Prompt Engineering Complete Guide: Making AI Understand Your Needs Better

What is a Prompt?

A prompt is the bridge between you and AI, the instruction telling AI “what you want.” A good prompt helps AI accurately understand your needs and generate high-quality content.

Why is Prompt Engineering So Important?

The same need with different prompts produces vastly different results:

Poor prompt:

Write an article

Good prompt:

Please write a 1000-word popular science article on "Basic Principles of Quantum Computing"
Requirements: 1) Use accessible language 2) Include 2-3 everyday analogies 
3) Divide into introduction, principle explanation, application prospects, and conclusion

The quality difference is night and day!

Basic Prompt Structure

A complete prompt typically includes these elements:

1. Role Assignment (Role)

Tell AI what role to play.

You are a senior Python engineer with 10 years of experience...
You are a professional copywriter...
You are a children's education expert...

2. Task Description (Task)

Clearly state what needs to be done.

Please analyze performance issues in this code
Write compelling ad copy for a new product
Explain photosynthesis to an 8-year-old in simple terms

3. Context Information (Context)

Provide necessary background.

This is a SaaS product for enterprise clients...
Target audience is 25-35 year old urban professionals...
This code runs in a high-concurrency environment...

4. Output Format (Format)

Specify desired output form.

Output in Markdown table format
List points, each no more than 50 words
Return results in JSON format

5. Constraints (Constraints)

Set limitations and requirements.

Keep word count within 500 words
Don't use technical jargon
Must include 3 specific examples

Universal Prompt Techniques

Technique 1: Be Specific

❌ Vague: “Help me write a function”

✅ Specific: “Write a Python function that takes an integer list, returns the sum of squares of all even numbers, include type hints and docstring”

Technique 2: Provide Examples

Use Few-shot Learning:

Please generate product descriptions in the following format:

Example 1:
Product: Wireless Mouse
Description: 【Ergonomic Design】Fits hand curve, comfortable for long use. 【Precise Positioning】1600 DPI, suitable for office and gaming.

Example 2:
Product: Bluetooth Headphones
Description: 【Noise Cancellation Tech】ANC active noise cancellation, focus on your world. 【Battery King】8 hours single use, 40 hours with charging case.

Now generate description for "Smart Watch".

Technique 3: Step-by-step Guidance

Please analyze this business plan following these steps:
1. First, summarize the core business model
2. Then identify main risk points
3. Next, evaluate market opportunities
4. Finally, provide comprehensive recommendations

[Paste business plan content]

Technique 4: Use Delimiters

Clearly mark different sections:

Please translate the following text:

---
Original:
[English content]
---

Requirements:
- Translation should be natural and idiomatic
- Preserve original formatting
- Keep technical terms consistent

Technique 5: Ask for Reasoning

Please recommend 3 programming languages suitable for beginners and explain your reasoning in detail.

ChatGPT-Specific Techniques

Technique 1: Role Playing

I want you to act as an experienced career counselor. I'm 28 years old, 
currently in marketing, but interested in data analysis. Based on my situation, 
please provide career transition advice.

Technique 2: Chain of Thought

Please solve this math problem step-by-step:

Tom has $30, bought 3 pens and 2 notebooks, each pen costs $5, he has $8 left.
How much does each notebook cost?

Please show detailed reasoning process.

Technique 3: Self-Correction

Please write Python code for bubble sort.
After writing, check for bugs and provide optimization suggestions.

Technique 4: Conversation Continuation

Based on our earlier discussion of marketing strategy, please elaborate on point 3.

Technique 5: Output Format Control

Please compare Python, Java, and JavaScript in table format:

| Feature | Python | Java | JavaScript |
|---------|--------|------|------------|
| Type System | | | |
| Application Domains | | | |
| Learning Difficulty | | | |

Midjourney-Specific Techniques

Basic Structure

[subject] [detail description] [style] [parameters]

Technique 1: Weight Control

beautiful girl::2 in city::1
# Character weight higher than background

Technique 2: Negative Prompting

a cat --no dog
# Don't include dogs

Technique 3: Style Blending

landscape photography + oil painting style
# Blend photography and oil painting styles

Technique 4: Artist Style

portrait in the style of Van Gogh
# Van Gogh style portrait

Technique 5: Specific Light and Color Description

golden hour sunlight, warm color palette, soft shadows
# Golden hour light, warm tones, soft shadows

Common Scenario Prompt Templates

Template 1: Content Creation

Topic: [specific topic]
Target Audience: [audience description]
Article Type: [popular science/tutorial/review/opinion]
Word Count: [specific number]
Style: [professional/casual/humorous/serious]
Must Include: [key point 1, key point 2...]

Template 2: Code Generation

Programming Language: [Python/Java/JavaScript...]
Function Description: [specific requirements]
Input: [parameter types and meanings]
Output: [return value type and meaning]
Requirements:
- Need error handling
- Add type annotations
- Include usage example

Template 3: Data Analysis

Data: [paste data or describe data source]
Analysis Goal: [what conclusions to reach]
Analysis Dimensions: [time/geography/category, etc.]
Output Format: [charts/tables/text summary]

Template 4: Translation & Polishing

Original Text: [content to translate]
Source Language: [Chinese/English...]
Target Language: [Chinese/English...]
Context: [business/academic/casual]
Style Requirements: [formal/colloquial/literary]

Template 5: Brainstorming

Goal: [what to achieve]
Constraints: [budget/time/resources, etc.]
Existing Ideas: [list current thoughts]
Please Provide:
- At least 5 innovative ideas
- Feasibility analysis for each
- Implementation difficulty assessment

Advanced Techniques

Technique 1: Iterative Optimization

Round 1:

Please write an article about AI

Round 2:

Please rewrite the above to be more accessible, add practical examples

Round 3:

Please add an engaging story introduction at the beginning

Technique 2: Conditional Judgment

If my monthly income is 5000-8000, recommend financial plan A;
If 8000-15000, recommend plan B;
If over 15000, recommend plan C.

My monthly income is 12000, please give detailed financial advice.

Technique 3: Role Dialogue

Please simulate interviewer and candidate dialogue:
Interviewer: Tell me about your project experience.
Candidate: [AI generates]
Interviewer: What was the biggest challenge in your project?
Candidate: [AI generates]

Technique 4: Meta Prompt

Please help me optimize the following prompt to make it clearer and more effective:

"Write a Python program to process Excel files"

The optimized prompt should include: task description, input/output, 
specific requirements, error handling, etc.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Too Brief

❌ “Translate” ✅ “Please translate the following English to natural Chinese, maintaining consistency in technical terms: [content]“

Mistake 2: Contradictory Requirements

❌ “Use 300 words to analyze this complex problem in detail and depth” (300 words cannot analyze in detail and depth)

Mistake 3: Over-relying on AI Understanding

❌ “You know, just like that” ✅ Clearly and specifically describe requirements

Mistake 4: Ignoring Context

❌ Suddenly asking “How to do step 2?” in new conversation ✅ Provide complete background information

Mistake 5: Unrealistic Expectations

AI has limitations, don’t expect it to:

  • Access latest information (unless networked version)
  • Fully understand complex industry knowledge
  • Generate 100% accurate content

Testing and Optimizing Prompts

Testing Methods

  1. A/B Testing: Compare results with different prompts
  2. Iterative Improvement: Gradually adjust prompts based on output
  3. Record Effective Prompts: Build your own prompt library

Optimization Checklist

  • Did you specify a role?
  • Is task description clear?
  • Did you provide necessary background?
  • Is output format specified?
  • Are constraints complete?
  • Are there example references?

Resource Recommendations

Learning Websites

  • PromptPerfect - Prompt optimization tool
  • PromptBase - Prompt marketplace
  • Learn Prompting - Systematic learning course

Communities

  • Reddit r/PromptEngineering
  • Discord Prompt Engineering community
  • Twitter #PromptEngineering topic

Books

  • “The Art of Prompt Engineering”
  • “Prompt Engineering Guide”

Summary

Mastering Prompt Engineering is a core skill in the AI era. Remember:

  1. Clear and specific beats vague and general
  2. Providing examples is more effective than mere description
  3. Iterative optimization is key to quality improvement
  4. Save templates improves long-term efficiency

Start practicing now and make AI your capable assistant!

Last updated: February 8, 2026