Prompting·basic
Context
What the AI doesn't know yet but needs to. Give it that.
Context is the stuff you already know that the AI doesn't. Your audience, your constraints, your existing code, the tone you want, the deadline, the platform.
A prompt without context:
"Write a bio."
A prompt with context:
"Write a bio for a 15-year-old applying to a summer coding program. Two to three sentences. Friendly but not cringe. I like music production and I run cross country."
The second prompt produces something usable on the first try. The first produces something generic you'll have to rewrite.
Rule of thumb: before you send, ask what a smart stranger would need to know to do this well. Include it.