Context · Role · Action · Format · Template
Most people treat AI like a search box, get a generic answer, and decide the tool doesn't work. The tool works fine — the prompt was thin. CRAFT is the five-part checklist that fixes it, every time.
A prompt is an instruction. The quality of any instruction comes down to how clearly you communicate what you want. CRAFT is a simple checklist for doing that every time, so you stop relying on luck and start getting output you can actually use.
Five parts. Easy to remember. Built to be handed to your team.
You don't need all five in every prompt — but the more you include, the better the output.
The AI isn't in the room with you. It only knows what you put in front of it. Context is the situation, the audience, the constraints, and what you've already tried. It's the difference between a generic answer and one built for your exact problem.
"I run a property services platform. My audience is multifamily property managers who are skeptical of new tech and short on time. We launch at a trade show in two weeks."
Common mistake: Assuming the AI already knows your business. It doesn't. Skipping context is the number one reason people get bland, off-target output.
Give the AI a lens to think through. Telling it to act as a specific kind of expert changes the entire output. Same question, sharper answer, because now it's reasoning like a specialist instead of a generalist.
"Act as a B2B copywriter who specializes in SaaS launches for skeptical, time-strapped buyers."
Common mistake: Picking a vague role like 'act as a marketer,' or skipping the role entirely. Be specific about the expertise you want in the chair.
This is the engine. One clear task, one strong verb. What do you actually want it to produce? Everything else in the prompt exists to support this. If the action is fuzzy, the output is fuzzy.
"Write three subject lines and a 120-word email inviting them to visit our booth."
Common mistake: Stacking five tasks into one prompt, or using soft verbs like 'help me with.' Tell it the exact thing to make.
A great answer in the wrong shape still leaves you with work to do. Format is length, layout, tone, and medium. Lock it down and the output lands ready to use.
"Format as a bulleted list. Conversational tone. Under 150 words. No corporate jargon."
Common mistake: Leaving format open. You'll get a wall of text when you wanted three tight bullets.
This is what turns a one-off prompt into a system. Hand the AI a structure, a past example, or your brand voice, and it matches your standard every time. Save it once, reuse it forever, hand it to your team.
"Follow this structure: Hook, Problem, Proof, Call to action. Match the tone of this past post that performed well: [paste your example]."
Common mistake: Rebuilding the prompt from scratch every time instead of saving a template you can reuse and delegate.
Paste what you were about to type into ChatGPT. The rewriter rebuilds it across all five parts, shows you what was missing, then keeps refining as you add detail. Copy it and go.
Type the prompt you'd normally throw at AI — however rough it is. The rewriter fills in the five CRAFT parts, tells you what was missing, and asks one question to sharpen it.
Watch how a thin ask becomes a prompt that lands. Copy these, swap in your details, and you're working.
"Write me a LinkedIn post about AI."
"Follow up with a lead who hasn't replied."
"Turn my notes into a process."
Run any important prompt through this before you send it. If you can answer four of the five, you're in good shape.
Save your best CRAFT prompts in a doc. That doc becomes a playbook your whole team can run — even the people who "aren't good with AI." That's how you distribute the skill, not just the tool.
CRAFT is the on-ramp. Next, find out where AI can actually save you time and money — start with the free Friction Filter.