LET'S BREAK IT DOWN
🎭 C — Character
Define the persona you want the AI to take on. It could be a professor, copywriter, business strategist, or even a fictional character.
“You are a world-class UX designer.”
“You’re a marketing coach for small businesses.”
🎯 R — Role
Set the bar. Let the AI know how skilled, experienced, or authoritative it should be.
“You’ve helped launch over 100 successful SaaS products.”
“You have a PhD in psychology and 10 years of clinical experience.”
🌍 E — Environment
This is your chance to tell ChatGPT what’s going on behind the scenes. The more context you give, the smarter the AI becomes. Help it see the full story so it can give you answers that actually fit your situation. This is where you explain:
This is where you explain:
- Who you are.
- What you’re working on.
- What’s happening right now.
- What you need help with.
- Any other background info that matters
“I’m a social media specialist working at a tourism company in Hawaii. We’re launching a summer campaign targeting local families. I’ve already created content pillars, but now I need help coming up with 10 post ideas that feel playful but also highlight discounts.”
“I’m building an app for a small business that sells smoothies. They use Square to manage their orders. I need help explaining to the client how the Square integration will work inside the app.”
💬 A — Ask
Be clear and direct with your request. Think of this like a task or command.
“Give me a list of 5 ideas with pros and cons.”
“Write a product description for my homepage.”
🧩 T — Tailoring
You don’t have to get the prompt perfect the first time—just open the door for a smarter back-and-forth. Let ChatGPT know it can (and should) ask you for more info before answering. This is how you go from “meh” results to mind-blowingly accurate ones.
Use this section to say:
- “Ask me for anything you’re missing.”
- “Let me know if you need more info before answering.”
- “Feel free to clarify details before you generate the final output.”
“Ask me how old I am, what my weight is, and how often I work out before building the fitness plan.”
“If you’re not sure who my audience is, ask me before writing the email.”
🧪 E — Example
This step helps you show ChatGPT what “good” looks like, so it doesn’t have to guess. If you already know the format you want (like a blog post, email, chart, or caption) or if you’ve seen something similar before, this is the moment to say so.
- Describe the format you want.
- Explain the tone you’re aiming for.
- Or drop in an actual sample or deliverable as a reference.
“Here’s a draft of what I’ve been working on—use this as a base.”
“Write it in the tone of a confident but friendly startup mentor.”
“Format it like a checklist with bold headers and emojis.”
Ready to Try It?
Before you run to ChatGPT, take a few minutes to write your prompt out in something like Google Docs, Notes, or your favorite text editor.
That way, you can think through each part of the C.R.E.A.T.E. method clearly and tweak it before testing it out.
Once your prompt is locked in, head over to ChatGPT and try it for real. You’ll be amazed how much better the results are when you plan it out first.
Tips & Tricks
Be super clear and specific.
Talk to ChatGPT like a person.
Show an example if you have one.
Test your prompt, then tweak it.
Save your best prompts for later.
Let the AI ask follow-up questions.
Use bullet points or structure when needed.
If the first answer isn’t great, ask again.
Credits:
Created by Alan Pineda – Prompt engineering enthusiast & AI strategist • Built using the C.R.E.A.T.E. framework for smarter ChatGPT results