Adding Examples Without Overloading the Prompt
Unit ID: AIT-M02-U02 Estimated active time: 15-20 minutes
Why examples help
Examples show the AI tool what you mean.
They are useful when:
- the style matters;
- the format is unusual;
- you want the tool to follow a pattern;
- a bad answer would be easy to misunderstand.
An example can be short. It does not need to be perfect.
Good example
Suppose you want a short action list.
You can write:
Use this style: - Owner: task, due date if known, open question if any.
That example teaches the format.
Non-example
Sometimes it helps to say what you do not want.
Example:
Do not write a long meeting transcript. I only need decisions, actions, and open questions.
This prevents the tool from producing the wrong kind of output.
Do not overload the prompt
Too many examples can confuse the task.
Avoid:
- pasting long private documents;
- giving ten unrelated examples;
- mixing different formats;
- adding rules you do not really need;
- using examples that contradict each other.
The prompt should guide the tool, not bury it.
Safe examples
Use safe sample material when learning.
For example, instead of pasting a real customer complaint, write a fictional safe version:
Sample situation: a workshop participant says the joining link did not work. We want to apologise, share the recording link, and ask if they need help before the next session.
This gives enough context without exposing real private information.
Example pattern
You can use this pattern:
Follow this example format: [short example]
>
Avoid this: [short non-example]
>
Now create the output for this safe situation: [task details]
Quick practice
Take this task:
Create a checklist for preparing a short online class.
Add:
- One example format.
- One non-example or thing to avoid.
- One privacy boundary.
Keep the prompt short enough to read easily.