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Prompt Optimization Guide
Reference guide for writing high-quality, effective prompts for Claude CoWork and Claude Chat.
The Ideal Prompt Structure
Well-constructed prompts follow a consistent ordering of information. Claude performs best when instructions flow from broad context to specific detail.
Recommended order:
- Context / Role setup — What situation is this? What role should Claude take?
- Core task — What specifically should Claude do? (the action verb matters)
- Audience & purpose — Who is this for? What's it going to be used for?
- Constraints — Tone, length, style, what to avoid, deadline
- Output specification — Exact format, file type, structure
- Skill invocations — Trigger phrases for relevant skills (woven in naturally)
Not every prompt needs all six sections, but they should appear in this order when present.
Language Patterns That Work Well
Be specific about the action verb
Vague: "Help me with a report" Strong: "Write a two-page executive summary"
State the audience explicitly
Vague: "Make this professional" Strong: "This is for a prospective client who hasn't worked with us before"
Specify format before content
Vague: "Give me some ideas" Strong: "Give me five bullet points, each one sentence, suitable for a slide header"
Use constraints to prevent unwanted output
- "Keep it under 300 words"
- "Do not include technical jargon"
- "Use MPM's brand voice — confident, direct, human"
- "Avoid bullet points — write in flowing paragraphs"
Name the output artifact
Vague: "Create something I can share" Strong: "Create a Word document (.docx) I can send directly to the client"
Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid
| Anti-pattern | Problem | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Write me something about X" | No format, audience, or length specified | Add: format, who it's for, word count |
| "Make it better" | No criteria for "better" | Define: more concise? Warmer tone? Add examples? |
| "Be creative" | Claude doesn't know creative in what direction | Specify: unexpected angle, unexpected format, surprising structure |
| "Like a professional would" | Too vague | Name the professional: "like a McKinsey consultant", "like a skilled copywriter" |
| Over-long preamble | Buries the actual ask | Lead with the task, add context after |
| Burying format at the end | Claude plans the response before seeing it | Put output format specification early |
Before & After Examples
Example 1 — Content Creation
Before:
Write something about our new product for LinkedIn
After:
Write a LinkedIn post announcing MessagePoint Media's new [product name]. The audience is marketing directors at mid-size B2B companies. Tone should be confident and human — not salesy. Keep it under 150 words. End with a low-pressure call to action (link in comments style). Use MPM's brand voice.
Example 2 — Document Creation
Before:
Can you make a report on our Q1 results
After:
Create a Word document summarizing MPM's Q1 performance. Include sections for: revenue vs. target, top three wins, top three lessons learned, and key priorities for Q2. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Tone: direct and honest. Length: 1-2 pages. Use clear headers and keep the language tight — no filler.
Example 3 — Research / Summary
Before:
Tell me about AI trends
After:
Summarize the five most relevant AI trends for a content marketing agency in 2025. Focus on practical implications for workflow, client service, and competitive positioning — not hype. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Format: short paragraphs per trend, each with a "so what for MPM" implication at the end. Total length: under 600 words.
Example 4 — Presentation
Before:
Make a deck about our services
After:
Create a PowerPoint presentation introducing MPM's core services to a prospective client. The client is a marketing leader at a regional financial services company. Include: who we are (1 slide), what we do (3-4 slides with one service per slide), why MPM (1 slide), and next steps (1 slide). Tone: professional but warm. Keep copy minimal — this is a leave-behind, not a reading document.
Tone Calibration
When specifying tone, use concrete reference points rather than vague adjectives:
| Instead of... | Say... |
|---|---|
| "Professional" | "Formal but not stiff — think well-written business email" |
| "Friendly" | "Warm and direct, like a trusted colleague" |
| "Engaging" | "Conversational, with a clear point of view" |
| "Simple" | "Eighth-grade reading level, no jargon" |
| "On-brand" | "Use MPM brand voice — confident, direct, and human" |
Output Format Specification
Always tell Claude exactly what format the output should take. Common formats and how to specify them:
| Output type | How to specify |
|---|---|
| Word document | "Create a Word document (.docx)" |
| PowerPoint | "Create a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx)" |
| Spreadsheet | "Create an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx)" |
| "Create a PDF" | |
| "Write an email I can copy directly into Gmail" | |
| Bullet list | "Give me a bulleted list, 5-7 items, one sentence each" |
| Prose | "Write in flowing paragraphs, no bullet points" |
| Executive summary | "Two-page executive summary with clear headers" |
Skill Invocation
For CoWork users, certain output types are best handled by specialized skills. See skill-awareness.md for the complete map of triggers to skills. The key principle: include the trigger phrase naturally in the prompt rather than calling the skill by its technical name.
Good: "Create a Word document..." Unnecessary: "Use the docx skill to create..."
The skill will activate automatically from natural language — the user doesn't need to know the skill names.