✨ The art of prompting: getting the best out of AI assistants
🌐 Français · English · العربية
ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot or a local AI: the quality of the answer depends mostly on the quality of your request (the "prompt"). A few simple techniques turn a "meh" answer into an impressive one.
1. The basic formula: R-C-T-F
| Letter | Element | Example |
|---|---|---|
| R | Role: who should answer | "You are an architect specializing in energy renovation." |
| C | Context: the situation, for whom, with which constraints | "1975 house, 120 m², €15,000 budget, Mediterranean climate." |
| T | Task: exactly what you want | "Suggest the 5 most cost-effective upgrades, ranked by priority." |
| F | Format: the shape of the answer | "A table: upgrade, estimated cost, expected gain, difficulty." |
2. Six techniques that change everything
- Give an example of the expected result: the AI copies the style and structure.
- Ask it to ask you questions first: "Before answering, ask me the questions you need."
- Break down big tasks: outline first, then each part.
- Ask for several versions: "Give me 3 very different proposals."
- Have it critique its own work: "Reread your answer, find 3 weaknesses and fix them."
- Set limits: length, tone, audience ("explain it like I'm 10").
3. Ready-to-use prompts
💻 Developers
"You're a security expert. Review this code [paste code]. List possible vulnerabilities by severity, explain each risk in one sentence and propose the fix."
🗂️ Files and data
"Here's a sample of my CSV file [paste 10 rows]. Write an Excel / Google Sheets formula that calculates [goal]. Explain it step by step."
📐 Field professionals
"You're a surveyor. Explain to a non-specialist client, in 5 points, why a phone GPS survey isn't as accurate as an RTK survey, with a concrete comparison."
🧒 Parents and teachers
"Create 10 math word problems for an 8-year-old about football, getting progressively harder, with the answers listed separately."
🤖 Images
"Describe in detail the ideal photo of my product [description] for an online shop: background, light, angle, framing."
4. Traps to avoid
- ❌ Taking the AI at its word: it can invent facts, references or figures very confidently. Check everything that matters.
- ❌ Sharing sensitive data: passwords, customer data, ID documents, company secrets. For that, prefer a local AI.
- ❌ Vague requests: "Make me a logo" gives a generic result. Specify the audience, style, colors and use.
5. Advanced tip: your personal "system prompt"
Most assistants let you save permanent instructions ("Custom instructions", "Gems", "Projects"…). Write once and for all: your job, your preferred language, the format you like, and what you don't want. Every answer after that is tailored without you having to repeat it.
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