TRY IT YOURSELF

Write a better AI prompt with four parts

Anthropic recommends clear instructions, relevant documentation, a specific response format and concrete examples. Here is an original four-part workflow that you can try in any AI assistant.

Publicerad 21 July 2026, 14.04

AI-generated illustration of a person combining four cards for Objective, Background, Format and Example into a finished document.

Anthropic, the company behind the AI assistant Claude, recommends that a prompt begin with a clear description of the task. A prompt is the instruction and background that you give to an AI model. The more specific the task, the easier the answer will be to review.

A simple way of working is to build the prompt from four parts: goal, source material, format and example. The goal tells what the AI should do. The source material provides the facts or the text on which the answer is to be based. The format specifies how the result should look. The example shows what level of detail or structure you want.

Anthropic highlights particularly clear instructions, realistic examples and that larger tasks can be divided into several steps. The company also emphasizes that there is no single best method for all models or tasks. Therefore, you need to test the prompt on real examples and adjust what doesn't work.

Try with a limited task. For example, write: 'Goal: summarize the customer meeting. Background: the notes below. Format: five decisions and five next steps with responsible. Example: Decision - keep home page. Responsible – Sara.' Replace the example and names with data from your own material.

A clearer prompt does not automatically make the AI answer true. The model can still miss details, misinterpret the background or make up information. Therefore, check names, numbers, dates and decisions against the original before using or forwarding the answer.

Därför spelar det roll

Many weak AI answers are due to the fact that the task is too broad or that there is a lack of support and a clear final format. Four fixed parts make the instruction easier to reuse, compare and improve without having to learn technical terminology.

Det här kan du göra

  1. Write the goal in one sentence and define what the AI should not do.
  2. Paste the relevant supporting material and enter a precise answer format.
  3. Add a short example, test with your own material and check the answer against the original.