Your First Prompt

Let’s create your first prompt together! This tutorial will walk you through the process step by step.

What Makes a Good Prompt?

Before we start, here are the key elements of an effective prompt:

1. Clear Objective: What do you want the AI to do?
2. Context: Provide relevant background information
3. Specific Instructions: Be precise about format and requirements
4. Examples: Show what good output looks like
5. Constraints: Set boundaries and limitations

Step-by-Step Creation

1. Choose Your Use Case

For this example, let’s create a prompt for writing blog post introductions:

2. Write Your Prompt

You are an expert content writer specializing in engaging blog introductions.

Write a compelling introduction for a blog post with the following details:
- Topic: [TOPIC]
- Target Audience: [AUDIENCE]
- Tone: [TONE]
- Word Count: 100-150 words

The introduction should:
1. Hook the reader with an interesting opening
2. Clearly state what the post will cover
3. Explain why the reader should care
4. Include a smooth transition to the main content

Format the output as a single paragraph without subheadings.

3. Add Variables

Notice the [TOPIC], [AUDIENCE], and [TONE] placeholders? These are variables that make your prompt reusable.

4. Test Your Prompt

1. Fill in the variables:

   • Topic: “AI in Marketing”
   • Audience: “Small business owners”
   • Tone: “Professional but approachable”

2. Run the prompt and evaluate the results

5. Refine and Save

Based on the output, you might want to:

• Adjust the word count
• Add more specific instructions
• Include examples of good introductions
• Modify the tone guidance

Prompt Templates

StickyPrompts offers pre-built templates for common use cases:

• Content Creation: Blog posts, social media, emails
• Code Generation: Functions, documentation, debugging
• Analysis: Data interpretation, research summaries
• Creative Writing: Stories, poetry, screenplays

Best Practices

1. Start Simple: Begin with basic prompts and add complexity gradually
2. Be Specific: Vague prompts lead to vague results
3. Test Variations: Try different phrasings to see what works best
4. Use Examples: Show the AI what good output looks like
5. Iterate: Continuously improve your prompts based on results

Next Steps

Now that you’ve created your first prompt:

• Explore Prompt Engineering Basics
• Learn about Advanced Techniques
• Check out Platform-Specific Tips
• Browse Example Prompts

Ready to create more powerful prompts? Let’s dive deeper into prompt engineering!