Lesson 3: Specificity — format, count, and length
A vague instruction returns something different every time: sometimes a paragraph, sometimes three lines, sometimes with a needless opening sentence. A specific instruction — one that fixes format, count, and length — returns consistent, predictable output. In this lesson we practice turning a gener
Ask 'summarize' and you'll get something different each time. Ask 'exactly 3 bullets, each under 12 words, only the bullets' and you'll get the same shape every time.
- specificity
- How precisely the prompt defines the desired output: format, count, and length.
- output format
- The shape the answer should take — bullets, a table, a paragraph, or named fields.
- output constraint
- A requirement that narrows the answer, e.g. 'return only the bullets, no preamble'.
