Library › Agents & Automation AI › Marketing and content

Brief an assistant to assemble a newsletter and stop at a test

  • For Marketing and content
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You want an AI assistant to assemble this month's customer newsletter in your email tool. Write its brief: lead with the workshop (at its new date), drop the summer hours item since those ended, keep each section under 30 words, send a test only to you (mara@fernhillyarn.com), and ask for your approval instead of sending the campaign. Output exactly 6 numbered plain-text lines: 3 add_section lines, the send_test line, an ASK_HUMAN line, then DONE.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Not showing the log format. Left alone, the AI writes a friendly report with headings instead of a checkable action log. Try: Show it literally: "Format every line like 1. ACTION: tool(args), then ASK_HUMAN: and DONE: lines. Plain text."
  • Not setting the order or dates. The AI keeps the pieces in the order they came, and may print the original workshop date. Try: Add: "Lead with the workshop at its new date."
  • Not cutting stale items. The AI includes every piece it was given, including hours that ended in August. Try: Add: "Drop the summer hours item. Each section under 25 words."
  • Letting it send to everyone. Given send_campaign, the AI finishes the job by emailing 4,812 customers. Try: Add: "Send a test to mara@fernhillyarn.com only. Never send_campaign. Ask me to approve."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Sets what leads
  • Drops the stale item
  • Stops at a test
  • Forbids the full send
  • Shows the action-log format

Practice this now ↑

Related exercises