---
title: Prompt writing guide
---

# Prompt writing guide

PlanExe creates better plans when the input prompt is detailed and specific. Aim for 300–800 words.

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## What a good prompt includes

- **Goal and scope**: what you want, and what you explicitly do not want.
- **Audience**: who the plan is for (customers, users, stakeholders).
- **Constraints**: budget, timeline, geography.
- **Location(s)**: country/region/city. If you have it, include the exact street address. Regulations and feasibility change by location.
- **Success criteria**: what success looks like, and how it is measured.
- **Resources**: team size, skills, existing assets, tools.

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## Good vs. weak prompts

**Weak**
> Construct a bridge.

**Better**
> Construct a bridge between Spain and Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar. Target a feasibility‑to‑groundbreak timeline of 5 years with a total budget range of 8–12B EUR. The plan should cover geotechnical surveys, environmental impact assessments, maritime traffic coordination, and cross‑border permitting. Include options for rail + road, and describe staging for phase 1 (single rail) and phase 2 (road expansion). Exclude toll‑system design and focus on structural, logistics, and governance planning.

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## Recommended structure

```text
Goal:

Context / background:

Target users / customers:

Scope (in/out):

Constraints (budget, timeline, geography):

Location(s):

Success criteria:

Team / resources available:

```

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## Budget and money

Budget can be natural language. Examples:

- A range: “$200k–$400k total.”
- Phased: “$10M for phase 1, $5M for phase 2.”
- With constraints: “Capex only, exclude staffing.”
- Use standard currencies (EUR, DKK, RUB, BRL, etc.). Crypto budgets (BTC, ETH) are not supported.

### Budget mistakes to avoid

- Setting the budget to 0/none/N/A when the goal is serious and requires resources.
- Using a currency code as the budget value (e.g., budget = DKK) instead of a real budget.

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## Common mistakes to avoid

- Being too vague (one sentence).
- Missing constraints (budget, time, scope).
- Leaving out the location(s), which makes regulations and feasibility assumptions unreliable.
- Conflicting requirements (e.g., “launch in 2 weeks” + “enterprise compliance”).
