---
title: Prompt Best Practices
description: >-
  Master AI Chat prompts in Clear Ideas with best practices for effective
  communication. Learn to craft specific, contextual prompts for accurate AI
  responses.
ogTitle: AI Chat Prompt Best Practices
ogDescription: >-
  Learn to craft effective AI Chat prompts in Clear Ideas. Master specific,
  contextual prompting techniques for accurate and helpful AI responses
ogImage: /assets/images/og/ai-prompt-best-practices.webp
navigation:
  icon: fasl fa-comment-pen
---

# AI Chat Prompt Best Practices

AI Chat is a powerful feature leverages advanced AI technology to help you interact with your private data in a seamless and secure manner. By understanding how to craft effective prompts, you can get the most out of the AI Chat and retrieve the information you need quickly and accurately.

## How Does AI Chat Work?

The AI Chat utilizes your uploaded documents to provide relevant responses.  When you ask a question, the AI generates search terms based on your prompt and retrieves the best-matching content from your documents. It then uses this information to generate a coherent and helpful response.   The AI may may several requests for relevant content, depending on the nature of the request.

## Best Practices for Crafting Prompts

To ensure the AI Chat provides accurate and helpful responses, consider the following best practices when crafting your prompts:

1. **Be Specific**: Clearly mention relevant details such as document names, company names, dates, or any specific information that can help narrow down the search.

2. **Provide Context**: Offer additional background information or specify the document type to guide the AI in understanding your request.

3. **Ask Direct Questions**: Frame your queries as direct questions to get concise answers.

4. **Use Natural Language**: Communicate as if you are speaking to a person; avoid using overly technical jargon unless necessary.

## Examples of Effective Prompts

Below are examples showcasing less effective prompts and improved versions that are more likely to yield the intended responses.

**Example 1: Policy Renewal Date**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "When does my policy renew?"
  - *Issue*: The prompt is too general. If you have multiple policies, the AI may not know which one you're referring to.

- **Improved Prompt**: "When does my ABC Company Co. health insurance policy renew?"
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the company and policy type, allowing the AI to retrieve the exact information.

**Example 2: Contract Terms**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "What are the terms?"
  - *Issue*: Vague and lacks context about which document or agreement you're referring to.

- **Improved Prompt**: "What are the payment terms outlined in the service agreement with XYZ Corp dated January 2023?"
  - *Why It's Better*: Provides specific details, helping the AI to find the relevant document and information.

**Example 3: Financial Reports**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "Show me the latest figures."
  - *Issue*: Ambiguous; does not specify which figures or reports.

- **Improved Prompt**: "Provide the Q2 2023 sales figures for Product X from the financial report."
  - *Why It's Better*: Identifies the time period, product, and document, enabling precise retrieval.

**Example 4: Legal Compliance Information**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "Do we comply with regulations?"
  - *Issue*: Too broad; doesn't specify which regulations or areas of compliance.

- **Improved Prompt**: "Summarize how our company complies with the GDPR as outlined in our 'Data Protection Policy' document."
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the regulation and the document, allowing for a detailed response.

**Example 5: Project Deadlines**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "When is the project due?"
  - *Issue*: Unclear which project you're referring to.

- **Improved Prompt**: "What is the final submission deadline for the 'Alpha Project' as stated in the project timeline document?"
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the project name and refers to a specific document, aiding accurate retrieval.

**Example 6: Meeting Notes Retrieval**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "What did we discuss last time?"
  - *Issue*: Vague and lacks context.

- **Improved Prompt**: "Summarize the key action items from the 'Team Meeting Minutes - September 15, 2023.'"
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the meeting date and document, enabling the AI to provide a focused summary.

**Example 7: Product Specifications**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "Tell me about the product specs."
  - *Issue*: Non-specific; doesn't identify which product.

- **Improved Prompt**: "Provide the technical specifications for 'Model ZX-300' from the 'Product Specifications Sheet.'"
  - *Why It's Better*: Identifies the product model and the source document.

**Example 8: Employee Records**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "What's the status of John's employment?"
  - *Issue*: Missing context about which John or what status information is needed.

- **Improved Prompt**: "What is John Smith's current role and tenure as per the 'Employee Records - HR Database'?"
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the full name, information needed, and the source document.

**Example 9: Sales Projections**

- **Less Effective Prompt**: "What are the future sales?"
  - *Issue*: Too broad and lacks specifics.

- **Improved Prompt**: "What are the Q4 2023 sales projections for 'Product Line A' according to the 'Annual Sales Forecast' document?"
  - *Why It's Better*: Specifies the time frame, product line, and source document for accurate information.

## Using Variables and Handlebars Templating

AI Chat and AI Workflows support Handlebars templating, allowing you to create dynamic prompts with variables and conditional logic.

### Default Variables

Default variables are automatically available in all prompts. These variables are provided in both camelCase and snake_case formats for consistency. Use them to include dynamic information:

**Universal Defaults** (available in AI Chat and AI Workflows):
- `{{date}}`, `{{currentDate}}`, `{{current_date}}` - Current date (YYYY-MM-DD format)
- `{{year}}`, `{{currentYear}}`, `{{current_year}}` - Current year as string
- `{{month}}` - Current month (01-12)
- `{{day}}` - Current day (01-31)
- `{{currentDateTime}}`, `{{current_date_time}}` - Full date/time (ISO format)

**Chat-Specific Defaults** (available in AI Chat):
- `{{chatName}}`, `{{chat_name}}` - Name of the chat (if available)

**Workflow-Specific Defaults** (available in AI Workflows):
- `{{workflowName}}`, `{{workflow_name}}` - Name of the workflow
- `{{totalSteps}}`, `{{total_steps}}` - Total number of steps in the workflow
- `{{step-previous}}` - Output from the previous step
- `{{step-1}}`, `{{step-2}}`, etc. - Output from specific steps

**Workflow Job-Specific Defaults** (available when running workflow jobs):
- `{{workflowJobName}}`, `{{workflow_job_name}}` - Name of the workflow job
- `{{stepNumber}}`, `{{step_number}}` - Current step number (1-indexed)

**Example**:
```
Provide a summary of sales data for {{year}}. Focus on Q{{month}} results.
```

### Conditional Logic

Use Handlebars conditionals to create dynamic prompts:

**If/Else Statements**:
```
{{#if chatName}}
Continue our discussion about {{chatName}}.
{{else}}
Let's start a new topic.
{{/if}}
```

**Example in Workflow**:
```
{{#if step-previous}}
Based on the previous step: {{step-previous}}

Now refine this analysis with additional context.
{{else}}
This is the first step in workflow {{workflowName}}.
{{/if}}
```

**Example in Workflow Job** (when running a workflow):
```
This is step {{stepNumber}} of {{totalSteps}} in workflow {{workflowName}}.
```

### Syntax Highlighting

When editing prompts, Handlebars expressions are automatically highlighted to help you identify variables:

- **Default variables** (like `{{date}}`, `{{year}}`) appear in blue (primary color)
- **Defined variables** (workflow variables, step outputs) appear in green (success color)
- **Undefined variables** appear in red (error color) to indicate they need to be defined
- **Handlebars helpers** (like `{{#if}}`, `{{else}}`) appear in the info color

This visual feedback helps you identify available variables and catch errors before running your workflow or chat.

### Best Practices for Variables

1. **Use Default Variables**: Leverage built-in variables like `{{date}}` and `{{year}}` instead of hardcoding values
2. **Test Conditionals**: Verify that conditional logic works as expected with different variable values
3. **Escape Literals**: If you need literal `{{` characters, wrap them in backticks: `` `{{` ``
4. **Dot Notation**: Use dot notation to access nested properties: `{{step-1.address.city}}`
5. **Variable Behavior**: In AI Chat, undefined variables are automatically removed from your message. In AI Workflows, undefined variables remain as placeholders so you can identify and fix them before running the workflow.

## Additional Tips

- **Refer to Document Titles**: If you know the name of the document, include it in your prompt.

- **Include Dates When Relevant**: Dates can help narrow down the information, especially if documents are time-sensitive. Consider using `{{date}}` or `{{year}}` variables for dynamic date references.

- **Specify the Format**: If you need the information in a specific format (e.g., bullet points, summary, report), mention it in your prompt.

- **Use Variables for Dynamic Content**: Leverage Handlebars variables to make prompts reusable across different contexts and time periods.

## Utilizing AI Chat for Document Generation

The AI Chat can also assist in creating new documents based on existing templates or styles.

**Example Prompt for Document Generation**

- **Prompt**: "Using the document titled 'Marketing Plan Template,' develop a marketing plan for Acme Corp. Ensure that all strategies are based on data relevant to Acme Corp. The template should guide the style and tone but not the content."
  - *Why It's Effective*: Clearly states the task, specifies the template to use, and outlines expectations regarding content and style.

## Conclusion

By providing clear, specific, and detailed prompts, you enable the AI Chat to deliver accurate and helpful responses tailored to your needs. Remember to:

- Be specific and provide context.
- Reference relevant documents.
- Use natural language and direct questions.