Last Updated on March 28, 2024 12:51 AM IST
In today’s digital world artificial intelligence (AI) language is the ultimate game changer. And, one such revolution in AI models is GPT. According to OpenAI API, more than 3 million custom GPTs are created. GPT models are becoming popular and powerful as they are more capable of generating creative content and applications. Thus with the help of a prompt engineering cheat sheet users can enhance their responses.
In simple terms, AI and GPTs have significantly transformed how we use technology. But the main question is how to use them more effectively. But, to get the most out of these models, you need to learn how to use prompts effectively.
So, in this article, we will provide you with a prompt engineering cheat sheet that will provide you with detailed examples of creating prompts that will help you get the responses you want from AI models.
What is exactly the Prompt engineering cheat sheet?
The prompt engineering cheat sheet is a handy guide that helps people generate prompts or ask questions to AI systems.
These commands will allow the AI model to understand and respond accurately. The prompt engineering cheat sheet will give tips on how to make clear and easy prompts for the I to work with.
Thus, it helps users to get the best results while interacting with the AI model. So, before jumping into it let us understand the basics.
What are language models?
Language models are the heart of prompt engineering. We all know AI systems such as ChatGPT are developed and continuously trained on massive datasets.
And, this helps them to predict the upcoming word in a sentence, perform basic tasks such as understanding the context, translation, question-answering, summarization and much more.
However, these responses might not be perfect. The responses may vary and sometimes can be biased depending upon their training data. Hence, prompt engineering plays a key role here and helps to get the results.
You can learn more about these AI models in this guide to the best free AI chatbot apps.
Defining prompt
Before moving on to how prompt engineering works it is important to understand what are prompts.
A prompt is a detailed description or template that you enter to get the desired output from the model. It is like having a conversation between a user and the AI model.
Elements of a Prompt
The following bullet points are key elements that play a crucial role and act as a skeleton of a prompt. They can be:
- Instruction: It is a statement in which we will ask the model to perform a task.
- Context: Context will keep the models focused on the issue. Without appropriate context, the model might give irrelevant or incorrect answers.
- Input: It is the input data is about the information that is given entirely.
- Output indicator: Output refers to what kind of result the AI model should give. This will help the model to understand and provide you with the right set of answers.
How does prompt engineering work?
Prompt engineering is not a subject that can be all covered at once. Rather it is a skill that you need to develop and as a result, it will enhance productivity and efficiency while performing tasks such as content creation and application development.
It helps the users to seamlessly communicate with AI language models like humans and the best thing is you don’t need any prior coding experience.
In prompt engineering, you should keep one thing in mind. Be clear with your instructions which include your goal, context and direction to move.
In prompt engineering, delimiters play a key role. Delimiters act like separators which will help you in keeping instructions clear from the surrounding information or context.
One can use delimiters such as “>>” or @@” which will provide some explicit instructions to the AI model.
For example, if you are instructing the AI to write a blog post on the ocean, then the prompt could be: “Write a blog post about the ocean.>>” This will help AI to understand and it will understand precisely what the user wants and will generate the response accordingly.
However, in prompt engineering asking for a structured output is another useful technique.
Whenever users require specific information in a particular format then they can ask for it directly in the prompt.
For example, if you are looking for the top 10 tourist destinations in Mumbai, here’s a prompt for you. “List the top ten tourist destinations in Mumbai.”
This will make sure that the AI model generates the information in the way you want it.
Types of prompts
There is a massive list of prompts that are used today and each prompt has its unique purpose. So, let us look at some of them:
- Open-ended prompts: Open-ended prompts allow you to think creatively.
- Closed-ended prompts: These prompts will ask for specific answers
- Factual prompts: As the name suggests the factual prompts aim to gather facts.
- Opinion—based prompts: These prompts will ask you for personal views
- Instructional prompts: Instructional prompts will instruct the AI model what to do or how to perform a specific task.
How to design and develop your AI prompts?
The quality of the prompt is a key element while engineering your prompt. However, some methods improve them and allow your models to achieve results at full potential.
Here are some tips that will help you in developing your AI prompts:
Role Playing
Role-playing is the idea of making the model act like a particular system. In this way, it will develop a focused interaction which will help us to get the desired output. This can behave as a teacher, interviewer or code editor.
Clarity
This means the removal of all confusion. Sometimes we try to explain things in too much detail and sometimes it results in providing too much information which is not necessary.
So, to avoid such things it is best to keep things crisp and at the points.
Specification
Specification is connected to role-playing, but here the motto is to be specific and stay on track. This avoids scattered output and helps get things in place.
Consistent
Consistency is the key here and maintaining the flow of the conversation is important. So, one of the best practices is to keep using the same tone. So, it is easy to understand by using the same tone throughout.
Creating effective prompts
The secret of making the most of AI is creating a clear, context-rich and well-defined prompt.
If your prompt is unclear then AI might give you unexpected answers, but if you are specific then it helps AI provide the desired response.
Thus, the tone and style of the prompt also play a crucial role in AI response.
For example, creating a prompt for a professional mail requires clarity, context and focus on what you want to achieve.
The prompt should clearly state what you require such as the client’s name, their company objectives along with specific questions, so that AI’s response can be informative, helpful and refined.
Creating Effective Prompts Without Coding Knowledge: Techniques & Examples
In the following section of the article, we will look at a prompt engineering cheat sheet which consists of various prompt techniques that will help you build high-quality and effective prompts.
You can use these prompts in models such as ChatGPT and Gemini previously known as Google Bard which will help you in generating high-quality results.
- Basic prompt techniques
- Advanced prompt techniques
- Creativity prompts to master Chatgpt and Gemini
- Tailoring/Customizing the output structure
- Dealing with ambiguity and providing context
- Prompting for various kinds of content
- Prompts for emotion and tone
- Prompts to avoid inappropriate content
These techniques will refine your AI’s output which will allow you to tackle complex questionaries and perform tasks with detailed understanding and accuracy.
Basic prompt techniques
Be specific
While developing a prompt for your AI model it is important to be clear and specific about the information you want. Providing clear instructions will help you to generate precise and relevant responses.
Instead of:
Tell me about IaaS and PaaS
Use:
Explain the distinction between IaaS and PaaS.
Setting a format
Instead of:
Provide the difference between IaaS and PaaS
Use:
List 3 key differences between IaaS and PaaS
Advanced prompt techniques
Multi-step prompts
If you performing complex queries then you can use multi-step prompts which will break down your questions into small parts. This will help the AI model to provide more comprehensive answers.
Instead of:
Explain IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
Use:
First, explain IaaS. Second, describe PaaS. Finally, discuss SaaS and its applications.
Tell the perspective
You should inform the perspective of the generated text by specifying whether you want it in the first, second, or third person.
Instead of:
Write a paragraph on cloud computing
Use:
Write a paragraph on cloud computing in the first person.
Creativity prompts
Text manipulation and emojis
Today AI models include emojis and other text manipulations which help your content to be more creative and more engaging.
Instead of:
Write a social media post about cloud computing
Use:
Write a tweet about cloud computing and include at least two emojis.
Dialogue and storytelling
Create prompts that encourage GPT models to generate dialogues or stories, resulting in more creative and engaging content.
Instead of:
Create a conversation on cloud architecture for students
Use:
Create a conversation between a cloud architect and a curious student.
Tailoring/Customizing the output structure
AI models can generate text along with various output structures, they are as follows:
Headings and subheadings
Add headings and subheadings for organizing content and making it more user-friendly.
Instead of:
Write an article on cloud computing
Use:
Write an article on cloud computing and its application applications along with headings for each application and subheadings for their advantages and disadvantages.
Tables and lists
Users can ask AI models to create lists or tables for displaying information in a structured manner.
Instead of:
Difference between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS
Use:
Create a table comparing IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services.
Dealing with ambiguity and providing context
Sometimes your prompts might require additional context or clarification which will guide and help the AI model for generating the desired output. However, providing context or asking the AI to assume certain conditions in such scenarios will help in precise output.
Give context
Provide relevant context to your prompts which will help the AI model to generate accurate and relevant responses.
Instead of:
Explain the concept of cloud computing and its applications.
Use:
Assuming I am a beginner in the field of cloud computing, explain its concept and its applications.
Handling ambiguity
Make sure your prompts are clear by indicating the domain or context in which the AI should produce the response.
Instead of:
Explain the use of virtual machines in cloud computing.
Use:
Explain how virtual machines are used in the context of website hosting in cloud computing.
Prompting for various kinds of content
AI’s persona is versatile and it can generate different types of content, from informative articles to creative stories everything can be done. Here are some ways:
Informative articles
Create a prompt that guides the AI model to generate an informative and well-researched article on a particular topic.
Instead of:
Write an informative article on cloud computing.
Use:
Write an informative article about the history and development of cloud computing, including major milestones and influential figures.
Creative stories
You can ask the AI model to generate an imaginative and engaging story based on specific themes or characters.
Instead of:
Write a creative story for children.
Use:
Write a short science fiction story about a world where humans and animals live together in peace and harmony.
Product descriptions
AI can create attractive, detailed product descriptions highlighting its key features and benefits.
Instead of:
Write a product description for an AI-powered healthcare system
Use:
Write a product description for a state-of-the-art AI-powered healthcare system, emphasizing its advanced features and ease of use.
Prompts for emotion and tone
AI models are capable of generating text with various emotional tones and styles. Here’s how to guide the AI towards specific emotions or tones in its responses:
Instead of:
Write a paragraph on how AI has transformed the healthcare culture.
Use:
Write an inspiring paragraph about the potential of AI to transform the healthcare culture.
Use strong emotional words
Add emotionally charged words in your prompt guide which will let the AI model generate a response with the desired emotional tone.
Instead of:
Write a story of a young scientist achieving her dreams
Use:
Write a heartwarming story about a young scientist who overcomes obstacles to achieve her dreams.
Prompts to avoid inappropriate content
To ensure the AI model generates appropriate content, you need to follow these guidelines:
Set content boundaries
Mention clear boundaries for the content you want to generate by specifying what should be included and not
Instead of:
Write a story about a student learning to cook in a hostel.
Use:
Write a humorous, family-friendly story about a student who learns to cook in a hostel.
Ask for content moderation
You can ask the AI model to moderate its content and generate a response suitable for the general audience category.
Instead of:
Write a simple blog on good AI
Use:
Write an engaging blog about good AI, and ensure, that the content is appropriate for all age groups and backgrounds.
Thumb rules
If you are a tech enthusiast, marketer or from any field and want to master prompt engineering it is important to keep some points in mind.
Firstly, adding, follow-up questions can help you get improved answers from the AI model.
With ChatGPT’s chat history feature, users can ask multiple questions which will make the responses better over time.
By asking follow-up questions such as “Why” or “Can you elaborate?” users can ask the AI model to provide accurate and detailed answers.
Secondly, adding essential keywords and relevant information in the prompts can provide you with precise responses.
For example, if you want the AI tool to describe a famous painting include details such as title, artist’s name and some historical context in the prompt.
But, keep the prompts short and up to the point while developing them.
Whenever you are giving the context, it is important to remember that too many words might confuse the AI model and can result in unsatisfactory output.
Maintaining the right balance between clarity and conciseness is equally important for effective prompt engineering. Defining the tone, target audience and style is equally essential, especially while generating content.
If your target audience is children or teenagers then the tone and style should be easy, playful and engaging. Simultaneously, if your target audience is professional then they might require a bit more formal approach.
For example, let us consider the following prompt: “Write a short story for children aged 5-8 years about two friends, Alex and Emma, who find a treasure map in the park. Describe how they search for the treasure and the problems they encounter”
After entering this prompt the AI model can develop an engaging story for kids that will grab their attention by using the right style.
Things to avoid
Before summing here are some points we should avoid in prompt engineering. They are as follows:
Information Overloading or Ambiguity
Try to provide brief information, but don’t overload it too much it is because it can be junk and lower the accuracy of results.
Open-Ended Questions
It is recommended to avoid asking open-ended questions. Try to ask clear questions.
For example, instead of saying, “Can you write a blog post on data analytics?” you could ask, “
Can you write a blog post on how Python helps in data analysis?” This makes it easier to get useful results.
Incorrect use of constraints in GPT
Constraints act like boundaries and limitations to avoid scattered situations. This requires providing specific requirements like what the model should pretend to be during role-playing.
Downloading Prompt Engineering Cheat Sheet PDF
The good news is you can experience the power of AI with our ultimate prompt engineering cheat sheet without any additional pricing which will provide you with all prompts along with their output. Whether you are using AI for SEO or a coder this ultimate cheat sheet is for everyone.
Click here to download the ultimate prompt engineering cheat sheet pdf.
Summing Up
Prompt engineering is an important skill for using AI effectively. By following our “Prompt Engineering Cheat sheet,” users can improve their communication with language models and get the most out of their interactions.
Giving clear, specific instructions and different techniques will help AI to understand us well and give us the right information.
But we must be careful and not confuse AI too much by feeding heavy information or unclear questions. And, by understanding and using these prompts we can make sure we get the best result from AI.
Here are a few FAQ about Prompt Engineering:
How do you determine which type of prompt technique to use for a specific AI task?
Picking the right prompt technique depends on the task and what you want from the AI. For complex stuff, breaking it down into multi-step prompts can help the AI grasp it all. But if you need creative content, prompts that encourage storytelling or dialogue might work better. It’s about matching the prompt style to the task at hand.
Can you provide examples of how prompt engineering can mitigate biases in AI models?
Prompt engineering can help reduce AI biases by giving the model clear instructions. Like, if you want opinions on touchy subjects, well-written prompts can steer the AI to stay neutral instead of reinforcing biases in its training data. Prompts can also push the AI to consider different viewpoints for a more balanced output.
Are there any limitations or challenges associated with using prompt engineering techniques in AI interactions?
Prompt engineering is pretty cool for getting better results from AI, but it’s not all rainbows and unicorns. For one, you need to know what you’re doing to write prompts that are on point and get the AI to actually understand what you want. Even then, the AI might still be biased based on how it was trained or pick up biases from your prompt.
And sometimes the prompt just doesn’t work right, so you have to keep tweaking and trying new things until the AI finally gives you what you’re looking for.
