Writing good requests (prompting tips)
Get better results faster with clear, specific requests — plus simple patterns for follow-ups, tone, and format.
Last updated July 14, 2026
You don't need special commands to talk to the assistant — plain language works. But a few habits will get you sharper results with less back-and-forth. Think of it like briefing a capable new teammate.
Be specific about the outcome
Say what you want, for whom, and in what form. The more context you give, the closer the first draft lands.
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| "Write an email." | "Draft a short, friendly email to Priya declining the Thursday call and proposing two times next week." |
| "Research this company." | "Summarize this company's products, pricing, and recent news in a bullet list I can skim." |
| "Fix my calendar." | "Move my 2pm to 4pm today and add a 30-minute prep hold before it." |
Give the assistant what it needs
- Attach source material. Upload a file or paste text when your request depends on it.
- Name the tool or account if it matters — "in my work Gmail" or "on the sales calendar."
- State constraints. Length, tone, deadline, budget, audience — whatever should shape the answer.
Refine with follow-ups
Because each chat keeps context, you can steer with short corrections: "make it warmer," "cut it in half," "add a line about the deadline," or "give me three subject-line options." The assistant applies your change to what it just produced.
Let it take action — with a check
Ask the assistant to actually do the thing, not just draft it: "send it," "put it on my calendar," "save this as a note." For anything sensitive or hard to undo, it confirms with you first, so you stay in control.