Most “the AI gave me garbage” moments come from vague instructions. Learning how to write AI prompts well is the cheapest upgrade you can make to your business this year. I use an AI assistant every day to code, write and plan, and these are the templates that saved me the most time.
What is a prompt?
A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool: what you want, for whom, with what context and in what format. The clearer the instruction, the less you edit afterwards. Think of it as briefing a smart new hire who knows nothing about your business yet.
How to write AI prompts: the structure I always use
Four parts, in this order. I call it R-T-C-F.
- Role: who the AI should act as. “Act as a copywriter for small businesses.”
- Task: one clear action. “Write three Instagram captions.”
- Context: who it is for, what you sell, tone, what to avoid.
- Format: length, bullets or paragraphs, language, number of options.
Then iterate: “shorter”, “more direct”, “less formal”, “give me two more like the second one”. The first answer is a draft, not the final version.
5 prompt templates you can copy today
Replace what is in brackets. That is all.
1. Social media post
“Act as a social media copywriter. Write 3 short captions for [platform] about [topic] for [audience]. Tone: [direct, warm]. Each one must start with a hook and end with a question. Max 60 words each.”
2. Professional email
“Write an email to [person/role] to [goal]. Context: [situation in 2 lines]. Tone: polite but firm. Max 120 words. Give me a subject line too.”
3. Ideas and brainstorming
“I run [business] for [audience]. Give me 10 ideas to [goal] that cost little or nothing. Sort them from fastest to implement to slowest, one line each.”
4. Summarize a long text
“Summarize this text in 5 bullets for someone who has 1 minute. Then list any dates, amounts or obligations it mentions. Text: [paste].” Do not paste private client data or passwords into any AI tool.
5. Fix or explain code
“This [language] code should [expected result] but does [actual result]. Explain the cause in simple words and give me the corrected version. Code: [paste].”
Which prompt mistakes should you avoid?
- Asking for everything at once. One task per prompt works better.
- No context. The AI does not know your client unless you tell it.
- Accepting the first answer. Push back, ask for alternatives.
- Not checking facts. AI can invent data with confidence. Verify numbers, names and anything legal.
How do you save time with prompts every day?
Keep your best prompts in a note or document, organized by task. Every time one works well, save it. In a few weeks you have your own library, and that library is worth more than any tool.
If you are starting from zero, read my AI tutorial for entrepreneurs first. And if you want to turn what you know into income, prompts like these are the base of monetizing your knowledge. More about me on the home page.
— Patricio “King” Olivera
Frequently asked questions
Do prompts need to be long to work?
Not long, complete. A short prompt with the role, the task, the context and the format you want beats a long, vague one. Add detail only where the answer went wrong.
Should I write prompts in English or Spanish?
Write in the language you want the answer in. Modern AI assistants handle Spanish well, and writing in your own language usually gives you a more natural result.
Why does the AI give me different answers to the same prompt?
These models are not fully deterministic, so some variation is normal. If you need consistency, give an example of the exact output you want and fix the format in the prompt.
Ready for the next step?
If you want to learn to work like this with AI, step by step and with support:
- AI mentorship with King — see plans
- Ask me on WhatsApp — quick answer
- Free AI audit — King Studio AI