The 10-Point Checklist

The whole course on one page. Keep it beside you whenever you write a prompt that matters.

1. Say exactly what you want — length, tone, what to skip. Assume Claude knows nothing about your intentions.
2. Give Claude a role: “You are an experienced internal auditor…” — and name the audience when it matters.
3. Wrap pasted material in markers — <email>…</email>, <report>…</report> — so data never blends into instructions.
4. Name the format you want back: a table, a list, one word, or an answer inside markers.
5. Hard question? Add: “Think it through step by step before answering, and show your reasoning.”
6. Want a specific style? Show one or two perfect examples and let Claude continue the pattern.
7. Fighting made-up facts? Allow “I don’t know” — tell Claude to answer only if certain.
8. Asking about a document? Demand quotes first, then an answer based only on those quotes.
9. Long document? Put your question at the bottom, after the material.
10. Big task? Use the Chapter 9 structure: role, tone, rules, examples, data, question, think-first, format. Not happy with the answer? Change the prompt and try again — that is the whole skill.