The Art of the Prompt
A framework for clear instructions.
To master the conversation with your AI assistant, you need a structured way to provide those clear instructions. One of the most effective and easy-to-remember frameworks is RAFT.
RAFT is an acronym that stands for Role, Audience, Format, and Task. Think of it as a checklist to ensure your "project brief" for the AI is complete.
The RAFT Framework
- R - Role: Tell the AI who it should be. Defining a persona primes the AI to access specific patterns, vocabulary, and structures.
- A - Audience: Specify who the output is for. This helps the AI adjust its tone, complexity, and language.
- F - Format: Tell the AI what the final output should look like (e.g., bulleted list, table, email).
- T - Task: Clearly and explicitly state what you want the AI to do.
Examples in Action
Summarize this article for me.
Role: Act as a research assistant.
Audience: The summary is for a busy executive.
Format: Provide five key bullet points.
Task: Summarize the main arguments of the following article: [Paste text here].
A crucial part of mastering AI is to stop thinking of the first response as the final product. The real power lies in the follow-up. Once you have the initial output, use simple, natural language to refine it.
Examples of iterative commands:
- "This is a great start, but can you make the tone more formal?"
- "Expand on the second bullet point."
- "Reformat the action items into a markdown table."