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Brief an assistant to compare vacation rentals for your family

  • For Parents and households
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes

About this exercise

You want an AI assistant to compare beach rentals for July 10-14 (4 nights). Write its brief: total budget $1,600 including cleaning and service fees, at least 3 bedrooms, and no pool unless it's fenced (you have a 3-year-old); show each total as math, name the one that fits, and never book or message hosts. Output exactly 6 numbered plain-text lines: one note per rental in order, an ASK_HUMAN line asking to approve, 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."
  • Hiding the math. The AI compares nightly rates and forgets the fees. Try: Say: "Show each total as 4 x nightly + cleaning + service."
  • Leaving out your must-haves. The AI favors the top-rated rental with the pool the reviews love. Try: Add: "Under $1,600 total, 3+ bedrooms, no unfenced pool."
  • Letting it book. Given book and message actions, the AI locks it in or contacts hosts. Try: Add: "Never book or message hosts. Ask me to approve."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the budget
  • Names bedrooms and pool rule
  • Asks for the math
  • Forbids booking
  • Shows the action-log format

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