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Stop generic AI answers

To stop a generic AI answer, put your facts, your reader, and one real example in the message. Then tell the chat to use those and nothing else.

Next step: copy the first prompt that matches your task. Fill in the brackets. Send only that.

A prompt is the message you paste. An approval gate is a stop you control. A checkpoint is a pause after one phase. School pages teach. They do not do the homework. Follow your teacher's rules.

How to do it

  1. 1 Notice the generic reply. If you could send it with the names swapped and nobody would notice, it is generic.
  2. 2 Add the facts only you know. Who it is for, what you want, and the limits. Context means those facts. The chat cannot see them unless you paste them.
  3. 3 Show one example. An example is a real sample of the tone or shape you want. A sentence you wrote last week is enough.
  4. 4 Ask it to point at your facts. Tell it to mark which line of the reply uses which fact. If a line uses none, cut it.

Work

An email that sounds like you

The first draft said 'I hope this email finds you well.' You never write that.

Rewrite the draft so it is not generic.

Reader: [name and role]. Goal: [the one thing you need].
Facts you must use: [fact 1]. [fact 2].
Example of my voice, from a note I really sent: "[paste one or two sentences]".

Use my facts and my voice. Do not add warmth I did not ask for. After the draft, list each sentence and the fact it uses. If a sentence uses no fact, delete it before you show me the draft.

School

Feedback on your idea, not a stock essay

You have a claim. You want holes in it. You do not want a model essay.

This is for learning. Do not write anything I will turn in. Follow my teacher's rules.

My claim: [your sentence].
The reading I must use: [title or the lines you pasted].
A generic answer would be advice that ignores those lines.

Do not write my paragraph. Ask 4 questions a teacher might ask. Each question must point at a line I gave you. If you cannot point at a line, do not ask that question.

Life

A meal plan from your fridge

A generic plan suggests food you do not have. Your list is the only kitchen.

Make 4 dinners from the food I list. Do not add ingredients.

I have: [list].
I will not eat: [limits].
Example of a dinner I already like: [one real meal].

If a dinner needs something that is not on my list, drop that dinner. Under each dinner, list only foods from my list.

Common mistakes

  • Asking 'write a professional email' with no reader and no facts.
  • Keeping a reply because it sounds polished.
  • Giving an example from the internet instead of something you actually said or did.
  • Letting it add 'extra ideas' that are really filler.

More in this section: Ask for a plan before the work · Stop the yes-man reply

Practice on a real task: Reply to work emails · Plan meals from your fridge

Last updated · All director guides

Where this comes from

  • Anthropic, “Trustworthy agents in practice” (April 9, 2026). Anthropic says an agent plans, acts, looks at the result, and repeats until the job is done or it needs a person. In Claude Code, Plan Mode shows the plan first. You can edit it and approve it before any work starts, and you can still step in later.
  • Anthropic, “Building effective agents” (December 19, 2024). Anthropic says an agent can pause for a person at a checkpoint. One pattern they describe is to write an outline, check that the outline is good, and only then write the piece.
  • OpenAI Help, “ChatGPT Work and Codex”. OpenAI describes Work as an agent for longer, multi-step jobs. The help page says you can review progress, change direction, and approve important actions. If your account does not show Work, use the same stops in a normal chat.

Common questions

What makes an answer generic?

You could give it to someone else and it would still fit. It does not use your names, numbers, limits, or voice.

Is a longer answer more specific?

No. Length can be more filler. Specific means your facts show up in the lines.

What is an example in this sense?

A real sample of what good looks like. One email you sent, one meal you cooked, or one sentence in your own words.

Can I use this on homework?

Use it to make practice questions that point at the reading. Do not use it to get a finished essay.