How to write instructional prompts

How to write instructional prompts

Instructional prompts are simpler and less nuanced

Instructional prompts focus on clearly telling the model what to accomplish. There’s no single “right” way—only a set of best practices. Experiment freely to discover what works best.

Think of it like instructing a high school student

Provide your model with the same supports you’d give a student:

• A detailed SOP or step-by-step instructions
• An example of what you expect
• An example of what not to do
• Clear rules to follow

Removing the assistant role

The assistant role isn’t necessary in an instructional prompt. Feel free to delete that section to reduce clutter.

System vs. user: where to place each element

Many components can live in either the system or user message, but here’s a guideline:

• Interchangeable elements (system or user):
  • Goal or objective
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • Output format
• Best placed in user (more nuance):
  • Context (your specific ask and surrounding details)
  • Examples that add nuance
• Best placed in system (black-and-white rules):
  • Strict rules or constraints
  • If the model ignores rules in the system, move them into the user section

Use simple prompts for simple tasks

As models improve, brief instructions often suffice. For example:

• Categorize a blog article into one of several categories and output in JSON using this format.
• Determine if a web page is social media, a forum, or a product page, then return true or false.

Add detail only when needed

If the model isn’t following instructions correctly, enrich your prompt with more detailed guidelines, examples, or rules.