Providing the Right Context

Context is the background information that helps AI understand not just what you're asking, but why you're asking it and what constraints or considerations matter. The same request with different context produces vastly different—and differently useful—outputs.

Think of context as the difference between asking a stranger for directions versus asking someone who knows where you're coming from, where you need to be, and why the trip matters.

The Context Formula:

Effective context answers these questions:

• Who: Who is the audience? Who are you (your role/perspective)?
• What: What is being created or discussed?
• Why: Why does this matter? What's the goal or purpose?
• Where: Where will this be used? (Platform, medium, environment)
• When: When will this be used? Any time sensitivity?
• How: How should it be structured or presented?

Not every prompt needs all elements, but most benefit from at least 3-4.

Audience Context: The Most Critical Element:

The same information presented to different audiences requires completely different approaches.

Example: Explaining a new productivity app

For executives:
'Explain how this productivity app delivers ROI. Focus on: team efficiency metrics, time savings converted to cost savings, competitive advantages, integration with existing enterprise tools. Use business language. Include implementation timeline and change management considerations. Format as an executive summary: 2-3 paragraphs max, bullet points for key benefits.'

For end users (employees):
'Explain how this productivity app will make their daily work easier. Focus on: specific pain points it solves, time they'll save on routine tasks, how it's actually simpler than current process. Use conversational language. Address common concerns: 'Will this mean more work?' 'Do I have to learn complicated software?' Tone: enthusiastic but empathetic to change fatigue.'

For technical IT staff:
'Explain the technical requirements and integration process for this productivity app. Focus on: API capabilities, authentication methods, data security protocols, system requirements, migration process from existing tools. Use technical terminology. Address: compatibility with current stack, support documentation quality, customization options.'

Same product, three completely different explanations based on audience.

Audience dimensions to specify:

• Expertise level: Beginner / Intermediate / Expert / Mixed audience
• Role: Decision-maker / End user / Technical implementer / Stakeholder
• Familiarity: Never heard of this / Aware but haven't used / Current user of competitor
• Mindset: Excited and ready / Skeptical / Resistant to change / Time-pressed
• Demographics: Age range, cultural considerations, language proficiency

Purpose Context: Why This Matters:

Knowing the intended outcome shapes everything about the content.

Example: Content about email marketing

Purpose: Educate beginners
'I'm creating an introductory guide to email marketing for people starting their first online business. They've never run an email campaign. Purpose: Build confidence and provide a clear starting point. They should finish reading and feel 'I can do this' rather than overwhelmed. Emphasize what matters most in the first 90 days. Skip advanced tactics.'

Purpose: Convince decision-makers
'I'm writing a business case for investing in email marketing automation for our executive team. They're skeptical of marketing tech investments after past disappointments. Purpose:, Prove ROI with data and case studies. Address their specific concerns. Tone: confident, data-driven, acknowledging past issues but showing this is different.'

Purpose: Inspire action
'I'm writing a motivational piece for existing email marketers who've hit a plateau. Their campaigns are stagnant—same open rates for 6 months, not converting well. Purpose: Reignite their creativity and give them 3 specific new tactics to try this week. Tone: energizing but practical. They should feel 'I'm going to try this today' not 'this sounds nice but vague.''

Same topic, completely different content based on purpose.

Format and Medium Context:

Where content appears dramatically affects how it should be written.

Platform-specific considerations:

Twitter/X:
'Write for Twitter. Constraints: 280 characters maximum. People scroll fast—hook in first 10 words. Use line breaks for readability. One focused idea per tweet. Hashtags feel spammy here—use sparingly or not at all. Replies and threads allowed but this is a standalone tweet.'

LinkedIn:
'Write for LinkedIn. Professional network but increasingly casual tone works. Aim for 150-300 words—long enough for substance, short enough to read without clicking 'see more.' Format: short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max), line breaks between paragraphs, occasional bullet points. Hook readers in first 2 lines (that's what shows in feed). End with question or call to action to drive comments.'

Email:
'Write for email. Subject line is 50% of success—write 5 options, each under 50 characters. Preview text (first sentence) should extend the subject line intrigue. Email opens with: quick reminder of why they're getting this / immediate value statement. Body: short paragraphs, scannable formatting, one clear CTA. Assume 80% read on mobile.'

Blog post:
'Write for blog. SEO matters—target keyword: [keyword]. Structure: H2/H3 subheadings every 300 words for scannability. Introduction: hook + preview of what they'll learn. Body: mix of paragraphs, lists, examples. Conclusion: summarize key points + CTA. Internal links to [related content]. Aim for 1,500 words (comprehensive but not exhausting). Grade 8 reading level for accessibility.'

Presentation slide:
'Write for presentation slide. Constraints: 5-7 words per line maximum, 3-5 lines per slide. Text supports what speaker says—doesn't repeat it verbatim. Use strong visual hierarchy. Each slide one main idea. Avoid full sentences—bullets or short phrases. Assume audience can't read and listen simultaneously—keep text minimal.'

Tone Context: The Emotional Layer:

Tone shapes how your message is received emotionally.

Tone specification examples:

Professional but warm:
'Tone: professional but warm. Like a helpful colleague, not a corporate robot. Okay to use 'we' and 'you.' Contractions fine (don't, can't). Can show personality but avoid jokes or too-casual language. Authoritative but not condescending. Clear over clever.'

Urgent without panic:
'Tone: urgent without creating panic. This matters and time is limited, but we're in control. Focus on: specific deadline, clear consequences of waiting, but also solutions available. Avoid: ALL CAPS, excessive exclamation points, fear-mongering. Like a project manager who's serious but calm under pressure.'

Empathetic and validating:
'Tone: empathetic and validating. Audience is frustrated by [problem]. Acknowledge this feeling explicitly. Use phrases like 'we understand,' 'this is genuinely difficult,' 'you're not alone in this.' Avoid: toxic positivity ('just think positive!'), dismissing concerns, or jumping to solutions before acknowledging the problem.'

Bold and confident:
'Tone: bold and confident. Make strong claims (that you can back up). Use active voice. Short, punchy sentences. Comfortable with opinions. Not arrogant, but definitely not hedging with 'maybe' and 'possibly.' Think: thought leader who has a clear point of view.'

Educational and patient:
'Tone: educational and patient, like a good teacher. Assume zero prior knowledge. Explain jargon when first used. Use analogies and examples liberally. Okay to repeat important points in different ways. Encourage rather than intimidate. Phrases like 'let's break this down' or 'here's another way to think about it.''

Constraint Context: Boundaries and Limitations:

Explicitly stating what you can't or won't do prevents unusable outputs.

Common constraints to specify:

• Length limits: 'Exactly 150 words, not 149 or 151' or 'Between 500-700 words'
• Time constraints: 'Must be completable in 30 minutes' or 'This is for tomorrow's meeting'
• Budget limitations: 'Solutions must be free or under $100/month'
• Technical constraints: 'No coding required—I'm non-technical'
• Resource constraints: 'I'm a team of one—can't suggest strategies requiring 5 people'
• Brand guidelines: 'Never use: jargon, corporate speak, exclamation points. Always: specific examples, data, plain language'
• Ethical boundaries: 'Don't suggest: dark patterns, manipulative tactics, legally gray areas'
• Content restrictions: 'Avoid: claiming #1/best/perfect, making health claims, guaranteeing results'

Example with heavy constraints:

'Create a landing page headline for a B2B SaaS product. Constraints: - Exactly 6-8 words (will be large display text) - Must include the word 'data' (core feature) - Cannot include: 'revolutionary,' 'game-changing,' 'disrupting,' or similar hype words - Must clearly state what the product does, not vague benefits - Should work without any surrounding context - Professional tone—avoid clever wordplay - Grade 6 reading level (executives are busy, keep it simple) Product: Data visualization tool for sales teams Core benefit: See sales pipeline clearly without spreadsheet chaos'

Situational Context: The Current State:

Understanding the situation helps AI provide appropriate advice.

Examples of situational context:

Business situation:
'Context: We're a 3-person startup, 6 months post-launch. We've found product-market fit (strong retention) but struggling with acquisition. Burned through 60% of runway. Need growth but can't afford expensive paid acquisition. Have 500 happy users who could be advocates. Team: 2 engineers, 1 generalist (me). No marketing budget, but have time and hustle.'

Career situation:
'Context: I'm a mid-level marketing manager, 7 years experience, currently at a stable but uninspiring company. Got a job offer for 30% raise but it's at a startup (higher risk). Have a mortgage and 2 kids (can't be reckless) but also feeling stagnant (need challenge). Current company has good work-life balance but limited growth path. Startup would be intense but exciting.'

Technical situation:
'Context: We're migrating from WordPress to headless CMS. Currently have 500+ blog posts, 50+ landing pages. Team knows WordPress well but new to headless. Timeline: 3 months to complete migration. Risk: Can't have site downtime or lose SEO rankings. Need solution that: maintains URLs, preserves metadata, doesn't require rewriting all content.'

Rich situational context enables specific, actionable advice rather than generic suggestions.

Building Context Libraries:

For repeated use cases, document context once and reuse:

Company/Brand Context Template:

Company: [Name]
Industry: [Sector]
Target audience: [Description]
Brand voice: [Tone descriptors]
Key differentiators: [What sets you apart]
What we never say: [Banned phrases/positioning]
What we always include: [Required elements]
Current priorities: [Business goals]

Save this and prepend to relevant prompts: 'Using this brand context: [paste] + [specific task]'

Project Context Template:

Project: [Name]
Goal: [Objective]
Timeline: [Duration/deadline]
Budget: [Amount]
Team: [Who's involved, skills]
Constraints: [Limitations]
Success metrics: [How we measure]

Audience Context Template:

Audience: [Segment name]
Demographics: [Age, location, etc.]
Role/Title: [Professional position]
Current state: [Where they are now]
Goals: [What they want]
Challenges: [What holds them back]
Knowledge level: [Beginner/Intermediate/Expert]
Preferred format: [How they consume content]

The Context Checklist:

Before submitting a prompt, verify:

• ☐ Have I specified who this is for?
• ☐ Have I explained why this matters?
• ☐ Have I described the current situation?
• ☐ Have I mentioned where/how this will be used?
• ☐ Have I set tone/style expectations?
• ☐ Have I listed any constraints or limitations?
• ☐ Have I defined what success looks like?

Most prompt failures stem from insufficient context. When outputs miss the mark, the fix is usually: add more context, not change the request.

Context Anti-Patterns to Avoid:

1. Assumption Overload:

Problem: 'Write a marketing email' [assuming AI knows your product, audience, goal]

Fix: Never assume. State explicitly, even if it seems obvious.

2. Context Dump:

Problem: Providing 500 words of context when 50 would suffice

Fix: Include relevant context, but prioritize. What matters most for this specific task?

3. Vague References:

Problem: 'Write it like we discussed' or 'Use our usual style'

Fix: AI has no memory of previous conversations (unless in same session). Restate important details.

4. Conflicting Context:

Problem: 'Write professionally for executives' then 'use casual, friendly tone with emojis'

Fix: Check for contradictions. If both are needed, prioritize: 'Primarily professional, but warmer than typical corporate language—no emojis'

Context is the bridge between what you know and what the AI needs to know. Building that bridge clearly is the difference between mediocre and exceptional AI outputs.