20 Prompting Laws That Unlock ChatGPT's Full Potential
A Simple Guide to Get the Best Out of AI
Hey there,
Ever asked ChatGPT a question and thought, "That’s not what I meant"?
You’re not alone.
The issue isn’t the AI—it’s the way we prompt it.
Think of prompting like giving directions.
Be vague, and you’ll end up lost.
Be clear, and you’ll get exactly where you want to go.
That’s where these 20 laws come in.
They’re simple.
They’re powerful.
And they’ll help you get better, smarter, and sharper answers every single time.
Law #1 - Role-Task-Format (RTF)
Tell ChatGPT who it is, what you want, and how to deliver it.
"You're a marketing strategist. Create a LinkedIn post in bullet format."
Law #2 - Chain-of-Thought
Ask it to think step by step.
"Let's solve this step-by-step."
Law #3 - Structured Thinking
Request a clear format with sections or subheadings.
"Give me history, current state, and future risks."
Law #4 - Debate Yourself
Get both sides of the argument before it gives you an answer.
Law #5 - Think-Before-You-Answer
Ask it to pause and plan before responding.
"Plan first. Then respond."
Law #6 - Use Recursive Self-Improvement
Ask it to review and improve its own answers.
Law #7 - Provide Context & Constraints
Mention the audience, tone, length, or any no-go zones.
Law #8 - Few-Shot Prompting
Give examples of what you want. It’ll mimic the tone and structure.
Law #9 - Iterative Refinement
Treat it like code. Ask, tweak, test, repeat.
Law #10 - Set Clear Role Persona
"You are a CFO with 20 years of experience."
Law #11 - Timebox for Relevance
"Only use data from 2023."
Law #12 - Break Tasks into Steps
"Step 1: Summarize. Step 2: Recommend."
Law #13 - Negative Prompting
"Don’t use buzzwords like ‘synergy.’"
Law #14 - Invite Pushback & Critique
"What’s wrong with this idea?"
Law #15 - Simulated Scenarios
"You’re pitching this to a CEO."
Law #16 - Structured Delimiters
Use ### to clearly split sections.
Law #17 - Retrieval-Augmented Generation
Upload documents first, then prompt. ChatGPT will stick closer to the source.
Law #18 - Use Sketch-of-Thought
Ask for a rough idea before it dives deep.
Law #19 - Specify Output Primer
"Start with: Here are the key takeaways."
Law #20 - Ask Clarifying Questions
Let ChatGPT ask you what it needs before answering.
Try This Today:
Pick 3 laws and use them in your next ChatGPT session.
Share this with someone who loves playing with AI.
Bookmark this as your go-to cheat sheet.
Remember:
Mastering prompts isn’t about being fancy
It’s about being clear.
And these simple tweaks will make your prompts sharper.
And get you more precise outputs.
Put them to work and watch the difference.