Prompt guide - Aura Help Center

Prompt card assembled from role, goal, context and format blocks

A prompt is a brief for a very capable assistant who knows nothing about you, your situation or what “good” looks like to you. The answer can only be as good as the brief. This guide shows exactly how to write great ones.

The core formula

Part	Question	Example
Goal	What do you want?	”Write a cold email”
Context	What does it need to know?	”We sell bookkeeping to dental clinics; the prospect just opened a second location”
Audience	Who is it for?	”Practice owner, busy, skeptical of software”
Constraints	What are the rules?	”Under 120 words, no jargon, one clear ask”
Format	What should the output look like?	”Subject line + body, then 2 alternative subject lines”

Weak: “Write an email to a dentist.” Strong: “Write a cold email to a dental practice owner who just opened a second location. We sell bookkeeping for multi-location clinics. They’re busy and skeptical of software. Under 120 words, plain language, one ask: a 15-minute call. Give a subject line, the body, and two alternative subject lines.”

Cloudy shape focused through a lens into a sharp crystal

12 techniques that work

Be specific about the outcome

Replace “make it better” with what better means: “shorter”, “more persuasive to a CFO”, “fix the logic in step 3”.

Give context up front

Your goal, background, what you tried and why it didn’t work. Every missing fact gets filled with a guess.

Show an example

One or two examples of the style or format you want beat paragraphs of description: “Match the tone of this: …”

Define the format and length

Table, bullets, JSON, a numbered plan, a 3-sentence summary — and “max 5 bullets” or “about 300 words”.

Assign a role when expertise matters

“Act as a tax accountant reviewing this for a US freelancer” focuses vocabulary and priorities.

Break big tasks into steps

Ask for an outline, approve it, then the full draft. Long, multi-part jobs go better as a sequence.

Ask it to reason on hard problems

“Work through this step by step, then give the final answer” — or use Thinking / Frontier High.

Say what to avoid

“No clichés like ‘in today’s fast-paced world’”, “don’t suggest hiring anyone”.

Separate instructions from material

Wrap pasted documents in clear markers like """ or <document>…</document> and keep your instruction outside them.

Ask for sources and uncertainty

“Cite sources with links” and “say if you’re not sure”. Aura searches live when facts matter; asking makes it explicit.

Iterate, don't restart

Follow up in the same chat: “Make paragraph 2 punchier”, “now as a LinkedIn post”. The context is already there (and cached).

Let Aura improve your prompt

“Here’s my prompt. Ask me any questions you need, then rewrite it to be clearer.” Great for important or recurring tasks.

Templates you can copy

Research and decisions

I need to decide between [option A] and [option B] for [goal].
My situation: [budget, timeline, constraints].
Compare them on [criteria 1, 2, 3] in a table, using current sources with links.
Then give a recommendation, the main risk, and what would change your mind.

Writing

Write a [type of piece] for [audience] about [topic].
Goal: [what the reader should think or do after].
Tone: [warm, direct, expert]. Length: [words].
Must include: [points]. Avoid: [things].
Give 2 versions with different angles.

Summarizing a document

Summarize the attached document for [who].
Give: a 3-sentence summary, the 5 most important points,
any numbers and deadlines, and open questions or risks.
Quote the exact sentence for anything surprising.

Data and spreadsheets

Here is my data [attach or paste]. Columns mean: [explain].
Find [trends / anomalies / top performers].
Show the method, a summary table, and one chart idea.
Flag any data quality issues first.

Coding

Language/framework: [x]. Goal: [what the code should do].
Current code: [paste]. Error or behavior: [exact message].
Expected: [what should happen]. Constraints: [no new libraries, etc.].
Explain the cause, then give the full fixed code.

Work Mode (connected apps)

In [app], find [items] from [time range] where [condition].
Then [action] in [other app], named [format], in folder [path].
Show me what you'll do before sending anything external.

AI Builder

Build a [type of app] for [users] that lets them [core job].
Pages: [list]. Data to store: [list].
Style: [mood, colors, references]. Must work great on phones.
Start with [the most important screen] and keep it simple.

AI Studio images

[Subject], [action or pose], [setting], [lighting], [camera or art style],
[color palette], [mood]. Aspect ratio [x:y]. No text in the image.

Agents

Every [schedule], check [source] for [condition].
If found, [action] and message me a short summary with links.
Never [forbidden action]. Ask me before spending money or deleting anything.

Pick the right mode

You want	Use
Fast everyday answers, no message limit	Unlimited
A high-stakes answer checked by four models	Orchestration
One specific model at a chosen depth	Frontier
Actions in your apps (email, docs, CRM)	Work Mode
Something that runs on its own	Aura Agents

Common mistakes

Too vague: “Help with marketing.” → Say the product, audience, channel and goal.
Hidden assumptions: Mentioning “the report” without attaching it.
Everything at once: Ten tasks in one message. Split them.
Restarting every time: New chats lose context. Iterate instead.
No length: You’ll get a default that’s probably wrong for you.

Prompting by voice

Speak naturally and add the format at the end: “…keep it to two sentences.” Pause briefly when done — Aura detects when you’ve finished your thought.

Save prompts you reuse. A prompt you’ve refined five times is worth more than a new one every day.

​The core formula

​12 techniques that work

​Templates you can copy

​Pick the right mode

​Common mistakes

​Prompting by voice

The core formula

12 techniques that work

Templates you can copy

Pick the right mode

Common mistakes

Prompting by voice