You know your prompts are vague. You can feel it. But you don’t know how to fix them. Here’s how.
What “Vague” Actually Means in AI
Vagueness isn’t about being brief. It’s about being unclear. A vague prompt is missing one or more of these:
Specificity. What exactly do you want? “Write something” is vague. “Write a 300-word email” is specific.
Boundaries. What are the limits? Length, format, tone? Without boundaries, the model has infinite options and will default to generic mediocrity.
Intent. What are you trying to achieve? “Help me with marketing” could mean anything. “Help me write three Instagram captions for a product launch” is clear.
Three Questions That Kill Vagueness
Before you type anything into an AI, answer these:
What do you want? Not “a report,” but “a 500-word report on Q4 sales trends, comparing year-on-year growth, formatted as three bullet points per quarter.”
Who is it for? Your boss? Your team? A client? The answer changes everything—tone, depth, structure.
What does “good” look like? Describe success. “Good” is subjective. “Three options, each under 100 words, using a conversational tone” is measurable.
Replace These 7 Vague Words
“Some” → Specify how many. “Some ideas” becomes “three ideas.”
“Sort of” → Be precise. “Sort of formal” becomes “professional but not corporate.”
“Make it good” → Define “good.” “Make it good” becomes “make it persuasive, under 200 words, with no jargon.”
“Quick summary” → Specify length and focus. “Quick summary” becomes “three bullet points, each under 30 words, focusing on key takeaways.”
“Help me with…” → State the task. “Help me with my presentation” becomes “write speaker notes for a 10-minute presentation on Q1 results.”
“Something about…” → Name the topic and the format. “Something about leadership” becomes “write a 400-word article on leadership for first-time managers.”
“A bit more…” → Quantify. “A bit more detail” becomes “add two examples and a 50-word explanation.”
Step-By-Step Rewrite Examples
Beginner example
Vague: “Write a to-do list.”
Fixed: “Write a to-do list for preparing a product launch, covering marketing, logistics, and team coordination, using bullet points grouped by category.”
Creative example
Vague: “Write a story.”
Fixed: “Write a 600-word short story about a teenager discovering a hidden room in their house, aimed at 12–14-year-olds, using a suspenseful tone.”
Business example
Vague: “Draft a proposal.”
Fixed: “Draft a 400-word proposal for a six-month content strategy project, aimed at a retail client, emphasising ROI and timeline, using a professional but conversational tone.”
Quick Checklist
Before you prompt, check:
- Have I specified what I want?
- Have I named the audience?
- Have I set boundaries (length, format, tone)?
- Have I replaced vague words with precise ones?
If not, fix it. It takes 30 seconds and changes everything.
PreStep Turns Vague Text Into a Clear Brief Automatically
PreStep asks the right questions to eliminate vagueness before you write a prompt. Answer a few questions, get a structured brief, feed it to any AI. No more guessing. No more vague output.