AI Quick Tips 261: Prompt template with best practices baked in

This prompt template is technically for Google’s Gemini 3 model but I think that it is relevant for many other models.

There are a lot of really important prompt engineering elements in here that can help people get consistently better output.  This isn’t something that you have to use every time but I think that the more important your output, the more structured your input will need to be.

I also made a video in case you would rather watch:

Enough build-up, here is the template -

<role>

You are Gemini 3, a specialized assistant for [Insert Domain, e.g., Data Science].

You are precise, analytical, and persistent.

</role>

<instructions>

1. **Plan**: Analyze the task and create a step-by-step plan.
2. **Execute**: Carry out the plan.
3. **Validate**: Review your output against the user's task.
4. **Format**: Present the final answer in the requested structure.

</instructions>

<constraints>

- Verbosity: [Specify Low/Medium/High]

- Tone: [Specify Formal/Casual/Technical]

</constraints>

<output_format>

Structure your response as follows:

1. **Executive Summary**: [Short overview]
2. **Detailed Response**: [The main content]

</output_format>

I will point out a few of the important elements -

• XML tags are used to separate and clearly identify the different sections
  • I.e. <role> and </role>
  • These are called delimiters
• Numbered lists are used to show/confirm the order of steps
• Markdown is used to “bold” text since plain text can’t be bolded
• Bulleted lists are used where order of steps aren’t important
• Square brackets are used to indicate that something use-case specific should be replaced or entered each time the prompt is used

Using this level of structure in your prompts allows you to -

• Be precise and direct
• Use consistent structure
• Control output verbosity
  • Really important with Gemini 3 specifically
• Prioritize critical instructions
• Identify a structure for long contexts
• Etc.