Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google’s prompt tips can help you get better responses.
- One is to be direct with Gemini and concise in your prompt.
- Another tip is to rephrase your prompt.
Composing the right prompt for an AI plays a huge role in how it will respond and whether it will provide the information you seek. But prompt engineering, or knowing how to write a prompt, can be a challenging and often arcane task. Now Google is trying to make the process less mysterious.
Released last week, Gemini 3 is being touted as not only smarter and faster than its predecessors but also better at coding and multimodality. With multimodality in its skillset, the AI is more adept at working with different types of content, including text, images, audio, video, and computer code.
Also: Want better ChatGPT responses? Try this surprising trick, researchers say
But given that Gemini 3 is a new model, does that mean you need to adjust the way you might compose a prompt?
In a new document dubbed “Prompt design strategies,” Google offers a series of tips to help you learn how to phrase your prompt and how to talk with Gemini 3 to get the best responses. Some of the tips are contrary to what you might have been told or have tried in the past, so they’re certainly worth a shot.
1. Keep it simple
First up, be precise and direct. Instead of writing an elaborate prompt with all kinds of suggestions and qualifiers, the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) strategy often works best.
Also: Google just rolled out Gemini 3 to Search – here’s what it can do and how to try it
Here, Google advises you to state your goal clearly and concisely and avoid unnecessary or overly persuasive language. That doesn’t mean you want to fashion your prompts to be generically short and lacking in detail. But you do want to get to the point quickly and directly.
2. Control how Gemini responds
By default, Gemini 3 doesn’t try to be your friend.
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That means it’s not going to engage you in a lot of chit chat. Instead, it’s designed to provide direct and efficient answers. If you’d like a more conversational or detailed response, you’ll have to state that in the instructions for your prompt. For example, you might say up front that you want the responses to be friendly and conversational, or you want them to include specific details.
3. Define the parameters
Here, Google suggests that you define any terms or parameters in your prompt that could be misconstrued. Maybe a specific term might sound ambiguous to an AI or even to another person. In that case, be sure you define it to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation on Gemini’s part.
4. State any critical instructions up front
A prompt should provide the AI not only with your request but with any necessary instructions. These can include such items as constraints on the AI’s behavior, any role or persona you’d like the AI to assume, and any requirements in the formatting or length of the response. Be sure to add such instructions at the beginning of your prompt before you pose your question.
5. Include any content first
You may want Gemini to analyze or answer questions about specific content, such as a document, an image, or computer code. In that case, include or reference the content first so that Gemini picks it up. Then add your request at the end of the prompt.
Also: I let Gemini Deep Research dig through my Gmail and Drive – here’s what it uncovered
6. Transition between content and request
In some cases, you may also want to include a large block of content, such as regular text or code. Here, Google advises that you use a transition phrase between the content and your request. For example, you might write or copy and paste the block of text, type a phrase such as “Based on the information above…,” and then add your specific question or request.
7. Use different phrasing
Phrasing a prompt differently will often yield different results even if your request is the same. If one prompt isn’t garnering the expected response, try writing it another way. Here, Google suggests three ways to phrase the same request: Version 1: How do I bake a pie? Version 2: Suggest a recipe for a pie. Version 3: What’s a good pie recipe?
8. Add helpful information
Maybe you’re running into a certain problem, issue, or obstacle, and you want the AI to help. In this instance, add information about your own experience.
Also: How to turn off Gemini in your Gmail, Photos, Chrome, and more – it’s easy to opt out of AI
For example, let’s say you’re unable to connect to your home Wi-Fi network. Instead of just saying “What should I do to fix my disconnected Wi-Fi?” tell the AI that the light on your Google router is yellow and blinking slowly. You might also include the model number of the router. With those details in place, then pose your question.
Finally, here are two more tips from Google given that AIs can make mistakes, or hallucinate.
9. Use Gemini with care on math and logic problems
AIs are certainly skilled at solving math and logic problems. But that doesn’t mean they always get the answer right. You’ll want to double check any results to ensure that they’re correct.
Also: Use Google Finance? It just got a new Gemini-powered ‘Deep Search’ trick – how to try it
10. Avoid relying on AI to generate factual information
AIs can easily provide factual or historical information. But they may get some of the details wrong. Again, you’ll want to double check the response to verify that it’s correct. Most AIs will provide links to the sources they consulted to help you follow up this way.
