Anthropic Taught You Prompt Engineering

https://youtu.be/T9aRN5JkmL8 Top 5 Prompt Engineering Tips (From the Experts) 1. Be Specific and Complete Don’t just say, "Summarize this." Instead say, "Write a 3-point summary of the key events in bullet format. Keep it under 100 words." 2. Use Examples (Few-Shot Prompting) Show the AI how to do it: Q: What is Platyhelminthes? A: A group of soft-bodied invertebrate animals, also known as flatworms. Then let it answer new questions using the same format. 3. Think Step by Step (Chain-of-Thought) If the task requires reasoning, say so: "Think through the problem step-by-step before answering." This helps models produce better logic and fewer hallucinations. 4. Specify Format and Style Need JSON? Ask for JSON. Want a list? Ask for a list. Want friendly tone? Say that. Output should be: - In bullet points - Written in a friendly, informal tone - Under 75 words 5. Iterate Like a Scientist No prompt works perfectly the first time. Anthropic engineers tweak their prompts dozens (even hundreds) of times to get them right. Use test inputs. Refine. Repeat. “Prompt engineering is like debugging — test it, observe, fix, try again.” Bonus Tip: Ask the AI for Feedback You can even ask the model: "What’s unclear or ambiguous about this prompt?" or: "Why did you misunderstand this instruction?" Surprisingly often, it will tell you what you did wrong. Prompt Engineering in Action: A Quick Example Before: Summarize this customer complaint. After: Summarize the following customer complaint in 2-3 bullet points. Focus on the product issue and emotional tone. Use a professional but empathetic voice. This small rewrite can dramatically improve AI performance.