as Billing, Bug or Other.

"I was charged twice." -> Billing
"The app crashes when I upload a photo." -> Bug
"Do you have a student discount?" -> Other

Now label: "My invoice shows the wrong company name."

Three examples teach a rule you would struggle to explain.

Say what to copy and what to change

An example can be copied too literally. Add a line such as: "Match the length and tone, but do not reuse the wording." If you give several examples, make them different enough that the AI sees the pattern and not one phrase.

Ask for a format you can use

If the answer will go into a spreadsheet, a slide or a form, show the layout. A header row with the column names does it. If you need the result in a fixed structure, such as a list of fields, say which fields and in which order.

Show what you do not want

A bad example can help, too: "Avoid openings like this one: 'In today's fast-paced world...'" The AI will steer away from it.

Keep a swipe file

When an answer comes out just right, save the prompt and the result. Next time, use it as your example. Over a few weeks you will have a set of templates for your own work.

Try it

Choose a task you repeat, such as meeting notes. Write one example of what a good version looks like, then ask for the next one in the same shape.