Prompt before and after

The same job, asked two ways. Move the handle, or press Before and After, to see the prompt and what came back from each.

The prompt

Summarize this report.

Length of what came back600 words

White line: the 200-word limit set in the after prompt

Over the 200-word limit

What came backSample

The regional office was set up in 2019 to bring services closer to rural clients, and since then it has grown steadily...

ProblemOpens with background

Uptake rose by about a fifth over the year.

ProblemRounds 18.4% to "about a fifth"

Paragraph 5: the board must decide on the second office and the hiring freeze.

ProblemThe two decisions needed, buried in paragraph 5

We recommend expanding to three more regions next year.

ProblemA recommendation the report never made

Five parts of a well-built prompt

Who it is for
Tells the AI who will read the answer and in what voice.
You are a briefing writer for a busy manager.
The job
One plain task, said once.
Task: summarize the report below.
What to return
The shape of the answer: what comes first and how many items.
Return: 1 bottom-line sentence, then the decisions needed, then 3 risks.
A limit
A length the answer must stay under, so you can check it.
Under 200 words.
Rules
What to leave out, and what must be copied exactly.
Use only numbers in the report, exactly as written. Add nothing the report does not say.

A summary
Before:Summarize this report. 600 words, over the 200-word limit.
After:180 words, under the limit, nothing added.
An email reply
Before:Reply to this email. 250 words, over the 120-word limit.
After:90 words, under the limit, nothing added.
Meeting notes
Before:Write up these notes. 420 words, over the 200-word limit.
After:140 words, under the limit, nothing added.
A review of a draft
Before:Review my draft. 520 words, over the 150-word limit.
After:130 words, under the limit, nothing added.