Guide: Tutorial on how to use ChatGPT to write better texts – step by step

ChatGPT Tutorial: How to write effective prompts step by step

ChatGPT can be used for drafting, analysis, explanations, brainstorming, programming, organising information and numerous other activities. However, the quality of the result largely depends on the instructions you provide it with.

A very vague prompt can produce a general response. A well-structured prompt provides it with the context, objective, format and limits it needs to generate a response closer to what you are aiming for.

In this tutorial you will learn step by step how to build a clear prompt, how to correct a response that is not good enough and how to obtain more precise results without unnecessarily complicating the request.

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Step 1: State clearly what you want to achieve

Start with the main objective. Do not leave the request so general that ChatGPT has to guess what result you want.

For example, instead of:

"Write about laptops."

you can say:

"Explain to a beginner user how to choose a laptop for office work."

The second request defines both the subject and the purpose of the text.

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Step 2: Say who the response is for

The experience level of the person who will read the response can significantly change how the information needs to be presented.

You can specify if the response is intended for:

• a beginner;
• an experienced user;
• a client;
• an employee;
• a pupil or student;
• a company;
• a technical audience.

Example:

"Explain the problem to a person without technical experience and avoid unnecessary jargon."

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Step 3: Provide context

Context allows the model to understand the situation in which the response must be used.

For example, if you want to write a text for a company, you can specify:

• what services the company offers;
• who it is addressed to;
• in what locality or area it works;
• what the objective of the text is;
• where it will be published;
• what information must be kept.

A prompt can start like this:

"I have a website for an IT services company. The text will be published on a service page and is intended for people looking for technical help."

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Step 4: State what type of result you want

Do not just ask for "a good response". Say what format the result needs to be in.

You can request:

• a list;
• a table;
• an article;
• a tutorial;
• a comparison;
• a summary;
• an email;
• HTML code;
• numbered steps.

Example:

"Present the information as a tutorial with numbered steps and concrete examples."

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Step 5: Specify the level of detail

If you need complete explanations, state this from the beginning.

For example:

"Explain each step in sufficient detail for a beginner user to be able to follow it without advanced technical knowledge."

If you need a short answer, you can ask for the exact opposite:

"Answer concisely and keep only the essential information."

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Step 6: Set the restrictions

If there are things you do not want it to do, specify them.

For example:

• do not invent information;
• do not modify the provided values;
• do not repeat the same idea;
• do not use overly technical language;
• do not add extra sections;
• keep the provided structure.

Example:

"Use only the provided information. If any information is missing, state that it is not available in the received data."

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Step 7: Ask for a structure before drafting a long piece of material

For a complex article or tutorial, you can ask for the structure first.

Example:

"Propose the structure of a tutorial about optimizing a WordPress site. Include the steps in the order they should be followed."

After checking the structure, you can ask for the drafting of each section.

This method allows you to correct the direction before generating the entire material.

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Step 8: Use concrete examples in the prompt

Examples can very clearly clarify the desired result.

For example:

"I want a text similar in structure to this one: short introduction, numbered steps, comparison table and frequently asked questions."

If you already have a text model, you can provide it and explain exactly what needs to be kept and what needs to be changed.

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Step 9: Ask for a comparison when you have multiple variants

ChatGPT can organize a decision more clearly when you provide the variants you want to compare.

Example:

"Compare these three variants. For each one, present the advantages, disadvantages, costs, and situations in which it is suitable."

If you need a personal or professional decision, it is useful to specify the criteria according to which you want the options to be analyzed.

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Step 10: Ask for verification of its own answer

If the information is important, you can ask for a separate verification stage.

Example:

"Verify the above answer and identify statements that might be incorrect, incomplete, or dependent on updated information."

This step does not replace source verification when the information is important, technical, legal, financial, or dependent on current data.

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Step 11: Ask to improve an answer that does not satisfy you

It is not necessary to start from scratch if the first answer is not suitable.

You can explain the problem precisely.

Examples:

• "It is too generic. Add concrete examples."
• "It is too long. Keep only the important information."
• "Explain the technical terms."
• "Keep the information, but change the structure."
• "Remove repetitions."
• "Do not invent information that does not appear in the material."

The more specific the feedback, the clearer it is what needs to be modified.

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Step 12: Ask for multiple variants

For commercial texts, titles, descriptions, or phrasings, you can ask for multiple variants and then compare them.

Example:

"Provide 5 title variants. Each must be clear, different, and suitable for a professional website."

You can add later:

"Keep variant 3, but make it shorter and clearer."

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Step 13: For SEO, provide the keyword and search intent

If you use ChatGPT for SEO content, it is not enough to just say "make it SEO-friendly".

Specify:

• the primary keyword;
• secondary topics;
• target audience;
• search intent;
• geographical area, if relevant;
• page type.

Example:

"Write the structure of an SEO tutorial for the phrase «slow WordPress site». The audience consists of site owners who do not have advanced technical knowledge."

Do not ask for the artificial inclusion of the keyword as many times as possible. The content must remain natural and useful.

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Step 14: Ask for the exact format when you need code

If you want code, specify the language and limits.

For example:

"Generate complete HTML for this page. Do not use JavaScript. Do not include H1 or H2. Use inline CSS for the table."

The clearer the specifications, the lower the risk that the result will not respect the desired structure.

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Step 15: Build the final prompt

A good prompt can combine the objective, context, audience, format, and restrictions into a single request.

A simple model is:

Element	What you specify
Objective	What you want to obtain
Context	The situation and relevant information
Audience	Who will use or read the result
Format	How the result must be presented
Style	The tone and language level
Restrictions	What must be avoided or kept

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Complete prompt example

"I want to write a tutorial for users without technical experience on how to use ChatGPT more efficiently. Explain the process step by step, use concrete examples and simple language. Include examples of good prompts and explain why they are clearer. Do not invent information and do not use exaggerated phrasing. At the end include a short checklist."

This prompt already offers enough information about the objective, audience, structure, style, and restrictions.

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Short prompt that you can reuse

You can use the following model as a starting point:

„I want to [OBIECTIV]. The context is [CONTEXT]. The response is intended for [PUBLIC]. Present the result in the form of [FORMAT]. Use a [STIL] style. Observe the following restrictions: [RESTRICȚII]. If information cannot be determined from the data provided, state this rather than inventing it.”

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Common mistakes when using ChatGPT

• Formulating the request too vaguely.
• Omitting important context.
• Not specifying the audience.
• Not specifying the desired format.
• Accepting the first response without verification.
• Assuming that all generated information is automatically correct.
• Introducing sensitive or confidential data without understanding the implications.
• Asking for too many things simultaneously without structuring them.

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Checklist: did you write a good prompt?

Check	Yes
Did I clearly state what result I want?	☐
Have I provided enough context?	☐
Have I specified the audience?	☐
Have I specified the format?	☐
Have I indicated the desired style?	☐
Have I stated what needs to be avoided?	☐
Have I checked the important information?	☐

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