✍️ Writing Better AI Prompts

Simple ways to ask AI clear and useful questions.

Think of it like sending a text message or an email

You type a message, the AI reads it and then sends you a reply.

The message you send is called a prompt.

The clearer your message is, the more helpful the reply is likely to be. You do not need special computer skills or technical language. Simply explain what you want in your own words.

📱

You send
your message

→

🤖

The AI reads
and replies

→

💬

You receive
an answer

What does a chat window look like?

Most AI services use a simple chat window.

Type your question into the box at the bottom and press the send button. The AI's reply will appear above it.

You can then reply again, ask another question or ask the AI to explain something more clearly.

☰ New chat ✏️

You

You are a genealogy assistant. Help me understand this 1911 census record. The family lived in Birmingham, England. The record is for my great-grandfather, John Smith.

AI Assistant

Thank you. Please share the details from the census record, or upload an image if your AI service allows it. I can then explain what the record tells you and identify useful next research steps.

Type your message and wait for the reply.

✅ The ROLE approach

ROLE is an easy way to remember what to include in a useful prompt. You do not have to use every part every time, but it is a helpful guide.

Role

Tell the AI what kind of expert or helper it should be.

Example:
“You are an experienced genealogist.”

Objective

Explain what you want the AI to do.

Example:
“Help me understand this census record.”

Location and background

Add useful information such as the place, date or type of record.

Example:
“The family lived in Birmingham in 1911.”

Extra details

Include anything else that may help the AI understand your question.

Example:
“The person is my great-grandfather John Smith.”

A simple example

❌ Not very helpful

Tell me about this record.

The AI does not know which record you mean, who the person is or what you want to discover.

✅ More helpful

You are an experienced genealogist. Help me understand this 1911 census record for my great-grandfather, John Smith, who lived in Birmingham. Explain what the record tells me and suggest what I should research next.

This gives the AI a role, a clear task and useful background information.

Keeping long information separate

When you paste a transcription, article, letter or set of research notes into a prompt, it helps to place it between clearly named labels.

GeneAIlogy often uses labels that look like this:

<ARTICLE>

Paste the article or transcription here.

</ARTICLE>

Think of these labels as putting the information inside a clearly marked envelope. They tell the AI:

where the information begins
where the information ends
what kind of information it is

⭐ Tips for more effective prompts

👤

Be clear and simple

Use ordinary language and short sentences. You do not need to sound formal or technical.

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Include useful details

Names, dates, places, relationships and record types help the AI give a more relevant answer.

❓

Ask one main question

A long list of unrelated questions may produce a confusing answer. Start with the most important question.

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Ask follow-up questions

You can ask the AI to explain something again, make it shorter or provide more detail.

Useful follow-up questions

You do not need to start a new chat each time. You can continue the conversation just as you would reply to an email or text message.

“Please explain that in simpler language.”

“Which parts of your answer are facts and which are suggestions?”

“Can you put the information into a table?”

“What records should I search next?”

💡

Remember

AI is a helpful assistant, but it can make mistakes or provide information that sounds convincing but is incorrect.

Always check names, dates, places and relationships against reliable sources and original records.