Getting Better Results from ChatGPT
TL;DR:
- Be specific and detailed in your prompts to get more useful responses
- Your ChatGPT plan affects which features and models you can access
- Context is everything – give ChatGPT background information for better answers
- Structure your requests clearly and ask for exactly what you need
- Experiment with different prompt styles to find what works best
ChatGPT works by generating responses based on the prompts you give it. The quality of what you get back depends heavily on how you ask and what information you provide.
How Your Plan Affects Results
Your ChatGPT subscription determines which version of the model you can use and what features are available.
Free users get access to GPT-3.5, which handles most basic tasks well but has some limitations with complex requests.
Plus subscribers can use GPT-4, which is better at reasoning, following complex instructions, and maintaining context in longer conversations. You also get access to features like browsing, image generation, and custom GPTs.
Team and Enterprise plans add collaboration features, higher usage limits, and better data privacy controls.
Writing Better Prompts
The way you structure your requests makes a huge difference to the responses you get.
Be Specific About What You Want
Instead of "Help me write an email," try "Write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded to my proposal in two weeks. Keep it polite but direct, around 100 words."
Give Context
ChatGPT doesn't know your situation unless you tell it. Include relevant background information, your role, the audience, and any constraints you're working with.
Use Examples
If you want a particular style or format, show ChatGPT an example of what you're looking for. It's much better at matching patterns than guessing what you mean.
Break Down Complex Tasks
Rather than asking for everything at once, break bigger projects into smaller steps. This gives you more control and usually produces better results.
Making the Most of Conversations
ChatGPT remembers what you've discussed within a single conversation thread. Use this to your advantage by building on previous responses and refining your requests.
If the first response isn't quite right, don't start over. Ask for specific changes: "Make it more casual," "Add technical details," or "Focus more on the benefits."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Being too vague. "Make this better" doesn't give ChatGPT enough to work with. Say what specifically needs improving.
Asking for too much at once. One clear request usually works better than trying to pack everything into a single prompt.
Not checking the output. ChatGPT can make mistakes or miss nuances. Always review and edit what it gives you.
Treating it like a search engine. ChatGPT works best when you're clear about the type of response you want, not just the topic.
FAQs
Does ChatGPT remember conversations between sessions?
No, each new chat starts fresh. If you want to continue working on something, you'll need to provide context again.
Can I use ChatGPT for factual research?
ChatGPT Plus with browsing can help with current information, but always verify important facts from reliable sources. The model can sometimes generate plausible-sounding but incorrect information.
How long can my prompts be?
There's a limit to how much text ChatGPT can process at once, but it's quite generous. If you hit the limit, break your request into smaller parts.
Can I save and reuse good prompts?
Yes, keep a note of prompts that work well for recurring tasks. You can also create custom GPTs (Plus subscribers) for specific use cases.
Jargon Buster
Prompt: The text you send to ChatGPT – your question, instruction, or request.
Context window: The amount of text (including your conversation history) that ChatGPT can consider when generating a response.
Custom GPT: A personalised version of ChatGPT that you can create with specific instructions and knowledge for particular tasks.
Temperature: A setting that affects how creative or conservative ChatGPT's responses are (mainly relevant for API users).
Wrap-up
Getting good results from ChatGPT comes down to clear communication and understanding what the tool can do. Spend time crafting specific prompts, provide context, and don't be afraid to iterate on responses until you get what you need. The better you get at prompting, the more useful ChatGPT becomes as a working tool.
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