The Five-Part Business Prompt
A strong prompt gives Claude what a capable colleague would need to do the job without asking questions.
| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Frames perspective and expertise | You are an HR communications specialist |
| Context | Supplies audience, purpose, background, source material | This goes to 200 employees about the new leave policy |
| Task | States the single job to be done | Draft an announcement |
| Constraints | Sets limits and what to avoid | Under 150 words, no legal jargon |
| Format | Shapes the deliverable | Subject line plus three short paragraphs |
Tags such as <document> are an optional clarity aid for separating pasted material from instructions. They are not required.
Decision Table
| If the question says... | The answer is likely... |
|---|---|
| Output is generic or off target | Add specific context, audience, and constraints to the prompt |
| Request bundles several jobs and quality is uneven | Decompose into steps (prompt chaining) and check each |
| Draft is close but misses on one point | Give targeted feedback naming what to change and what to keep |
| Task is analysis of your data | Provide the data and the question, and ask for a defined output shape |
| Task is brainstorming | Ask for range and quantity first, then judge and rank |
| Task is drafting for an audience | State audience, tone, length, and the action you want |
Traps
| Trap | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
| "Be thorough and very careful" fixes vague output | Structure beats intensifiers: specify constraints and format |
| Regenerate until the result looks good | Give specific feedback tied to success criteria |
| One large prompt for a compound request | Split into checkable steps |
| Self-check proves the chain is correct | A self-correction step is a second look, not independent verification |
| XML tags are required for good prompts | They are optional and help only with clarity |
If You Remember Nothing Else
- Structure beats intensifiers.
- Decompose compound requests into steps you can check.
- Feedback should be specific: what failed, what to keep, what to change.
- Write success criteria before the first draft so you know when to stop.
- Match the prompt strategy to the task type: analysis, research, drafting, or brainstorming.