11/ Use delimiters to separate instructions from content. When pasting text into Windsurf or Cursor, wrap it like: Your text goes here… Then add: "Summarize the content above in 3 paragraphs." This prevents confusion about what's what. BONUS: When using
@godofprompt
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Provide examples for complex outputs across apps
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10/ For complex outputs across apps, provide examples. GPT-4.1 follows examples precisely. Show exactly what you want:
"Answer in this format:
SUMMARY: One sentence
ANALYSIS: Three paragraphs
RECOMMENDATION: Bullet points" -
Provide clear format for creative tasks with GPT-4.1
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8/ For creative tasks, give it a clear FORMAT. GPT-4.1 excels at following structural guides: "Write a story with:
Setting: [x]
Characters: [x]
Plot points: [x]
Theme: [x]
Length: [x]" Using this approach in tools like Windsurf / Cursor gives better creative output. -
Use XML tags or Markdown for structuring long documents
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5/ For long documents, use XML tags or Markdown. When using Windsurf to analyze PDFs or Cursor to review code: Bad: Just pasting plain text Better: Using structure like:
## Section 1
[CONTENT HERE]
## Section 2 -
Use chain of thought for research and analysis tasks
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7/ Use "chain of thought" for research or analysis tasks. Ask GPT-4.1 to:
– Break down what you're asking
– Consider key factors
– Analyze options
– Reach a conclusion This structure produces dramatically better results than just asking for an answer. -
Precision over volume: clear instructions for GPT-4.1
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6/ When it's not doing what you want, don't repeat yourself louder – be more precise. GPT-4.1 doesn't need ALL-CAPS or "please please please." It needs clear, unambiguous instructions.
"Write in short paragraphs of 2-3 sentences each" works better than "MAKE IT SIMPLE!!" -
Place important instructions at the beginning and end of the prompt
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3/ Put important instructions TWICE – at the beginning AND end of your prompt. GPT-4.1 has a 1M token context (4x larger than before), but this means your key instructions can get lost. Bookend them! "I need a formal tone… [rest of request]… Remember, keep it formal."
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Prompt “think step by step” improves GPT-4.1 accuracy
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4/ Ask it to "think step by step" before answering complex questions. GPT-4.1 needs explicit permission to show its reasoning. Adding this phrase improves accuracy by ~4%. Example prompt:
"First, think carefully step by step about what documents are needed to answer the query. -
Structure of system prompts: persistence, tools, planning
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2/ Structure system prompts with these 3 main elements – Persistence: Tell the model it's in a multi-turn conversation. It shouldn’t stop until the user's question is fully answered. – Tool Use: Encourage the model to use tools instead of guessing. – Planning: Let the model
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Be direct and specific with GPT-4.1 for better responses
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1/ Be direct and specific GPT-4.1 follows instructions literally now.
Instead of: "Write something about climate change" Try: "Write a 300-word email explaining 3 climate actions my small business can take" The difference is night and day.