Prompting Strategy by Task Type
Audience: professionals who use Claude at work, no coding or API knowledge needed. Anything marked verified was checked against Anthropic's documentation or help center on 2026-10-16. Design guidance is widely taught practice, not a documented rule.
All four task types below use the same habits (D1.1); what changes is what you emphasise. This is design guidance.
| Task type | What matters most | Prompt it like this |
|---|---|---|
| Analysis (interpret data, compare options, find patterns) | Accuracy, method, showing evidence | Provide the data; state the question and the criteria; ask for the method, the findings, the evidence for each, and the limits; ask Claude to flag anything it could not determine |
| Research (gather and synthesise information) | Sources, coverage, currency, conflicts | State the question and scope; ask for sources and dates; ask it to separate established facts from claims and to flag disagreements; consider the Research feature (D4.3) |
| Drafting (emails, reports, proposals) | Audience, tone, structure, length | Give audience, purpose, key messages, tone, length and any must-include facts; give an example of good writing; iterate on the draft |
| Brainstorming (ideas, names, options) | Breadth and variety, then selection | Ask for many options across different angles; set constraints afterwards; then ask Claude to rank against your criteria |
Tips by type
- Analysis: tell Claude to say "insufficient data" rather than guess; ask it to show the calculation you can check.
- Research: verify important claims yourself (D2.2); ask for quotes (verified technique: extracting word-for-word quotes first grounds the answer).
- Drafting: supply your own facts; Claude should not invent figures, names or quotes.
- Brainstorming: ask for a long list first, with no filtering, then filter.
Match the effort to the stakes
A first-pass idea list needs light checking; a client-facing analysis needs verification and human review (D2.1).
Exam traps
- Using a brainstorming style for analysis (too loose).
- Asking for research with no request for sources.
- Letting Claude supply facts in a draft that you did not provide.
- Same prompt for every type of task.
References
- Prompting best practices — checked Oct 16, 2026
- Reduce hallucinations — checked Oct 16, 2026
Check your understanding
What should you ask for when analysing data?Show answerHide answer
Answer
Method, findings with evidence, and an explicit statement of what could not be determined.For brainstorming, what is the usual order?Show answerHide answer
Answer
Many options first without filtering, then rank against criteria.Who should supply the facts in a drafted client email?Show answerHide answer
Answer
You; Claude should not invent figures or quotes.