Describe context, goal and constraints

Three questions decide whether a prompt produces something usable. Answering them takes a sentence each, and skipping them is why most disappointing output is disappointing.

Context: what is the situation?

Not what your business is — that is already configured — but what is going on around this particular piece of work.

• What has the reader already read or seen?
• Where does this sit in a sequence — first contact, mid-consideration, post-purchase?
• What does the reader already know, so it need not be explained?
• What has changed that makes this content necessary now?

Reader has read the product page and is on the pricing page. They understand the product; they are deciding whether it is worth it.

That sentence prevents an output that explains the product from scratch.

Goal: what should happen next?

Every piece of content is trying to cause something. Name it.

Stating one goal is far better than stating three. Content that tries to inform, persuade, reassure and rank simultaneously does none of them.

The qualifying goal is worth noticing: telling the wrong reader that this is not for them is a legitimate outcome, and generated copy never does it unless asked.

Constraints: what are the boundaries?

Constraints are what you cannot or will not say. Generated content has no idea about any of these unless told.

Claims you cannot make. Do not claim any certification or accreditation. Do not state delivery times.

Facts you must not invent. Do not invent company history, size, founding date or client names. This one belongs in nearly every About and Services prompt.

Terminology. Refer to them as "clients", never "users".

Competitive boundaries. Do not name competitors. Do not make comparative claims.

Regulatory language. No health outcome claims. No investment advice.

Style boundaries. No urgency or scarcity language. No exclamation marks.

Structural boundaries. No FAQ section. No concluding summary.

Putting them together

Reader has already read the service page and is comparing us with two cheaper suppliers. Goal: they should understand why the price difference exists and decide it is worth it. Do not name competitors, do not claim any certification, and do not use urgency language.

Three sentences. Context, one goal, three constraints. That is a complete brief and it fits comfortably inside every prompt limit in the plugin.

Which of the three matters most

It varies by tool:

• Long-form articles — context matters most. It determines what the outline assumes the reader knows.
• Landing and sales pages — goal matters most. One page, one action.
• About, Services and company pages — constraints matter most, because this is where generated copy invents history and credentials.
• The paragraph assistant — goal matters most, expressed as the specific change you want.

Where these belong permanently

If the same constraint applies to everything you generate — a claim you can never make, a term you always use — put it in Restrictions and non-negotiable rules or Preferred vocabulary and terminology under Settings → POM AI → AI Setup rather than repeating it in every prompt.

That is the difference between a constraint someone might forget and one that is always applied. See Provide useful business context.

Constraints specific to one piece of work stay in the prompt.

A quick check before generating

• [ ] The situation is stated, not just the topic.
• [ ] Exactly one goal.
• [ ] Every claim I cannot support is excluded.
• [ ] Nothing here duplicates the business description.
• [ ] Nothing here fights a form control.