- Published
- 8 October 2026
- Last reviewed
- 8 October 2026
Describe the required result
A prompt is an instruction supplied to an AI system. In this practice guide, the aim is to produce a draft that another person can review. Begin with what the reader needs, rather than asking the system to be an expert without explaining the task.
The fictional task is to organise a few invented meeting notes into decisions, actions and unresolved questions. The brief must make clear that missing information should remain missing rather than being supplied from imagination.
Supply permitted context
Give the relevant fictional notes and explain their purpose. Distinguish the input material from your instructions. Do not include real personal details, credentials or restricted organisational information in the practice exercise.
For actual work, check the approved tool and the organisation’s data-handling rules. A more detailed prompt is not automatically better if its extra information is inappropriate to share. Keep only the context needed for the task.
Request a usable structure
Describe the output sections and any length or style requirements. For the fictional meeting, ask for a decision list, action list and a separate section for unclear items. Ask the system to use only the supplied notes.
An example brief is: Organise these fictional notes under Decisions, Actions and Questions. Do not add facts. If an owner or date is absent, mark it as not supplied. This makes the requested behaviour clear but does not guarantee that the system will follow it.
Evaluate and revise
Compare the draft with the input. Check whether anything was added, omitted or placed in the wrong category. Keep a record of the prompt version and the problem you are trying to improve.
Change one part of the brief at a time and examine the result on more than one fictional example. A successful test on one set of notes is not proof of consistent performance. Use the checklist and trial template to record the review before wider use.
Source and practice note
The UK Government AI Playbook provides general context on understanding limitations and testing AI use. The fictional examples and exercises are original RDE learning material.
Cover image: AI-generated illustrative scene created specifically for this resource.