How do I use context effectively in my prompts?
David McCarthy
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Last updated on May 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM
- Place the most critical instructions near the start; models weight early tokens more heavily.
- Use clear delimiters (e.g.,
"""or<context>) so the model can separate reference text from commands. - Remove irrelevant background information—every extra token costs points and dilutes focus.
- When including multiple documents, label each section (e.g., Section 1, Section 2) to preserve structure.
- Close with a concise, explicit request so the model knows exactly what you expect.