Student Guide
Module 02
Prompt Anatomy
The five-part prompt structure: Role, Context, Task, Constraints, Format. Sixty seconds longer to write. Six fewer rounds of revision. The single biggest skill jump in the program.
Charter Oak Strategic Partners · Claude Mastery Program
- The five components of a structured prompt: Role, Context, Task, Constraints, Format
- Why each component exists and what happens when it is missing
- How to transform vague requests into precise, effective prompts
- How to build a reusable prompt for a real task you do every week
The Five Components
Every effective prompt includes five parts. You can write them in sixty seconds. The discipline of including all five transforms every interaction with Claude.
| Component | What It Does | Without It |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Tells Claude what expertise to bring | Generic assistant voice, no perspective |
| Context | Provides the facts Claude needs to be specific | Output applies to any company, not yours |
| Task | Defines the exact action to take | Claude guesses what you want |
| Constraints | Sets boundaries: length, audience, exclusions | Over-produces or includes irrelevant material |
| Format | Specifies the output shape (table, email, bullets) | Claude picks a format you did not want |
Component Details
“You are a senior financial analyst” produces different language, assumptions, and depth than “You are a marketing intern.” The role anchors both expertise and tone. A legal compliance officer writes differently than a brand copywriter.
The facts Claude needs: company size, industry, situation, relevant history, data points. Claude cannot look things up. It works only with what you provide. The most common mistake is assuming Claude knows things about your organization.
“Analyze” is vague. “Identify the three largest cost drivers in this dataset and rank them by percentage of total spend” is specific. Specificity here directly determines output quality.
Boundaries. “Keep it under 500 words.” “Do not recommend any solution over $50,000.” “Assume the reader has no technical background.” Constraints prevent Claude from over-producing or missing the mark.
Bullet points, narrative paragraphs, a table, an email, a slide outline. If you do not specify format, Claude will pick one. It will not pick the one you wanted.
The Vague Email Problem
This email arrives in your inbox every day:
“Hey, can you help me put something together about our new product for the leadership meeting next week?”
Pasting this into Claude produces a generic outline. No specifics. No useful detail.
Role: You are a product marketing manager preparing materials for a C-suite audience.
Context: We are launching a B2B inventory management SaaS product next quarter. Our target market is mid-size manufacturers (200–500 employees). We have three beta customers with documented results.
Task: Create a 3-slide executive summary covering: market opportunity, product differentiation, and beta customer results.
Constraints: Maximum 150 words per slide. No technical jargon. Focus on business outcomes, not features.
Format: Slide outline with headline, 3 bullet points, and speaker notes for each slide.
One extra minute of writing. Output ready for a leadership meeting.
Group Exercise: Transform the Email
Instructions: Your group receives one vague email. Rewrite it as a five-part prompt using the worksheet. All five components must be present.
Phase 1 (12 minutes): Rewrite the email using the five components.
Phase 2 (8 minutes): Test your prompt in Claude. See what you get.
Phase 3 (10 minutes): Each group presents: the original email, your rewrite, and Claude’s output. The room votes on the most usable result.
Specificity wins. The more precise your prompt, the better your result.
Individual Practice: Your Real-Work Prompt
Instructions: Think of a task you do at work. Something recurring. Something that takes you at least 30 minutes. Fill out the worksheet for that task. All five components. Then test it in Claude.
This prompt becomes the first entry in your Prompt Library (Module 04). Pick something worth keeping.
Reflection
Questions to Consider
- Which of the five components made the biggest difference in your output?
- Which component do you most often forget to include?
- How many of your daily tasks could benefit from a structured prompt template?
What’s Next
You can now write a strong first prompt. Module 03: The Conversation as Interface teaches you the other half: how to refine output across multiple turns. Four refinement types. Each one changes a single lever. The result: five minutes of conversation produces better output than twenty minutes of writing the perfect prompt.
The Five Components
Role · Context · Task · Constraints · Format
Most Forgotten
Constraints and Role. People include the Task naturally. Boundaries and perspective require deliberate thought.
The Rule
Sixty seconds of extra structure. Hours of “no, that is not what I meant” eliminated.
Prompt Template
Role: [Who Claude should be]
Context: [Facts it needs]
Task: [Specific action]
Constraints: [Boundaries]
Format: [Output shape]