This guide breaks down how to level up your prompting skills in stages—each more powerful than the last.
Level 0 – The One-Liner
"Explain climate change."
Too broad. Lacks audience, tone, or focus.
Start by giving context.
Level 1 – Use the WHO / WHAT / HOW Framework
"I am a middle school science teacher (WHO), trying to explain climate change to my students (WHAT), and I want a short, clear analogy that a 12-year-old would understand (HOW)."
WHO: Defines the speaker or audience
WHAT: Clarifies the goal
HOW: Sets the format or tone
This creates focused and relevant answers tailored to your needs.
Level 2 – Be Specific About Format
"Give me a table comparing the top 5 AI models in 2024, focusing on what each one excels at."
"What are the best AI models?"
- Ask for a list, chart, step-by-step, table, or framework
- Set limits or structure ("in 3-5 bullet points")
- Request a tone ("professional but friendly", "like you're explaining it to a friend")
Level 3 – Provide Examples or Constraints
"I want a recipe that's as easy as grilled cheese and tomato soup, but slightly healthier. I only have 20 minutes and I hate onions."
Anchors the AI with familiar examples
Sets boundaries (time, preferences, dietary needs)
This avoids overly generic answers and gets you something usable.
Level 4 – Stack Roles and Perspectives
"Pretend you're a startup founder explaining this idea to a skeptical investor in 60 seconds. What would you say?"
This is called role prompting, and it dramatically improves tone and clarity.
- "Act like a personal trainer building a plan for a total beginner."
- "Write this as if it's going in a Kickstarter campaign."
- "You're a sarcastic movie critic. Review it accordingly."
Level 5 – Iterate & Refine With Follow-Ups
Your first prompt is rarely your best. Great prompting means treating it like a conversation and using feedback loops.
- "Can you make this even simpler?"
- "What would be a funny way to say that?"
- "Give me 3 other versions, each with a different style or tone."
- "Now make it a tweet thread / email / elevator pitch."
Bonus Tips
- Avoid "do my homework" prompts – Instead of asking for answers, ask for understanding.
- Use analogies or metaphors – Ask ChatGPT to explain something "like a recipe" or "like I'm five."
- Define success – Say, "By the end, I want to feel confident doing X."
Real-Life Example
Here's a meta example of a great prompt that uses all the best practices:
"I'm writing a blog post about leveling up your ChatGPT prompting skills. I want you to break down the 5 levels of prompting, similar to how you'd explain a video game progression system, with examples and increasing complexity at each stage."
- It sets the audience and purpose
- It describes the tone and structure
- It gives an analogy (video game leveling)
Final Thoughts
If you want better answers, ask better questions.
Start simple. Add clarity. Give structure.
Then iterate.
That's how you go from beginner to prompt master.