🎨 Master the Art of GPT-5 Prompting
Planning, Constraints, and Reflection for Better Results
Want to get amazing results from GPT-5? It's all about how you ask! Like giving directions to a friend, the clearer and more structured your prompts, the better the AI can help you. Let's explore five powerful techniques that unlock GPT-5's full potential.
The P.C.A.T.R. Framework
Plan
Constrain
Artifacts
Tools
Reflect
1️⃣ Start with a Brief Plan
Why Planning Helps
- ✓Reveals AI's understanding
- ✓Allows course correction early
- ✓Breaks complex tasks down
- ✓Improves final quality
Example Prompt
“Plan first for this task, then execute step-by-step. Keep steps short.”
Pro Tip: Ask for 3-5 steps maximum to keep things focused
2️⃣ State Constraints and Success Criteria
Think of constraints as guardrails that keep the AI on track. They help make smart trade-offs and define what “done” looks like.
Length Limits
“Max 200 lines”
“Under 500 words”
Style Rules
“Professional tone”
“TypeScript only”
Performance
“Must run in 1s”
“Mobile-friendly”
Real Example: “Explain reasoning only when non-trivial” • “Prefer safe alternatives over refusals”
3️⃣ Provide Artifacts for Focus
Artifacts are like giving the AI concrete examples to work with - they provide context and clarity.
💻 For Coding
- →Error messages
- →Failing test outputs
- →Stack traces
- →Example code snippets
📝 For Writing
- →Document outlines
- →Style guides
- →Example paragraphs
- →Target audience info
4️⃣ Coordinate Tools
Tell GPT-5 which tools to use - it's like giving a carpenter specific instructions about which tools to use for each part of the job.
Key Insight: GPT-5 automatically chooses between fast and deep thinking modes based on your tool requirements
5️⃣ Reflect, Then Refine
Initial Solution
Self-Review
Refined Result
Questions to Ask:
- ?What parts might be brittle or break easily?
- ?What's ambiguous or unclear?
- ?What are the top risks?
- ?What improvements would have the most impact?
📋 Complete Example Prompt
# Role
You are a senior engineer.
# Task
Refactor this React component.
# Process
Plan first in 4 steps, then implement.
# Constraints
• TypeScript
• No runtime deps added
• Pass ESLint
• Keep API stable
# Artifacts
Failing test output below: [test data]
# Reflection
List top 3 risks and address them.
🎯 Key Takeaways
Speed + Quality
Plan → Execute → Reflect accelerates complex work without overthinking simple tasks
Precision Matters
Constraints and artifacts sharpen the model's reasoning and outputs
Reliability First
Tool coordination and safe alternatives improve reliability and usability
🚀 Ready to Level Up Your Prompting?
Start applying these techniques today and watch your GPT-5 results transform from good to amazing!