AI Help: Get Unstuck

A prompt is the message or instruction you give the AI. In these lessons, it is the text in the practice box.

A chatbot is software you can have a written or spoken conversation with. A chat is one conversation. Start with the words you would use to explain the task to another person.

The lesson’s example answer shows what to check. Your tool may use different wording.

If you have never used an AI chat, follow the first-tool setup steps. The steps explain a free starting option, where to type and what to do if sign-in is requested.

If you already use a suitable service, start there. Check that your account has the features needed for the small task you want to try.

If you want an alternative, use our assistant comparison guide. Give each option the same fictional task and compare the checking effort as well as the wording.

Before subscribing, test the tool on work you can evaluate. You can also read our examples and reveal the answer checks without using an external AI service.

Use the copy button where shown: choose Copy full exercise for a complete fictional task, or Copy template for reusable instructions with blanks. Read the status message below the button. Replace every bracketed placeholder before sending a template. If you see Select exercise text, choose it to open a text box with the prompt selected. This selects the text but does not copy it. If automatic copying is blocked, the same box opens for you. Use your device’s Copy command. Where that button is absent, select the prompt text directly. On a computer: copy with Ctrl+C on Windows or Command+C on a Mac; click the AI message box and paste with Ctrl+V or Command+V. Check that the full prompt and any source notes arrived before sending.

On a phone or tablet: touch and hold the prompt text, adjust the selection handles, and choose Copy. Touch and hold inside the AI message box and choose Paste. The labels can vary by device.

When you have copied the text: choose Close text box or press Escape. Focus returns to Select exercise text; the original exercise remains on the page. The text box is read-only, so make changes in your pasted copy. To keep the exercise for later, use Save exercise (.txt); see where to find the downloaded file. If selecting text is awkward, type a shorter version using the same facts. The goal is a clear instruction, not an exact typing test.

Open the AI service you intend to use and look for its chat message box. Avoid putting your prompt into the browser address bar, a search box on this website, or a public comment form.

Type one harmless sentence first, such as “Help me write a short thank-you note using made-up details.” Read the tool’s own help if the screen differs from your expectations.

If you have never tried an AI chat, begin with our first-task guide.

Features, account requirements, and limits depend on the service and plan. Check that provider’s current information before deciding whether to create an account or subscribe.

You can still read our fictional example, attempt the task yourself, and open the answer check. A paid subscription is not required to read these lessons.

If you reach a usage limit, pause and return when the service allows it, or continue with the on-page exercise. Do not pay simply because a practice session was interrupted.

Try: “Use five short bullet points and plain language. Explain unfamiliar terms. Keep all dates, numbers, exceptions, and unanswered questions.”

Then compare the shorter answer with the original facts. Shorter is useful only if it preserves what matters.

Try: “Use only the facts I supplied. Remove invented names, dates, reasons, promises, prices, and attachments. Mark missing information ‘not provided.’”

Check the revision yourself. If the facts keep changing, correct the draft directly or use the answer-checking lesson.

Different wording is usually fine. Compare the requested result, supplied facts, important limits, and unknowns rather than expecting an exact match.

If the example preserves a condition your answer removed, ask for that condition to be restored. If both versions meet the task, choose the one you find easier to use.

Write down the one thing still wrong. Give one specific correction instead of asking the tool to redo everything.

If the conversation has accumulated conflicting instructions, start a fresh chat with the original facts and the single corrected requirement. Stop when you have a usable result you can explain.

Start with the fictional example in the lesson. For your own material, check that you are allowed to share it and that the page or image is legible.

If you use a short extract, include the relevant heading and exceptions, and tell the tool it has only part of the document. Do not accept a claim that the entire file was reviewed when it was not.

Use the document summary lesson to practice checking the output against its source.

Describe the task with invented details first. Ask why the extra information would change the result, then decide whether sharing it is appropriate.

Leave passwords, verification codes, account numbers, and unnecessary private records out of practice prompts. Our privacy exercise shows how to reduce a request to the details it needs.

Our introductory lessons can be completed as drafting and checking exercises. You do not need to connect your inbox or allow purchases to practice.

State the limit clearly: “Draft only. Do not send, book, purchase, or contact anyone.” If you later choose a connected service, understand its permissions and review the exact action before committing.