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Your first prompt

You typed a question and got a confident, generic answer. The fix is usually in the question. A good prompt is a short brief, the kind you would give a capable new colleague in their first week. Six parts cover almost everything.

The six parts

  1. Role and reader. Who the AI should act as, and who will read the result. "You are assisting in-house counsel. The reader is the sales lead, not a lawyer."
  2. Task. One task, stated as a verb. "Identify the clauses that depart from our positions" works better than "look at this contract."
  3. Inputs. The full document, pasted or attached, plus the facts that matter: your side, the deal, the deadline.
  4. Your standard. Your positions, governing law, house style and anything it must not do. If you have a playbook, give it the playbook.
  5. Output format. Exactly what you want back: a table with set columns, a one-paragraph summary or wording you can paste.
  6. Checks. Ask it to quote clause numbers, list its assumptions and say where it is unsure. This makes your review faster and safer.

A template you can copy

You are assisting [ROLE] at [TYPE OF ORGANIZATION]. The reader is [READER].
Task: [ONE TASK, AS A VERB].
We are the [CUSTOMER / VENDOR / DISCLOSING PARTY]. Context: [DEAL FACTS].
Apply these positions: [YOUR POSITIONS OR PLAYBOOK]. Governing law: [LAW].
Return: [FORMAT, FOR EXAMPLE A TABLE: CLAUSE | ISSUE | RISK | SUGGESTED POSITION].
For every point, quote the clause number and the words you rely on.
List any assumptions, and tell me where you are unsure or the text is unclear.
Do not invent clauses or facts that are not in the document.
[PASTE OR ATTACH THE FULL DOCUMENT]

Replace each part in square brackets. Run the "safe to paste" questions in step 6 before any confidential material goes in.

Habits that hold up

  • Give it the document, not your summary. It can only check what it can see, including schedules and order forms.
  • One task per prompt. Review first, then draft replies, then summarize for the business.
  • Ask for the words it relies on. Quoted text is quick to check against the original.
  • Follow up. "What did you leave out?" and "Which point are you least sure of?" are two of the most useful prompts you can send.
  • Save the ones that work. A saved prompt is the first step toward automation, as step 3 explains.