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AI Prompting Guide

Stop Guessing. Start Prompting.

Every AI has different strengths — like asking a doctor vs a lawyer vs a mechanic. The same question gets wildly different answers depending on who you ask. This guide helps you pick the right AI and ask it the right way.

Which AI Should I Use?

What You NeedBest PickRunner-UpWhy
Write or fix codeClaudeChatGPTHandles big projects and follows detailed instructions best
What's happening right now on social mediaGrokGeminiHas live access to X/Twitter posts and trending topics
Research a topic with sourcesGeminiGrokSearches Google and gives you links to back up its answers
Check math or spot logical errorsDeepSeekClaudeBuilt for number-crunching — fast and cheap
Write an email, blog post, or storyClaudeChatGPTWrites naturally, avoids sounding robotic
Quick everyday questionsChatGPTGeminiFast answers for things like recipes, definitions, how-tos
Important decisions (buying a house, investments)Claude + Grok togetherGeminiUsing multiple AIs catches mistakes a single one might miss
Summarize a long document or bookGemini / ClaudeChatGPTCan read extremely long texts in one shot
Work with files on your computerClaude CodeGemini CLICan read, edit, and organize files directly from your terminal

What Each AI Does Best

Claude

STRENGTHS

  • + Reads up to 500 pages at once
  • + Great at following detailed instructions
  • + Thinks through hard problems step by step
  • + Best at writing and editing code
  • + Most careful and accurate

WATCH OUT

  • - Can't search the internet in chat
  • - Sometimes plays it too safe

Gemini

STRENGTHS

  • + Reads the longest documents (1M+ words)
  • + Searches Google to back up answers
  • + Understands images, video, and audio
  • + Generous free plan
  • + Very fast responses

WATCH OUT

  • - Sometimes trips up on tricky logic
  • - Answers can be overly long

Grok

STRENGTHS

  • + Searches X/Twitter in real time
  • + Built-in web search
  • + Gives direct, no-nonsense answers
  • + Best for breaking news and trends
  • + DeepSearch digs extra deep

WATCH OUT

  • - Knows less about older/niche topics
  • - Code answers less reliable

ChatGPT

STRENGTHS

  • + Biggest app store (plugins, custom GPTs)
  • + Knows a lot about everything
  • + Great conversationalist
  • + Can generate images (DALL-E)
  • + Works with other apps and tools

WATCH OUT

  • - Knowledge can be outdated
  • - Sometimes makes things up confidently

DeepSeek

STRENGTHS

  • + Excellent at math and logic puzzles
  • + Open-source (you can run it yourself)
  • + Very cheap to use
  • + Shows its reasoning step by step
  • + Great for double-checking other AIs

WATCH OUT

  • - Can't search the web
  • - Rougher user experience

CLI Tools

STRENGTHS

  • + Works directly with files on your computer
  • + Connects to version control (Git)
  • + Edits multiple files at once
  • + Can automate repetitive tasks
  • + No copy-pasting back and forth

WATCH OUT

  • - Takes some learning to get started
  • - Terminal/command line only

The Power Move: Ask Multiple AIs

For big decisions, don't just ask one AI. Ask several, compare their answers, and look for where they agree. It's like getting a second and third opinion from different doctors — you'll catch things any single one might miss.

Step 1: Ask Everyone

Send the same question to Grok (for social media buzz), Gemini (for Google-backed research), and Claude (for careful analysis). Collect all their answers.

Step 2: Compare Notes

Combine the answers into one summary. Send it back to all the AIs and ask: "Do you agree with this? What's wrong or missing?" Keep going until they mostly agree.

Step 3: Final Answer

Write up the final answer with what everyone agreed on and where they disagreed. This gives you a much more reliable result than trusting any one AI alone.

6 Rules That Work on Every AI

1

Be Specific

"What are 5 easy dinner recipes under 30 minutes using chicken?" beats "give me recipes"

2

Tell It Who You Are

"I'm a beginner learning to cook" gets different (and better) answers than asking with no context

3

Say How You Want the Answer

"Give me a numbered list" or "Explain like I'm 10" — tell the AI what format works for you

4

Show an Example

If you want a specific style, paste an example first. "Write a product description like this one: [example]" works great

5

Keep the Conversation Going

Don't start over — say "make it shorter" or "now add more detail about #3" in the same chat

6

Break Big Tasks Into Pieces

Instead of "plan my entire vacation," ask about flights first, then hotels, then activities separately