For a very long time, I believed I used to be dangerous at utilizing AI. You’d by no means comprehend it now contemplating I take a look at and evaluation AI for a residing. However not too way back, I’d open ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, sort what felt like a transparent request, and nonetheless get a solution that was off and unhelpful. Even with reminiscence enabled, the responses felt too lengthy, generic and generally fully improper. Not hallucinations, per se, simply not good.
Then it hit me: the issue isn’t that chatbots are dumb. It’s that they’re guessing. In spite of everything, they do not suppose like people and though some perceive context, they nonetheless ship responses primarily based on patterns.
That hole — between what you ask and what the chatbot assumes you meant — is the place most AI responses collapse. ChatGPT or your favourite alternative, fills within the blanks, makes a couple of guesses and delivers a response that appears useful till you attempt to truly use it.
So I began utilizing one immediate that forces any chatbot to decelerate, make clear the objective and cease guessing.
I call it the “unicorn” prompt, because it works across basically every AI tool I’ve ever used or tested. And once you start using it, it’s hard to go back.
The ‘unicorn’ prompt
Here’s the exact prompt I use in every chatbot:
Pretend you’re my assistant and you actually want me to succeed. Ask up to 3 questions if anything’s unclear. Then give me: the answer, the plan and the pitfalls. Keep it short and tailored to: [insert goal]. If you have to make assumptions, list them first.
This prompt works best anytime you’re thinking “I don’t even know what to ask” or “I need something I can actually do.” Here are great real-life situations:
Here are 15 ways to use the “unicorn prompt” with real-world examples:
- Write an awkward text without sounding weird
Goal: Write a text to a friend I haven’t replied to in 2 weeks without making it awkward. - Send a friendly-but-firm email
Goal: Write an email saying I can’t take on more work right now, but I’m open to revisiting next month. - Respond to a passive-aggressive message calmly
Goal: Reply to this message politely without being a doormat: [paste message] - Turn a messy thought into a clear paragraph
Goal: Rewrite this into a clean, confident paragraph in my voice: [paste draft] - Plan your week when your brain is fried
Goal: Plan my week with 3 priorities, 5 must-dos, and realistic time blocks. I have [X] hours available. - Make a to-do list you can actually finish
Goal: Turn this messy list into a realistic plan with what to do today vs later: [paste list] - Stop procrastinating and just start
Goal: Give me the first 3 tiny steps to start this task: [task] - Decide between two options without overthinking
Goal: Help me choose between Option A and Option B based on my priorities: [list options] - Plan a trip without opening 40 tabs
Goal: Build a simple 2-day itinerary for [city] with kid-friendly stops and breaks. - Plan dinner when you’re tired and everyone is picky
Goal: Give me 5 easy dinner ideas using what I already have: [list ingredients] - Cut your monthly spending without sacrificing
Goal: Find 5 realistic ways to cut $200 from my monthly budget without making my life harder. - Write a “teacher message” that doesn’t sound unhinged
Goal: Write a message to my child’s teacher about [issue] that’s respectful but clear. - Learn something fast without spiraling
Goal: Explain [topic] like I’m smart but overwhelmed. Keep it short and practical. - Fix a tech problem without guessing
Goal: Troubleshoot why my [device/app] keeps doing [problem]. Ask questions first. - Get better AI results across any chatbot
Goal: Help me get the best answer from any chatbot for this task: [task]
Why it works so well
Most chatbots have the same bad habit: they confidently give answers — even if they’re wrong.
So in case your immediate is lacking a key element, the AI will usually fill within the blanks by itself — and that’s how you find yourself with recommendation that sounds useful, however is totally improper on your explicit scenario.
The unicorn immediate fixes that in 3 ways:
- It forces clarification. As an alternative of guessing, the chatbot asks questions first. That alone improves the standard of the response greater than any “magic phrases” ever will.
- It forces construction. You’re not getting a wall of textual content. You’re getting a transparent reply that higher avoids errors.
- It retains issues brief. It is a huge one. Most individuals don’t want a chatbot to jot down them a novel. They want one thing they will skim and act on.
The takeaway
This prompt works for almost anything, but here are the moments it saves me the most time:
- Writing awkward messages (texts, emails, follow-ups)
- Planning my week when everything feels chaotic
- Learning something fast without spiraling into 10 tabs
- Getting unstuck when my brain is fried and I just need steps
What I really like about this prompt is that it works well when you’re switching between tools. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude all have different strengths, but this prompt gets them to behave like the same kind of assistant.
You can even add an extra line that makes the response even better:
“If you have to make assumptions, list them first.”
Give this universal prompt a try next time you’re stuck or switching from one chatbot to the other. It’s the secret to getting better answers nearly every time.
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