If you've asked an AI chatbot to "write a product description for my candle" and got back something that could describe any candle ever made, the problem wasn't the AI. It was the prompt. The model only knows what you tell it, so a short, vague request gets a safe, generic answer.
The good news: you don't need tricks or secret phrases. You need a consistent structure that gives the model the context a human copywriter would ask for. Here's the one we use, and the one our AI Prompt Builder produces.
The four parts of a good prompt
1. Role
Tell the model what perspective to write from. "You are an experienced e-commerce copywriter who writes for Shopify stores selling home goods." This sets expectations about tone, vocabulary, and what "good" looks like.
2. Task
Say exactly what you want, including the facts it needs. "Write a product description for a 200g soy wax candle scented with fig and cedar. Burn time is about 40 hours. Hand-poured in small batches in Leeds. Reusable glass jar." Notice this includes the real facts — that's the most important part of the whole prompt.
3. Constraints
List the rules. "Under 120 words. Warm, understated tone, not salesy. Don't use the words 'luxurious' or 'indulge'. Don't add any claims or facts I haven't given you." Constraints are where you stop the AI from doing the things you'll otherwise have to edit out.
4. Output format
Describe the shape of the answer. "Give me a one-line hook, a short paragraph, and three bullet points. Then give two alternative hooks." Asking for options is one of the most useful habits — choosing between three drafts is faster than fixing one.
Before and after
Before: "Write an Instagram caption for my bakery."
After: "You are a social media manager for a small neighbourhood bakery. Write an Instagram caption announcing our new cardamom buns, available Saturdays only from this week. Our audience is local families and young professionals. Friendly, a little playful, no more than 60 words, no more than 3 hashtags, and don't invent prices or promotions. Give me three versions: one short, one with a question to drive comments, and one that mentions we sell out by 11am."
The second prompt takes one extra minute to write and saves ten minutes of editing.
Rules that make every prompt better
- Give facts, ban inventions. Always include a line like "Use only the facts above; don't invent statistics, reviews, prices, or certifications." AI models will happily fill gaps with plausible-sounding details otherwise.
- Name the audience. "Busy parents", "procurement managers at mid-sized manufacturers", "first-time Etsy sellers". Audience changes everything.
- Show an example if you have one. Pasting a previous post or email you liked ("match the tone of this") is more effective than describing the tone in adjectives.
- Say what to avoid. Banned words, banned claims, topics to stay away from.
- Ask for options. Three hooks, five subject lines, two lengths.
Iterate instead of restarting
When the first answer isn't right, don't throw it away and rephrase from scratch. Tell the model specifically what to change: "Version 2 is closest. Make it 20% shorter, drop the second sentence, and make the ending a question." Specific feedback converges fast; vague feedback ("make it better") produces random changes.
Privacy and accuracy
Two cautions that apply to any AI tool:
- Don't paste information you shouldn't share — customer personal data, passwords, confidential contracts. Check your AI provider's data policy, and on our site see how we handle your data.
- Always fact-check the output before publishing. AI can make mistakes, misremember details, or phrase things in ways that create claims you didn't intend. Our AI disclaimer explains what to watch for.
Prompt templates you can reuse
Product description: "You are an e-commerce copywriter for [platform]. Write a description for [product] for [audience]. Facts: [list]. Tone: [tone]. Length: [words]. Don't add facts beyond the list. Format: hook line, short paragraph, [n] bullets."
Email: "You are writing on behalf of [name, role, company] to [recipient type]. Goal: [goal]. Key facts: [list]. Under [n] words, one clear ask, plain friendly tone, no exaggerated claims. Give two subject line options."
Social post: "You are a social media manager for [business]. Write a [platform] post about [topic] for [audience]. Facts: [list]. [Tone]. Max [n] words and [n] hashtags. Give three versions."
Put it into practice
Next time you open an AI chatbot, spend one minute filling in role, task, constraints, and format before you hit enter. If you'd rather not build it by hand, describe your goal in plain words in the AI Prompt Builder and it will turn it into a structured prompt you can paste into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other assistant.