How-To Guides
Add Styling to Your Prompt
Learn how to prompt AI to generate structured, styled reports
When you ask AI to create a report, presentation, or summary, you don’t have to settle for plain, boring text.
With the right instructions, you can get beautifully formatted documents that look professional and are easy to read.
Think of it like instructing a junior employee; the more specific you are about what you want, the better your results will be.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you design effective prompts for generating reports with headers, bullet points, and other formatting elements.
Step 1: Specify the Report Structure
Define the structure of your report. For example, you might want the output to include headings, subheadings, bullet points, and tables. Example Prompt:Generate a report summarizing the results of a customer survey. The report should include the following sections:Consider the desired style of your output and include instructions which reflect that style. Here are some examples for different report stuctures and styles:
1. Executive Summary
2. Key Findings
3. Recommendations
4. Detailed Analysis
| Style | Description | Sample Prompt Addition |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Dashboard | High-level KPIs, insights, actions | “Create a dashboard-style summary with KPIs, key findings…” |
| Slide-Style Report | Each section = one slide (for Google Slides / PowerPoint) | “Format each section like a slide with a title + 3 bullets…” |
| Analyst Bullet Report | Dense bullets, bolded labels, zero fluff | “Use a clean bullet-point format with bolded highlights…” |
| Comparison Table | Compare multiple products or groups side-by-side | “Include comparison tables and insights per group…” |
| Q&A Format | Conversational, like an interview | “Write the summary as a Q&A between researcher and analyst…” |
| Timeline Report | Chronological milestones, testing phases, or journeys | “Summarize events in a timeline-style with emojis…” |
| Storytelling Format | Narrative arc for presentations or internal buy-in | “Write as a story with sections: Background, Discovery, etc.” |
Step 2: Set the Tone and Style
Be specific about the style you want, such as professional, concise, or detailed. For best requests, request the output to be formatted as Markdown. Example Prompt:Format the report in Markdown. Use **bold** for section headers, bullet points for findings, and italics for recommendations. Include a table for the detailed analysis section.
Step 3: Include Clear Instructions on Formatting
For each section, specify how the content should be structured. You may ask the AI to use bullet points, tables, or numbered lists. Example Prompt:- In the Executive Summary section, summarize the main findings in 3-4 sentences.
- In the Key Findings section, list the findings as bullet points.
- In the Detailed Analysis section, provide detailed descriptions in paragraphs.
Step 4: Provide Sample Prompts for Clarity
Here’s a complete prompt example that follows these steps. Example Prompt:Generate a report summarizing the survey results. The report should have the following sections: # Executive SummaryExample Output:
- Provide a brief summary of the main findings in 3-4 sentences. # Key Findings
- List the key findings using bullet points. Use bullet points for each finding.
# Recommendations
- Provide a list of recommendations based on the findings, formatted as bullet points.
- Make sure to write recommendations in **bold**. # Detailed Analysis
- For each question in the survey, include a detailed analysis. Write paragraphs explaining the results and what they imply.
- If a table is needed for data, include it with the column names: “Question”, “Response”, and “Percentage”.
Executive Summary
This report provides an overview of the recent customer survey results, highlighting key insights and actionable recommendations.Key Findings
80% of customers are satisfied with our product. 15% of customers noted issues with the website’s navigation. 5% of respondents have never used the product.Recommendations
Enhance website navigation to improve the user experience. Focus on customer engagement for the 5% who haven’t used the product.Detailed Analysis
Question 1: How satisfied are you with the product? 80% of respondents reported being satisfied with the product. This is a positive outcome, but there is still room for improvement to achieve even higher satisfaction levels. Question 2: What issues have you faced with the product? 15% mentioned issues with navigation. This suggests that the interface might be complex for some users. We recommend a review of the UI/UX.
Question Response Percentage How satisfied are you with the product? Satisfied 80% What issues have you faced with the product? Navigation 15% Have you used the product? No 5%
Conclusion
By clearly structuring your prompt and specifying how you want the content formatted, you can easily generate detailed and professional reports.Advanced: Markdown Cheatsheet
Markdown is a format which is well understood by AI and can be used to create structured, styled reports. When asking for Markdown formatting, you can use specific keywords to get the desired output. Here’s a quick reference:| Element | Prompt Keyword | Example Output |
|---|---|---|
| Headings | ## Executive Summary | ## Executive Summary |
| Bold Text | **Key Insight:** | Key Insight: |
| Bullet List | - Item 1 | – Item 1 |
| Numbered List | 1. First | 1. First |
| Tables | Ask for: “Markdown table” | Structured rows + columns |