Bad Prompt Habits

Learning Objectives

1. Identify common errors in constructing prompts for ChatGPT
2. Learn how to craft clear and specific requests to improve AI responses
3. Understand the importance of defining the AI's role in your prompts
4. Eliminate unnecessary words that lead to vague outputs from ChatGPT

Introduction

Getting started with ChatGPT can feel overwhelming, especially when your first few attempts produce disappointing results. The most common beginner mistake? Starting prompts with "Can you help me with…" This approach typically generates generic, unhelpful responses that leave you frustrated and no closer to your goal.

This chapter tackles the bad habits that create weak prompts and shows you how to fix them. You'll learn to write prompts that get ChatGPT working as your focused assistant rather than giving you vague, rambling answers.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Spotting Bad Prompt Habits

Most people treat ChatGPT like they're asking a friend for help. They write things like "Can you help me with marketing?" or "I need some advice about…" The problem is ChatGPT responds to these vague requests with equally vague answers.

Here's what typically goes wrong:

Vague opening phrases:

• "Can you help me with…"
• "I need some advice about…"
• "Could you give me information on…"

Why these fail:
These phrases don't tell ChatGPT what type of help you need, how detailed the response should be, or what format you want. The AI has to guess, and it usually guesses wrong.

Example of a bad prompt:
"Can you help me with social media marketing?"

What ChatGPT thinks: You want general information about social media marketing (probably several paragraphs of basic advice).

What you probably wanted: Specific strategies, a content calendar, platform recommendations, or budget advice.

Lesson 2: Writing Clear and Specific Prompts

Good prompts are direct and specific. They tell ChatGPT exactly what you need and how you want it delivered.

Step 1: Identify your specific need
Instead of "help with marketing," ask yourself:

• Do I need a strategy?
• Do I want specific tactics?
• Am I looking for examples?
• Do I need a step-by-step process?

Step 2: Use action words
Replace weak openings with strong verbs:

• "Create a…"
• "List five…"
• "Explain how to…"
• "Write a…"

Step 3: Add context and constraints
Tell ChatGPT:

• Your situation (budget, experience level, industry)
• Format preferences (bullet points, paragraphs, tables)
• Length requirements (brief overview, detailed guide)

Example transformation:

Before: "Can you help me with social media marketing?"

After: "Create a weekly content calendar for a small bakery's Instagram account, focusing on behind-the-scenes content and customer features."

Lesson 3: Defining ChatGPT's Role

The best prompts tell ChatGPT what role to play. Instead of leaving it to guess whether you want basic information or expert advice, specify exactly what type of assistant you need.

Effective role definitions:

• "Act as a marketing consultant and…"
• "You're a experienced teacher explaining…"
• "As a project manager, create…"
• "Write as a customer service expert and…"

Role + task combinations work best:

Instead of: "How do I improve my website?"

Try: "Act as a UX consultant and identify three specific improvements for an e-commerce site that currently has a 2% conversion rate."

This approach works because:

• ChatGPT knows what expertise to draw from
• You get responses in the appropriate tone and depth
• The advice matches your actual situation

Common roles that work well:

• Subject matter expert (marketing consultant, financial advisor)
• Teacher or trainer
• Analyst or researcher
• Creative professional (writer, designer)
• Technical specialist

Practice

Transform these weak prompts into strong, specific requests:

Weak prompt 1: "Can you help me write better emails?"

Your improved version: _______________

Weak prompt 2: "I need some information about budgeting."

Your improved version: _______________

Weak prompt 3: "Could you give me advice about job interviews?"

Your improved version: _______________

Sample strong versions:

1. "Write three email templates for following up with potential clients who haven't responded to initial proposals."
2. "Create a monthly budget template for a freelancer earning £3,000 per month with irregular income."
3. "Act as a hiring manager and list five questions I should prepare for when interviewing for a marketing coordinator role."

FAQs

Why should I avoid vague prompts?
Vague prompts waste time. ChatGPT gives you generic information instead of specific, actionable answers. You'll end up asking follow-up questions to get what you actually needed.

What makes a prompt effective in ChatGPT?
Three things: specificity (exactly what you need), context (your situation), and clear expectations (format, length, tone). Effective prompts also define ChatGPT's role rather than leaving it to guess.

How can I make my prompts more specific?
Replace general topics with specific outcomes. Instead of "help with X," ask for "create," "list," "explain," or "analyse." Add details about your situation and what format you want the response in.

Should I always define a role for ChatGPT?
Not always, but it helps for complex topics or when you need expert-level advice. For simple factual questions, a clear action word is usually enough.

Jargon Buster

ChatGPT: An AI developed by OpenAI that generates text based on user inputs

Prompts: The instructions or questions you give to ChatGPT to generate responses

Role definition: Telling ChatGPT what type of expert or assistant you want it to be for your specific request

Context: Background information about your situation that helps ChatGPT give more relevant answers

Action words: Strong verbs like "create," "list," "explain," or "analyse" that tell ChatGPT exactly what to do

Wrap-up

The difference between frustrating and useful ChatGPT sessions usually comes down to how you start. Weak prompts that begin with "Can you help me…" create weak responses. Strong prompts that use action words, provide context, and define roles create focused, useful answers.

Start practising with your next ChatGPT conversation. Pick one task you need help with and write a prompt that includes what role you want ChatGPT to play, exactly what you need, and any relevant context. You'll notice the difference immediately.

This is the bit most people miss: ChatGPT is only as good as your instructions. Give it clear direction, and it becomes a powerful assistant. Leave it to guess, and you'll get generic responses that don't solve your actual problem.

Ready to improve your ChatGPT skills further? Join Pixelhaze Academy for more practical AI training: https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership