Fix it fast
The fifteen problems people hit most with AI answers, and the line to add to your prompt for each.
When it gets the facts wrong
| If it | Add this line |
|---|---|
| Cites a source, quote or number that does not exist | Use only the sources below, and name the source after each claim. If they do not support a claim, leave it out. |
| Fills in names, dates or prices you never gave | Where the draft needs a detail I have not given, write [CHECK: what is missing] instead of inventing one. |
| Summarizes things the document does not say | First quote the sentences that support each point, with the page. If the document does not cover something, write "Not in the document". |
When it gets the shape wrong
| If it | Add this line |
|---|---|
| Breaks a rule you gave it | Rules: {{rule}}, because {{reason}}. Before you reply, check the draft against each rule. |
| Runs far longer than you need | Keep it under {{number}} words. No introduction, no recap and no caveats unless they change what I should do. |
| Gives an outline when you needed the full thing | Write the full text, not an outline. About {{number}} words, in these sections: {{sections}}. |
| Uses bullets when you wanted paragraphs, or the reverse | Format: {{format}}. Write it the way it should appear in {{destination}}. |
| Pastes full of asterisks and pound signs | Write plain text I can paste into an email: blank lines between paragraphs, lists numbered 1, 2, 3, and no Markdown symbols. |
When it sounds wrong
| If it | Add this line |
|---|---|
| Sounds like a press release | Facts to use: {{facts}}. Write it as a plain note from one colleague to another. Add no claims beyond these facts. |
| Does not sound like you | Match the voice of the samples below, their sentence length and word choice, but do not reuse their content: {{samples}} |
| Pitches it wrong for the reader | Reader: {{reader}}. They already know {{what_they_know}}. After reading, they need to {{next_step}}. |
| Gives advice that could apply to any company | Before you answer, ask me up to {{number}} questions about my situation that would change your advice. |
When it holds back or loses track
| If it | Add this line |
|---|---|
| Wraps every answer in caveats | Give your answer in the first sentence, then at most two caveats, and only ones that would change what I do. |
| Agrees with you when you are wrong | Check the assumptions in my question and tell me if any are wrong. Then list the three biggest weaknesses in {{draft_or_plan}}. |
| Forgets what you agreed earlier in a long chat | Write a single prompt that captures everything we decided in this chat. I will start a new chat with it. |
Still not right?
Paste the prompt into thinkhard.si/grader/ to see which of the ten checks it misses. All 33 problems, with why each one happens, are at thinkhard.si/learn/fix/.