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Understanding AI HQ

The four-part brief

Turn a vague request into a clear brief: goal, context, constraints and output format, with a filled-in example.

Time
About 5 minutes
Version
1.1, updated 11 Nov 2026

How to use it

  1. 1Fill in the four parts for one real request.
  2. 2Copy the finished brief into any AI chat tool.
  3. 3If you aren't sure what to include, add the optional last line so the model asks you first.

Prefer a file?Designed PDF (blank, with example answers)Plain text, for copying into an AI tool

Answers stay on this device. They're saved only if you tick the box, and only in this browser. Nothing is sent to us. Don't save sensitive details on a shared computer.

Your brief

Each part removes a guess the model would otherwise make.

What do you want to end up with, and what is it for?

What does the model need to know that it can't guess? Audience, product or project, what's been tried, facts that must be included.

Length, tone, reading level, things to avoid, and anything that must be exactly right (dates, prices, names).

How should the answer be laid out? A list, a table, three options, plain text to paste.

Optional last line
Before you use the answer
Check against a source you trust

Fluent is not the same as correct. Check names, numbers, dates and quotes before an answer leaves your hands.

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