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What Makes a Good Prompt?

Have a Clear Goal

It tells the chatbot exactly what it is meant to do and who it is serving.

Examples:

  • “Provide answers based on Council policies.”
  • “Always prioritise accuracy over creativity.”

Set Behaviour Expectations

  • Defines tone, style, limitations, escalation rules, and when to ask follow-up questions.
  • This is where you lock in reliability and consistency.

Defines Boundaries

  • Specifies what the chatbot must not do.
  • This prevents hallucinations, guessing, and overly confident responses.

Provides Context + Reference Sources

  • The prompt tells the bot where its knowledge comes from and how to use it.
  • If your bot uses RAG/knowledge sources, the prompt should explain how to prioritise those sources.

Handles Unknowns Gracefully

  • A good prompt includes instructions for uncertainty:

Examples:

  • “If the answer cannot be verified, say you don’t know.”
  • “If the question is outside your scope, redirect politely.

Balances Flexibility with Control

  • Enough structure for consistency, but flexible enough for natural conversation.