Writing Your First Prompt in Gemini


Now that you have accessed Gemini AI and understood the interface, it’s time to write your first prompt.

A prompt is simply the instruction or question you give to Gemini.

The quality of your prompt directly affects the quality of the response.

1. What is a Prompt?

A prompt is:

  • A question
  • A command
  • A task instruction
  • A request for explanation

Example:

Explain what Artificial Intelligence is.

This is a simple prompt.

2. Writing a Basic Prompt

Start with simple and clear questions.

Examples:

  • What is machine learning?
  • Explain cloud computing in simple words.
  • Write a short paragraph about digital marketing.
  • Create a PHP function to validate email.

Clear prompts produce clear answers.

3. Improving Your Prompt

Instead of writing:

Explain AI.

Write:

Explain Artificial Intelligence in simple language for beginners using bullet points.

Adding details improves output quality.

4. Adding Role-Based Instructions

You can ask Gemini to respond as a specific role.

Example:

Act as a senior web developer and explain MVC architecture in simple terms.

This gives more professional responses.

5. Controlling Tone and Format

You can control:

  • Tone (formal, friendly, professional)
  • Length (short, detailed)
  • Format (bullet points, paragraph, table)

Example:

Write a 200-word professional introduction about Google Cloud using bullet points.

Specific instructions improve structure.

6. Multi-Step Prompts

You can ask Gemini to perform multiple steps.

Example:

Explain what SEO is, then give 5 practical tips, and finally provide a short summary.

Gemini can handle structured tasks.

7. Asking Follow-Up Questions

If response is unclear, ask:

  • Can you explain this in simpler language?
  • Provide an example.
  • Give a real-world use case.
  • Convert this into table format.

Conversations can continue naturally.

8. Common Beginner Mistakes

Avoid:

  • Very short unclear prompts
  • Confusing instructions
  • Multiple unrelated questions in one line
  • Expecting real-time verified data without confirmation

Clarity is important.

9. Example of Weak vs Strong Prompt

Weak Prompt:
Tell me about coding.

Strong Prompt:
Explain the basics of PHP programming for beginners with examples and common mistakes to avoid.

Strong prompts give better results.

10. Practice Exercise

Try these beginner prompts:

  1. Explain how the internet works in simple language.
  2. Write a short motivational paragraph for students.
  3. Generate a simple HTML contact form.
  4. List 5 benefits of cloud computing.

Practice improves prompt writing skills.

Important Tip

Think of Gemini as:

  • An assistant that follows instructions
  • A system that needs clarity
  • A tool that improves with better prompts

Better prompts = better results.

Summary

Writing your first prompt in Gemini is simple, but writing a clear and structured prompt improves output quality. You can control tone, format, length, and role to get better results.

In the next tutorial, we will learn Understanding Gemini Responses, so you can interpret answers correctly.