# The Top 10 Prompt Types: templates and worked examples

Contents
1. Zero-shot
2. Few-shot
3. Role
4. Chain-of-thought
5. Constraint
6. Reverse / meta prompting
7. Clarifying (flip the interview)
8. Chunking
9. Reflection
10. Grounded
11. Combining moves
12. Choosing the move fast

CRAFT is the structure of a prompt. These ten are the moves you make inside
that structure. Most good prompts use two or three at once.

---

## 1. Zero-shot

**Use when** the task is simple and familiar and the default answer is fine.

**Template**
```
[Verb] [the thing]. [One constraint if needed.]
```

**Example**
```
Summarize this article in three sentences for a busy executive.
```

**Watch for:** zero-shot on anything with taste, voice, or judgment attached
returns the average of the internet. Upgrade to few-shot or role.

---

## 2. Few-shot

**Use when** format, voice, or style matters and you can show a sample.

**Template**
```
Here is an example of the output I want:

<example>
[paste sample]
</example>

Match its length, tone, and structure. Now do the same for: [new input]
```

**Example**
```
Here is a product description we already use and like:

<example>
Corduroy dog hat. Built for cold mornings and long walks. Fits most small
breeds. Ships in two days.
</example>

Match that voice exactly. Write one for our new fleece bandana.
```

**Watch for:** one example beats a paragraph of description. Three to five
diverse examples beat one if the task varies. Label them so the AI knows
which is which.

---

## 3. Role

**Use when** you need a specific lens, expertise, or stance.

**Template**
```
Act as a [real job title] who [specific situation or experience].
```

**Example**
```
Act as a small-business owner writing to customers you have known for years.
```

**Watch for:** stacking titles ("world-class award-winning genius expert")
makes answers worse, not better. One real role, specific to the task. Role
sets how it thinks; context sets what it knows.

---

## 4. Chain-of-thought

**Use when** the task needs multi-step reasoning: math, tradeoffs, diagnosis,
planning, anything where the path matters.

**Template**
```
Think this through step by step before you answer. Show the reasoning, then
give the final answer separately.
```

**Example**
```
We charge $199, costs are up 9%, and we lose about 4% of customers on any
increase. Think step by step: what new price keeps margin flat? Show the math,
then give me the number.
```

**Watch for:** reasoning must come before the answer. Reasoning tacked on
after a conclusion is rationalization. On models with a built-in reasoning
or "thinking" mode, turn that on instead of writing the steps yourself.

---

## 5. Constraint

**Use when** hard limits exist: length, reading level, must-include items,
platform rules, budget.

**Template**
```
Hard limits: [length]. [Audience or reading level]. Must include [X].
Must fit [platform or channel].
```

**Example**
```
Hard limits: under 150 words. Eighth-grade reading level. Must include the
new price, the effective date, and a phone number. Fits in one SMS-length
paragraph plus a subject line.
```

**Watch for:** say limits out loud and phrase them positively. "Keep sentences
under 15 words" works better than "don't write long sentences."

---

## 6. Reverse / meta prompting

**Use when** you know the goal but not how to ask. The single highest-leverage
move in the deck.

**Template (the one from the session)**
```
I want to accomplish [goal]. Write the ideal prompt to get that. Use the CRAFT
formula: Context, Role, Ask, Format, Tune. Whatever role you take, approach
this as if you have skin in the game with me. Ask me anything you need first.
Then explain your choices.
```

Then paste the prompt it writes back in and run it.

**Example**
```
I want to accomplish a hiring plan for my first two employees at a 4-person
landscaping company. Write the ideal prompt to get that. Use the CRAFT formula:
Context, Role, Ask, Format, Tune. Whatever role you take, approach this as if
you have skin in the game with me. Ask me anything you need first. Then explain
your choices.
```

**Watch for:** answer its questions honestly and specifically. The quality of
the prompt it writes is capped by the quality of your answers.

---

## 7. Clarifying (flip the interview)

**Use when** the ask is big and your context is thin. Let the AI interview you.

**Template**
```
Before you start, ask me the questions you need answered to do this well.
Ask them all at once, numbered. I'll answer, then you proceed.
```

**Example**
```
I need a 12-month content plan for my bakery. Before you start, ask me the
questions you need answered to do this well. Ask them all at once, numbered.
```

**Watch for:** cap it. "Ask me up to five questions" keeps the interview
short. Answer in one message.

---

## 8. Chunking

**Use when** one big ask has several distinct parts. Break it into a sequence
and run each step.

**Template**
```
We'll do this in three steps. Step 1: [part]. Stop and wait for my OK.
Then Step 2: [part]. Then Step 3: [part].
```

**Example**
```
We're building a landing page. Step 1: write the headline and subheadline
only, three options each. Stop there. Step 2: once I pick, write the three
benefit sections. Step 3: write the FAQ and closing CTA.
```

**Watch for:** each chunk is one clean ask with its own format spec. Chunking
also keeps long outputs from degrading in quality toward the end.

---

## 9. Reflection

**Use when** quality is load-bearing and a second pass is worth the time.

**Template**
```
Write a first draft. Then critique it as a tough [role] would: name the three
weakest points. Then rewrite it fixing those. Show me only the final version
and the three fixes.
```

**Example**
```
Write the investor update. Then critique it as a skeptical investor would:
name the three weakest points. Then rewrite fixing those. Show me only the
final version and the three fixes.
```

**Watch for:** ask for the critique from a specific, skeptical role. A generic
"improve it" produces cosmetic edits.

---

## 10. Grounded

**Use when** the facts must come from material you provide: a contract, a
spreadsheet, a policy, a transcript.

**Template**
```
Answer only from the material below. If the answer is not in the material,
say "not in the document" rather than guessing. Quote the relevant line
before you answer.

<material>
[paste]
</material>

Question: [ask]
```

**Example**
```
Answer only from the lease below. If something is not in the lease, say so.
Quote the clause before you answer.

<material>
[lease text]
</material>

Question: Who pays for HVAC repairs, and is there a cap?
```

**Watch for:** put the long material first and the question last. Quoting
before answering measurably cuts made-up answers.

---

## 11. Combining moves

Most strong prompts stack two or three moves inside CRAFT:

- **Role + Few-shot + Constraint** for anything with a voice: "Act as our
  copywriter. Match this sample. Under 100 words."
- **Clarifying + Reverse** when starting from nothing: "Ask me what you need,
  then write the ideal prompt."
- **Grounded + Chain-of-thought** for analysis of a document: "Only from this
  report. Reason step by step. Quote before you conclude."
- **Chunking + Reflection** for long deliverables: build in parts, critique
  each part before moving on.

---

## 12. Choosing the move fast

Ask yourself one question: what is the biggest risk in this answer?

| Biggest risk | Reach for |
|---|---|
| It will sound generic | Role, Few-shot |
| It will be wrong | Chain-of-thought, Grounded |
| It will be the wrong shape | Constraint, Few-shot |
| I don't know what to ask | Reverse, Clarifying |
| It is too big for one pass | Chunking |
| It has to be excellent | Reflection |
