Have you ever asked ChatGPT a question and thought, “Uh…no. Try again!”? If so, this article is for you.
The best part about ChatGPT is that you can chat with it. If you don’t like its initial response, you can correct, edit, or ask for clarification.
Maybe you asked ChatGPT to draft an email, but it’s too wordy. No problem! Tell it to try again.
This is iterative prompting: refining prompts to improve an AI’s accuracy and relevance.
Iterative prompting unlocks AI’s full potential and gives you the response that best suits your needs.
Here are iterative ChatGPT prompts I use to pinpoint the answers I need. It takes some back-and-forth, but it’s worth it!
Prompts to edit ChatGPT’s responses
1. “More examples”
ChatGPT usually generates lists. If you want more, type “more examples” or “more.”
First iteration: “What should I include in my capsule work wardrobe? I’m a woman who works in a formal business office. Be as specific as possible.”
Second iteration: “More examples”
2. “More concise”
ChatGPT can be wordy, which is frustrating when drafting emails.
Below, I asked ChatGPT to draft a work email, but its response was too long. When I asked ChatGPT to make its response more concise, it sounded more like what I wanted.
First iteration: “Draft an email to Kristen and Lindsey, telling them that I will invite them to a meeting to test the new Zoom AI capability.”
Second iteration: “More concise”
3. “Elaborate on #3” / “Give specific examples of how I can apply #3 to (work life/daily life/XYZ scenario)”
Use this prompt if you need more details about something on ChatGPT’s list.
I asked ChatGPT how to prepare for a data analyst interview. I wanted more details about #1, “Research the Company,” so I asked for more information.
First iteration: “What steps should I take to prepare for my data analyst job interview?”
Second iteration: “Elaborate on step 1: research the company.”
4. “Tone more formal”/ “Tone less formal”
When you use ChatGPT for writing, it can sound too formal or too informal. Use this prompt to get the writing closer to your desired tone.
First iteration: “Diplomatic way to reject an invitation to a meeting because I don’t have anything to contribute”
Second iteration: “More informal”
5. “That doesn’t sound right. Try again.” / “You gave an incorrect example of XYZ.”
ChatGPT sometimes gives incorrect information. If that happens, let it know and ask for a corrected answer.
I asked ChatGPT about the difference between trimmed and regular mean, but it gave a wrong example. When I pointed it out, ChatGPT corrected the answer.
First iteration: “What is the difference between a trimmed and regular mean?”
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| The error is in the purple box. ChatGPT removed 92 when calculating the trimmed mean when it should have removed 95 (the largest number) |
Second iteration: “In your example for trimmed mean, you gave an incorrect example of how to calculate it.”
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| ChatGPT provides a corrected example (see purple box) |
6. “When I tried your solution above, I got this error: [INSERT ERROR]”
This is useful when ChatGPT suggests a technical solution (like in Excel or Python) that doesn’t work.
If so, copy and paste the error message in ChatGPT. This prompts ChatGPT to give you an updated solution that works better.
Prompt: “Can you tell me why this formula gets the error message #SPILL in Excel? [insert formula]”
7. “Can you give a simpler solution?”
This is helpful if you’re working with ChatGPT on a technical issue and it gives you a complicated solution — e.g. a convoluted nested Excel function, when you know there’s an easier way to do it.
8. “Make the response less than 4 sentences (or some other constraint)”
Add constraints to ChatGPT's response, like limiting the number of sentences or words. For example: “Make the summary 200 words or less”
First iteration: “Draft an email to my coworker explaining that I don’t have the capacity to take on a new project.”
Second iteration: “Make the response less than 4 sentences.”
9. “Turn this answer into a blog post/Twitter post/memo/etc.”
Specify the format of the response. Turn ChatGPT’s answer into a blog post, article, Twitter post, memo, email, or whatever else you need.
First iteration: “What are some good stretches I can do at my desk at work? Provide a list of specific examples.”
Second iteration: “Turn this into a Twitter post.”
10. “Simplify this explanation.”/“Explain this like I’m 5 years old”
Did ChatGPT give you a complicated answer? If so, ask it to simplify or summarize what it said, according to your knowledge level.
First iteration: “Explain how metabolism works in women.”
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| ChatGPT‘s response was too long and detailed. |
Second iteration: “Simplify this explanation.”
Final Thoughts
Don’t settle for ChatGPT’s first response. Keep refining and questioning until it gives you what you need.
The best part about ChatGPT? It won’t get annoyed if you ask endless questions — unlike your coworkers! So, ask away!
Further reading:
Google Cloud | Prompt Iteration Strategies
Source: Margaret Efron
https://medium.com/learning-data/10-iterative-chatgpt-prompts-i-use-everyday-a4a5dfe4d06d
