How to Prompt Engineer — Practical Guide for Getting the Best from KAY

Prompt engineering is the craft of writing clear, effective instructions so a system like KAY reliably produces the output you want. Good prompts are precise, context-rich, and structured to guide the model’s reasoning and style choices. Below is a practical, non-expert guide with examples tailored to KAY.

Introduction: what prompt engineering aims to achieve

• Goal: get useful, consistent outputs with minimal back-and-forth.
• Key idea: the model follows the instructions you give; more precise guidance leads to more predictable results.
• Why KAY: KAY responds best to structured, contextual prompts and supports additional interface features (see later).

Core principles of effective prompts

1. Be explicit about the task
   • Say exactly what you want: a summary, a step-by-step plan, a rewrite in a given tone, code, or a critique.
2. Provide context
   • Give background facts, constraints, audience, format, and any examples of desired output.
3. Specify style and length
   • Tone (formal, friendly), register (academic, lay), and length (word count or bullet points).
4. Ask for structure
   • Request headings, numbered steps, tables, examples, or FAQs to make the output immediately usable.
5. Use iterative refinement
   • Start with a basic prompt, then ask KAY to revise with constraints (shorter, simpler, more technical).
6. Use examples and templates
   • Show one or two ideal samples or a template to emulate.
7. Break large tasks into subtasks
   • Ask for an outline first, then fill sections one by one.

A reliable prompt pattern (works well with KAY)

• Instruction (what to do): “Write X”
• Context (who, why): “for Y audience, purpose Z”
• Constraints: “length, tone, format, avoid/mandatory points”
• Examples: “Here’s an example or template”
• Output spec: “Include headings, bullets, code block, and a short TL;DR”

Sample prompts and why they work

1. Concise article Prompt:

Write a 700–900 word article explaining ‘zero trust networking’ for an IT manager. Use a professional, concise tone. Include: brief definition, three main benefits, three implementation steps, and a short checklist at the end. Use headings and one bullet list. No vendor names.

Why it works: Task, audience, length, structure and constraints are all given. KAY can deliver exactly what’s requested.

2. Stepwise creative task Prompt:

Help me prepare a 10-slide presentation for non-technical stakeholders about migrating to the cloud. Provide a slide-by-slide outline (title, one-sentence speaker note, one key visual idea). Keep each speaker note ≤25 words and recommend 3 simple visuals.

Why it works: Breaking into slide-level elements and strict limits yields usable slide content.

3. Iterative refinement
   
   Step 1: Draft a polite email asking a colleague to review a report by Friday.
   Step 2: Make it 20% shorter, more direct, and include two suggested time slots for discussion.
   
   Why it works: Start broad, then refine. KAY will apply the changes precisely.

KAY-specific tips (how to interact with the system)

• Enter your prompt in the input box above and press “Send”. Ask questions or give tasks—KAY will reply under “The Answer”.
• Use the period key (.) to open the “Prompts” menu to tune the style or purpose of responses (e.g., “Creative”, “Technical”, “Concise”). You can edit that list via “Manage Prompts”.
• Use the [Menu] button on the left to [Backup...] or [Restore...] your data to your own storage to preserve prompts and chat history.
• When asking for examples you want reused, include them in your message so KAY can copy the pattern exactly.
• If you want KAY to produce different types of outputs, specify format explicitly: “Provide as Markdown with H2 headings and numbered steps” or “Give as a plain text checklist”.

Examples showing how KAY-specific features improve prompts

1. Use the “Prompts” menu

• Choose “Concise” then send: “Summarise this 1200-word report in 200 words.” KAY follows the concise policy to be brief and targeted.

2. Save and reuse prompt templates

• Create a template: “PR: Press Release — Title; 3-paragraph body; quote; boilerplate.” Save it in the menu and reuse for consistency.

3. Use backup/restore to keep prompt history

• If you build a valuable template set, back it up via [Menu] → [Backup...] so you won’t lose it when clearing browser cache.

Practical formatting recipes (prompt templates you can adapt)

• Template: Technical explainer
  Explain [topic] to [audience] in [length]. Include: short definition, 3 benefits, 3 limitations, 4 recommended next steps. Use headings and a final 2-line TL;DR.
• Template: Action plan
  Create a 6-step implementation plan for [project]. For each step, include: objective, responsible role, time estimate, and one measurable success metric.
• Template: Code request
  Provide a minimal, runnable [language] example that does [task]. Add brief comments and a short explanation of edge cases.

Troubleshooting common prompt problems

• Output too vague: add examples and stricter constraints (length, structure).
• Too long or too wordy: request “shorten by 40%” or “provide bullets instead of paragraphs”.
• Incorrect style: say “use a conversational British English tone, use ‘we’ not ‘I’.”
• Missing detail: ask for “an expanded version with citations” or “add numbers and statistics” (and supply trusted sources if needed).

Ethics and safety reminders

• Don’t ask KAY to produce illegal or harmful instructions. If your task touches on regulated or high-stakes domains (medical, legal, financial), treat KAY outputs as draft guidance—verify with professionals.

Closing: sample full prompt to copy-paste

You are an expert technical writer. Write a 900–1,100 word article for a UK technical manager explaining prompt engineering basics. Use British English, include: definition, five core principles, three practical examples (with exact prompts), and a 3-point quick-start checklist. Use headings and a two-line TL;DR at the end.