How to write a good Claude prompt

Most bad answers come from a thin prompt, not a weak model. Claude cannot see your situation, so every part you leave out gets guessed.

You do not need a fancy acronym. Almost every prompt framework boils down to the same five parts, plus three habits. Each one below has a shorthand command from the library that does the job for you.

The 5 parts

1. Role: who should Claude be?

A named point of view changes the depth and vocabulary of the answer. “You are a careful editor” gets different work than “you are a growth marketer.”

Shortcut: /AS [role + problem]

2. Context: what is the situation?

Say what you are doing, for whom, and why it matters. Two sentences of background beat ten rounds of correction.

Shortcut: /AUDIENCE [text + audience]

3. Task: what exactly do you want?

One clear action. “Write the onboarding email” is better than “help with onboarding.”

Shortcut: /GOAL [objective]

4. Limits: what must it respect?

Length, tone, budget, things to avoid. Limits are where most of the quality comes from.

Shortcuts: /BRIEFLY [question], /TONE [text + vibe]

5. Format: what should the answer look like?

Table, checklist, three bullets, plain paragraphs. Decide before Claude does.

Shortcut: /FORMAT-AS [content + format]

3 habits that make the difference

Habit 1: make Claude check its own work

Ask for reasoning and a quick review before the final answer. This catches weak spots before you do.

Shortcuts: /CHAIN-OF-THOUGHT [problem], /EVAL-SELF [context], /FACT-CHECK [claim or topic]

Habit 2: show what good looks like

One example of the result you want beats a paragraph of description. Paste a sample you like, or write two lines in the style you want, and say “match this.” Also say what it should not sound like.

Shortcut: /EXAMPLES [text]

Habit 3: let Claude ask before it starts

If the task is big or vague, end your prompt with “ask me 3 questions before you begin.” You answer briefly, and the first draft lands much closer. You also avoid restarting, which saves time.

Related: /ASKBETTER [topic] lists the questions you should be asking about a topic.

Example: thin vs. strong

Thin

“Write a welcome message for my app.”

Strong

“You are a friendly UX copywriter. My habit-tracking app helps people build daily routines. Write a welcome message for new users: under 150 words, warm and motivational tone, one clear next step, in short paragraphs. Check it for anything vague before you answer.”

Same request. The second one covers all five parts plus the habits.

Quick checklist

Did I say who Claude should be?
Did I give the situation?
Is the task one clear action?
Did I set limits?
Did I choose the format?
Did I ask for a self-check?
Did I show an example of good output?
Did I let Claude ask questions first?

Not sure which command fits your task? Describe it to the assistant and get the right one, ready to paste.

Browse all 185 commands