Why Vague Prompts Fail
The problem with unclear requests
This is one of the most common mistakes! Let me show you why being vague doesn't work.
1The Idea
Vague prompts lead to vague answers. When Claude doesn't know exactly what you want, it has to guess — and guesses are often wrong.
2See the Difference
Bad Example
"Write something about dogs"
What kind of writing? How long? What about dogs? For what purpose? Claude has no idea, so it might write something completely different from what you wanted.
Good Example
"Write a 100-word paragraph explaining why golden retrievers make good family pets. This is for a 10-year-old reader."
Now Claude knows: the format (paragraph), length (100 words), topic (golden retrievers as family pets), and audience (10-year-old). Perfect!
💡Clau-chan's Tip
Imagine you're ordering food. 'Give me food' won't work, but 'I'd like a medium pepperoni pizza' will. Be specific!
3Practice
Try It Yourself!
Turn this vague prompt into a specific one: 'Help me with my homework'
Ready to move on?