Use this worksheet when a one-line prompt is not enough, but a full project brief would be too much. It turns the pattern from the Prompt Structure lesson into a reusable planning form.
When To Use It
Use this template for everyday work where the answer needs to be useful on the first pass:
- Drafting a message, outline, summary, plan, or checklist.
- Comparing options when the model needs clear criteria.
- Transforming notes into a cleaner format.
- Asking for review without letting the model rewrite everything.
Use a lighter prompt for low-stakes brainstorming. Use a more formal brief when the work affects customers, policy, money, safety, legal obligations, production systems, or sensitive data.
The Four-Part Prompt
Fill in each part before you run the prompt. If a section does not matter, say so directly instead of leaving the model to guess.
Task
What should the model do?
- Name the action: summarize, draft, compare, critique, extract, rewrite, plan, or explain.
- Say what success looks like.
- Keep the task narrow enough that you can review the result.
Prompt starter:
Task:
Please [action] [material or topic] so that [intended use].Context
What does the model need to know?
- Audience: who will read or use the answer.
- Situation: why the work is being done now.
- Source material: notes, transcript, draft, requirements, examples, or facts to use.
- Definitions: terms, acronyms, or assumptions a beginner would not know.
Prompt starter:
Context:
The audience is [audience]. They need [need or decision].
Use only the information below unless you clearly label a question or assumption.
[Paste or summarize approved source material here.]Constraints
What must the model avoid, preserve, or verify?
- Do not invent missing facts, names, dates, owners, citations, or numbers.
- Preserve required wording, tone, scope, or decisions.
- Exclude sensitive, private, or irrelevant details.
- Flag uncertainty instead of hiding it.
- Stay inside the requested role: draft helper, reviewer, explainer, or planner.
Prompt starter:
Constraints:
- Do not invent missing details.
- Preserve [required wording, decision, or source fact].
- Avoid [tone, topic, data type, or action].
- Mark anything uncertain as "Needs verification."Output Shape
What should the answer look like?
- Choose sections, bullets, a table, a checklist, JSON, or a short narrative.
- Set length limits when useful.
- Ask for decision points, open questions, or risks if they matter.
- Include a review block when the answer will be shared or acted on.
Prompt starter:
Output shape:
Return [format]. Include sections for [section names].
Keep it to [length limit]. End with [open questions, risks, or next steps].Copyable Prompt Worksheet
Copy this block into your AI tool, replace the brackets, and remove any line that does not apply.
Task:
Please [summarize/draft/compare/review/explain/plan] [material or topic] so that [intended use].
Context:
- Audience: [who will read or use this]
- Situation: [why this is needed]
- Source material to use: [paste approved notes, facts, draft, or transcript]
- Important definitions or assumptions: [terms, acronyms, or boundaries]
Constraints:
- Do not invent missing facts, names, dates, owners, citations, links, or numbers.
- Use only the provided source material unless you clearly label a question or assumption.
- Preserve [required wording, decision, tone, or scope].
- Avoid [sensitive data, private details, topics, actions, or tone].
- Mark uncertain items as "Needs verification."
Output shape:
- Format: [bullets/table/checklist/email/outline/JSON/short narrative]
- Sections: [section names]
- Length: [word count, bullet count, or time limit]
- End with: [next steps/open questions/risks/review notes]Fast Variants By Task Type
Use the same worksheet, but start the Task and Output Shape sections differently depending on the job.
Drafting
Task:
Draft [message, outline, memo, update, or instructions] for [audience] so they can [take action].
Output shape:
Use [sections or bullets]. Keep the tone [tone]. End with [decision, call to action, or next step].Planning
Task:
Turn these notes or requirements into a practical plan for [owner or team].
Output shape:
Use sections for Goal, Dependencies, Risks, Next Steps, and Open Questions.
Keep the plan scoped to [time frame or decision window].Summarizing
Task:
Summarize this material for [audience] so they can understand [decision, status, or takeaway].
Output shape:
Use sections for Key Points, Decisions, Action Items, and Risks.
Call out anything that needs verification.Synthesis
Task:
Synthesize these sources into a single view that highlights patterns, tensions, and decision points.
Output shape:
Use sections for Shared Themes, Differences, Implications, and Recommended Next Questions.
Do not smooth over disagreements between sources.Example: Meeting Notes To Action Summary
Before:
Summarize these notes.
After:
Task:
Summarize these meeting notes for a project lead who needs to follow up with the team.
Context:
The notes are rough and may contain incomplete ideas. The project lead needs a clean summary for
internal planning.
Constraints:
- Do not invent owners, dates, decisions, or risks.
- Preserve any action item that is explicitly stated.
- Mark unclear items as "Needs verification."
- Keep the tone practical and neutral.
Output shape:
Use four sections: Decisions, Action Items, Open Questions, and Risks.
For action items, use a table with Task, Owner, Due Date, and Source Note.Why it is stronger: the model knows the audience, the review risk, the missing-detail rule, and the shape of a usable answer.
Example: Draft Review Without Overwriting
Before:
Make this better.
After:
Task:
Review this draft for clarity and usefulness without rewriting the whole thing.
Context:
The audience is a non-technical teammate who needs to understand the decision and the next step.
Constraints:
- Do not change the core message.
- Do not add new facts.
- Focus on confusing passages, missing context, and overly long sentences.
Output shape:
Return a three-row table with Problem, Why It Matters, and Suggested Rewrite.
End with one sentence naming the biggest remaining risk in the draft.Why it is stronger: the model is asked to review within boundaries instead of taking ownership of the whole message.
Safety Pass Before You Run It
Check the prompt itself before sending it to a model.
- Remove secrets, credentials, private keys, tokens, and internal-only URLs.
- Generalize personal, customer, employee, financial, contract, and proprietary details unless they are approved for this use.
- Shorten source material when a summary or excerpt is enough.
- Keep high-stakes work in draft mode until a qualified human reviews it.
- If the output could trigger an external message, customer commitment, workflow change, or system action, keep a human approval step.
After-Use Reflection
Record one note so the prompt gets better over time:
This prompt worked well for [task/context] because [what improved].
Next time I should change [task/context/constraint/output shape] because [remaining gap].