AI tools can draft emails, summarise reports and support everyday business planning, but vague in­struc­tions often produce generic results. An effective prompt gives the AI a clear task, relevant context, a suitable output format and any limits it should follow. This guide explains how to write better AI prompts and includes some useful prompt templates for common workplace tasks.

What should an effective prompt include?

A good prompt does more than name a topic. It tells the AI which per­spect­ive to take and provides the back­ground in­form­a­tion it needs. It also explains what the AI should do and how the result should be presented.

Most effective prompts contain some or all of the following five elements:

Element Ex­plan­a­tion Examples
Role The role tells the AI what kind of expertise or point of view to adopt. Good example: ‘You are an ex­per­i­enced editor. Review this text for clarity, con­sist­ency and un­ne­ces­sary jargon’.
Poor example: ‘Review this text’.
Context Context gives the AI the back­ground in­form­a­tion it needs to un­der­stand the situation, audience and purpose. Good example: ‘We run a heating and vent­il­a­tion company and need to send a main­ten­ance proposal to an existing customer with three air-con­di­tion­ing systems’.
Poor example: ‘Write a proposal’.
Task The task states clearly what you want the AI to do. Good example: ‘Write a pro­fes­sion­al email telling the customer that their delivery will be delayed by five working days’.
Poor example: ‘Write something about the delay’.
Format The format tells the AI how to structure the response. Good example: ‘Summarise the meeting in a table with the columns topic, decision, action, owner and deadline’.
Poor example: ‘Summarise the meeting’.
Con­straints Con­straints set clear limits on length, tone and the in­form­a­tion the AI may include. Good example: ‘Keep the email under 120 words and use a polite, pro­fes­sion­al tone. Do not invent dates, prices or promises’.
Poor example: ‘Write a customer email’.

Not every prompt needs all five elements. For a simple task, a clear in­struc­tion, enough context and a defined format may be suf­fi­cient. More complex tasks or those involving con­fid­en­tial, legal or financial in­form­a­tion usually need ad­di­tion­al guidance on sources, as­sump­tions and how the result should be checked.

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What does a well-struc­tured AI prompt look like?

The following example combines the main elements of an effective prompt:

You are a customer service manager at a small software company.
Context:
A customer reported a billing error yesterday. Our accounts team is looking into the issue, but no refund has been approved.
Task:
Write a follow-up email acknowledging the issue and explaining what will happen next.
Format:
- a short subject line
- an appropriate greeting
- two short paragraphs
- a clear next step
- a professional closing
Constraints:
Use clear British English and a calm, professional tone. Keep the email under 120 words. Do not suggest that a refund has been approved. Let the customer know that they will receive an update within two working days.

This prompt gives the AI a role, explains the situation, defines the desired result and prevents it from making a com­mit­ment that the company has not au­thor­ised.

Before sub­mit­ting a prompt, it’s also worth con­sid­er­ing the following questions:

  • What exactly should the AI do?
  • Who will read or use the result?
  • What back­ground in­form­a­tion does the AI need?
  • Which source material should it rely on?
  • Which output format would be most useful?
  • What should it avoid or leave unchanged?
  • Which details should it not invent?

AI prompt examples to use at work

The following templates can be copied and adapted. Replace the in­form­a­tion in square brackets with details from your task.

For writing a pro­fes­sion­al business email

Use this template to write to customers, suppliers, service providers and other external business contacts.

You are helping to write a clear, professional business email.
Context:
I am writing to [RECIPIENT OR ROLE].
Reason for writing: [REASON]
What I want the recipient to do or understand: [DESIRED OUTCOME]
Key information to include: [KEY POINTS]
Task:
Write a clear, professional email in British English.
Format:
- a concise subject line
- an appropriate greeting
- no more than three short paragraphs
- a clear call to action
- a professional closing
Constraints:
Keep the tone polite and measured without sounding too formal. Avoid filler, excessive enthusiasm and promises that are not supported by the information provided. Do not invent dates, prices, policies or commitments. Mark any missing information with [ADD DETAILS].

For writing an internal team email

Use this template to write clear, pro­fes­sion­al emails to col­leagues or other teams within your or­gan­isa­tion.

You help teams write clear, professional internal emails.
Context:
I am writing to [PERSON OR TEAM].
Situation: [SITUATION]
Main message: [MAIN MESSAGE]
Action needed: [NEXT STEP]
Deadline, if relevant: [DEADLINE]
Task:
Write a concise internal email in natural British English.
Format:
- a short subject line
- a clear, direct opening
- the key information in one or two short paragraphs
- a clear next step
Constraints:
Keep the email under 120 words. Use a professional but approachable tone. Avoid corporate jargon, vague wording and language that is too casual or informal.

For sum­mar­ising a document

Use this prompt to pull out the key points from a report, meeting minutes or spe­cial­ist text.

You are a research assistant who specialises in summarising information accurately and objectively.
Task:
Summarise the following text for [TARGET AUDIENCE]:
[PASTE TEXT]
Format:
1. The main point in one sentence
2. The five most important findings as bullet points
3. A separate list of any decisions, deadlines and outstanding questions
Constraints:
Only use the information in the text. Do not add outside knowledge. Clearly flag anything that is unclear, incomplete or contradictory.

For creating a research plan

Use this prompt to turn a broad topic into a clear research plan with specific questions and ap­pro­pri­ate sources.

You are helping a small or medium-sized business research a decision in the [SECTOR] sector.
Context:
We are looking into the following topic:
[TOPIC OR QUESTION]
The decision we need to make:
[DECISION]
Task:
Create a step-by-step plan for researching this topic.
Format:
- one main research question
- five related questions
- useful search terms
- the most relevant types of sources
- criteria for judging whether a source is reliable and useful
- any points that need to be clarified before the research begins
Constraints:
Do not invent sources, studies or figures. Prioritise government sources, academic research, standards bodies and official information from providers. Clearly separate confirmed information from assumptions.

For creating an outline for a present­a­tion

Use this template to organise your ideas into a clear present­a­tion.

You are helping a UK business plan a presentation.
Context:
Topic: [TOPIC]
Audience: [AUDIENCE]
Aim of the presentation: [INFORM, PERSUADE OR SUPPORT A DECISION]
Length: [LENGTH]
Main message: [MAIN MESSAGE]
Task:
Create a clear outline for the presentation.
Format:
- a suggested title
- no more than ten slides
- one heading and three key points for each slide
- suggestions for suitable charts or visual aids
- a final recommendation or next step
Constraints:
Start with the business problem or decision. Avoid generic introductory slides and unsupported figures. Do not invent customer results, market statistics or financial data.

For turning notes into meeting minutes

Use this template to turn rough notes into clear minutes with decisions and action points.

You are helping to prepare the minutes for a business meeting.
Context:
Type of meeting: [TEAM MEETING, CLIENT MEETING OR PROJECT MEETING]
Date: [DATE]
Attendees or roles: [ATTENDEES]
Notes:
[PASTE NOTES]
Task:
Turn the notes into clear, concise meeting minutes.
Format:
- purpose of the meeting
- topics discussed
- decisions made
- unresolved questions
- action points with the person responsible and the deadline
Constraints:
Use only the information in the notes. Mark any unclear responsibilities or missing deadlines with [TO CONFIRM]. Use job titles or roles instead of full names unless names are necessary.

For writing a social media post

Use this template to create a post that suits your chosen platform, audience and brand voice.

You are helping an SME create a social media post.
Context:
Platform: [LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM]
Audience: [AUDIENCE]
Sector: [SECTOR]
Topic: [TOPIC]
Aim of the post: [AIM]
Brand voice: [BRAND VOICE]
Call to action: [CALL TO ACTION]
Task:
Write a social media post for this audience and platform.
Format:
- an engaging opening
- two short paragraphs
- a clear call to action
- no more than three relevant hashtags
Constraints:
Use natural British English. Keep the tone clear and professional without sounding overly promotional. Avoid exaggerated claims or artificial urgency. Do not invent customer results, statistics or product features.

For writing to a gov­ern­ment de­part­ment or local authority

Use this template to write a clear, formal email or letter. It could be to a council, gov­ern­ment de­part­ment, regulator or another public body. It is not a sub­sti­tute for pro­fes­sion­al legal advice.

You are helping to draft a formal email or letter to a UK public body.
Context:
Recipient: [GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT, COUNCIL, REGULATOR OR OTHER PUBLIC BODY]
Subject: [SUBJECT]
Reference number: [REFERENCE NUMBER OR NONE]
Reason for writing: [REASON]
Relevant dates and details: [DETAILS]
Documents attached or enclosed: [DOCUMENTS]
Task:
Write a clear, formal and factual email or letter.
Format:
- clear subject line
- appropriate greeting
- brief summary of the matter
- specific request or question
- list of any attached or enclosed documents
- request for confirmation or a reply
Constraints:
Do not invent legislation, official deadlines, reference numbers or the responsibilities of the organisation. Mark anything that needs to be checked with [CHECK].

How to write AI prompts for business analysis and planning

More complex tasks need more detailed prompts. Make it clear which data the AI should use and which as­sump­tions it may make. You should also explain what cal­cu­la­tions are needed and how the AI should highlight any un­cer­tainty.

For cal­cu­lat­ing the break-even point

Use this template to calculate the break-even point and compare different business scenarios.

You are a management accountant supporting an SME.
Context:
Product or service: [NAME]
Net selling price per unit: [AMOUNT]
Variable cost per unit: [AMOUNT]
Monthly fixed costs: [AMOUNT]
Expected sales volume: [VOLUME]
Additional assumptions: [DETAILS]
Task:
Calculate the break-even point in units and revenue. Then develop worst-case, expected and best-case scenarios.
Format:
1. Formulas used
2. Break-even calculation
3. Table showing sales volume, revenue, variable costs, fixed costs and result for each scenario
4. Brief sensitivity analysis
5. List of assumptions and missing information
Constraints:
Do not invent values. Identify missing data before performing the calculation. Use net amounts, state the currency and round figures to two decimal places. Perform a final plausibility check.

For reviewing a contract for issues to discuss with a legal adviser

Use this template to conduct an initial review of a business contract. It does not determine whether a clause is legally valid or en­force­able.

You are helping to carry out an initial review of a business contract. This does not replace advice from a solicitor or qualified legal adviser.
Context:
Type of contract: [CONTRACT TYPE]
Governing jurisdiction: [ENGLAND AND WALES, SCOTLAND, NORTHERN IRELAND OR OTHER]
Our role: [CUSTOMER, SUPPLIER, BUYER, SELLER OR OTHER]
Main concerns: [CONCERNS]
Contract or uploaded document: [DOCUMENT]
Task:
Identify the main obligations, deadlines, payment terms, liability clauses, termination provisions, data protection clauses and any possible inconsistencies.
Format:
Create a table with:
- clause or section
- meaning in plain English
- possible impact on our organisation
- any ambiguity or inconsistency
- questions to raise with a legal adviser
Constraints:
Do not reach a final conclusion about whether a clause is legally valid or enforceable. Do not invent legislation or legal requirements. Clearly distinguish between what the contract says, your interpretation and any potential risks.

For preparing for a business ne­go­ti­ation

Use this prompt to plan your ob­ject­ives, an­ti­cip­ate possible ob­jec­tions and decide where you may be willing to com­prom­ise.

You are helping an SME prepare for a business negotiation.
Context:
What is being negotiated: [SUBJECT]
Our main objective: [OBJECTIVE]
Minimum acceptable outcome: [MINIMUM]
What we know about the other party’s interests: [INFORMATION]
Points open to negotiation: [PRICE, CONTRACT LENGTH, QUANTITY, SERVICE OR OTHER]
Points that are not negotiable: [DETAILS]
Task:
Prepare a clear plan for the negotiation.
Format:
- our main objective and minimum acceptable outcome
- three possible priorities for the other party
- the strongest objections they may raise
- possible responses to each objection
- concessions we could offer and what we should ask for in return
- three alternatives if no agreement is reached
- a suggested opening for the conversation
Constraints:
Treat any unconfirmed information about the other party’s priorities or objections as an assumption. Do not include real names or confidential information unless they are needed. Do not invent market data.

For comparing logistics and delivery plans

Use this template to compare delivery options based on cost, available capacity, lead times and re­li­ab­il­ity.

You are helping an SME plan its deliveries and transport arrangements.
Context:
Products and quantities: [DETAILS]
Warehouse locations and stock levels: [DETAILS]
Delivery destinations and demand: [DETAILS]
Transport costs: [DETAILS]
Capacity limits: [DETAILS]
Lead times and required service levels: [DETAILS]
Task:
Create a delivery plan that balances cost, lead time, capacity and reliability. Compare at least two options.
Format:
- a table showing route, quantity, cost, lead time and capacity used
- the advantages and disadvantages of each option
- any bottlenecks or risks
- a recommended option with reasons
- any additional information needed
Constraints:
Use only the information provided. Flag any missing or conflicting data. Clearly distinguish between calculated results, estimates and assumptions.
Note

IONOS GPT can use uploaded contracts, tables and reports as context through its Document Upload feature. Reasoning Mode is available for multi-step tasks such as financial modelling, contract analysis or logistics planning. Data is processed ex­clus­ively in European data centres and is not used to train the AI models.

What are some typical mistakes when writing AI prompts?

Unclear tasks, missing in­form­a­tion about the audience or tone and un­suit­able format in­struc­tions can all lead to weak results. The following examples show how a few specific additions can make prompts more effective.

Mistake Poor prompt Improved prompt
The task is too vague ‘Write an email’. ‘Write a polite follow-up email to a customer who received a quote seven days ago. Keep it under 100 words and end with a clear question’.
The audience and tone are unclear ‘Write a post for our customers’. ‘Write a clear, factual LinkedIn post for pro­cure­ment managers at UK man­u­fac­tur­ing companies. Use a pro­fes­sion­al, measured tone and avoid pro­mo­tion­al clichés’.
The desired structure is unclear ‘Summarise the meeting’. ‘Summarise the meeting in a table with the columns decision, action, owner and deadline’.
The AI is not told which in­form­a­tion it may use ‘Review the contract and tell me which laws apply’. ‘Use only the contract and the sources I provide. Do not invent le­gis­la­tion or case law. Mark any points that need to be checked by a legal pro­fes­sion­al’.
The requested revision is too vague ‘Make the text better’. ‘Reduce the text to 120 words, keep all figures unchanged and replace vague state­ments with more specific wording’.

The first response does not have to be the final version. Targeted follow-up prompts such as ‘Which in­form­a­tion is missing?’, ‘Which as­sump­tions did you make?’ or ‘Rewrite only the second paragraph’ are often more effective than starting again with a com­pletely new prompt.

How can you improve AI responses?

For cal­cu­la­tions, com­par­is­ons and other multi-step tasks, it can be useful to ask for specific in­form­a­tion that makes the result easier to follow and check. This might include the formulas used, stated as­sump­tions, in­ter­me­di­ate cal­cu­la­tions and a final plaus­ib­il­ity check.

For example:

You are a management accountant.
Task:
Calculate the net selling price of a product with material costs of £42, production costs of £28, overheads of 20% and a target margin of 15%.
Format:
- direct costs
- overheads
- total cost
- margin
- selling price
- formulas used
- a final check of the calculation
Constraints:
Before carrying out the calculation, state whether the margin is being calculated as a percentage of the total cost or the selling price. Clearly identify any assumptions you make.
Note

Some AI tools offer a dedicated reasoning mode for complex tasks. The Reasoning Mode in IONOS GPT can divide a task into several stages. Even when this feature is used, it can still be helpful to request specific visible outputs such as formulas, as­sump­tions and veri­fic­a­tion steps.

Another useful technique is few-shot prompting, where the AI is given one or more examples of the desired result. This can help it follow a par­tic­u­lar tone, structure or writing style more con­sist­ently.

Example email:
Hi Sam,
Thank you for taking the time to speak to us yesterday. I have attached the overview we discussed. Please let me know if you have any questions after reviewing it.
Kind regards,
Alex
Task:
Write a similar email to a customer who attended a product demonstration yesterday. Thank them for attending, mention that the promised documents are attached and suggest arranging a follow-up discussion next week.
Constraints:
Use the same concise, professional style as the example. Do not copy complete sentences unless they also fit the new situation.

The example does not need to cover exactly the same subject as the new task. Its purpose is to demon­strate the desired sentence length, tone, level of formality and structure.

Con­clu­sion

Effective prompts give the AI a clear task, the context it needs and a clear idea of how the answer should be presented. Templates are a useful starting point, and focused follow-up in­struc­tions can help you adapt the response to your audience and the task at hand.

When working with contracts, financial in­form­a­tion or other sensitive business data, use an AI tool approved by your or­gan­isa­tion and only provide the in­form­a­tion needed for the task. You should also check where the data is stored, whether the tool meets relevant UK GDPR re­quire­ments and whether prompts or uploaded content are used to train AI models.

Prompts that you use regularly can be saved in a shared prompt library. Keeping these templates up to date can help teams work more con­sist­ently and avoid missing important context or including claims that cannot be verified.

IONOS GPT
Your sovereign AI assistant for greater pro­ductiv­ity

Ask, create and research with the European al­tern­at­ive to ChatGPT. Robust security and unlimited chats give you peace of mind.

Reviewer

  • Jeanna Raffa

    Jeanna Raffa

    With over 18 years of ex­per­i­ence in online marketing, Jeanna Raffa possesses extensive expertise in digital marketing. Since 2020, her focus has been on providing practical in­form­a­tion regarding email, office, and cloud storage solutions.

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