AI tips
Describe your writing style in the “Tone instructions” field on the “How you reply” page, and the drafts AI writes will sound more like you. No special knowledge is needed. Everyday words are fine.
Start with just “3 + 1”
Thinking about your style in these three points plus one makes it hard to go wrong. You don’t need to fill in all of them. Whatever comes to mind is enough.
- Who it’s for — A client, a coworker, your manager, someone senior, a peer, someone you’re writing to for the first time, and so on. This sets how formal and how careful the reply is.
- Impression (tone) — The feel you want, in one or two words, such as “polite”, “warm”, “direct”, “gentle” or “formal”.
- Length and structure — Such as “short”, “conclusion first”, “bullet points OK”, “normal length” or “thorough”.
- What to avoid — Just one impression you especially don’t want to give, such as “not condescending”, “not pushy” or “no excuses”.
Templates you can paste as-is
If you’re not sure where to start, copy one of these and change it a little.
• For clients: polite and warm, short, conclusion first.
• Don’t be roundabout. Keep jargon to a minimum.
• Don’t be roundabout. Keep jargon to a minimum.
• For coworkers: a little casual. Main point first, in 2–3 sentences.
• Keep formatting light. Speed matters more than polish.
• Keep formatting light. Speed matters more than polish.
• Gentle and polite, but not overly familiar.
• Start a new paragraph every 2–3 sentences. For anything not yet confirmed, add “Let me check and get back to you.”
• Start a new paragraph every 2–3 sentences. For anything not yet confirmed, add “Let me check and get back to you.”
• Very formal, for someone senior.
• Keep the usual courtesies, such as “I hope this email finds you well.”
• Don’t add new promises or deadlines on your own.
• Keep the usual courtesies, such as “I hope this email finds you well.”
• Don’t add new promises or deadlines on your own.
Handy phrases
When you can’t find everyday words for the nuance you want, borrow one from below.
| Instruction you can write as-is | What it tells AI |
|---|---|
| Polite, but not too formal | Keep the courtesy, ease the stiffness |
| Gentle, but not roundabout | Use softening phrases without getting wordy |
| Short, conclusion first | Give the main point first, then the details |
| Warm, but not too familiar | Friendly without being overly casual |
| Apologize sincerely, without sounding like excuses | Don’t seem to be dodging responsibility |
| Keep jargon to a minimum | Readable for non-specialists |
| Don’t rush them, but make the next step clear | Considerate and still moving forward |
| A little casual, since it’s internal | Make the writing slightly lighter |
| Direct, but not harsh | Clear without being aggressive |
| Keep the usual email feel | Keep a typical email opening and closing |
Weak instructions and how to fix them
If you only write “don’t do X”, AI can’t tell what to do instead. Adding what to do instead makes the results more consistent.
| Weak instruction | Why it’s weak | Try this instead |
|---|---|---|
| Make it nice | Not specific | Please make it polite, warm and short |
| Don’t be rude | No clear standard | It’s for a client, so please make it very polite |
| Like I usually write | AI has nothing to go on | Gentle, but gets to the point early |
| Do it properly | Unclear what it means | Please use a subject line, two paragraphs and polite language |
| Don’t sound pushy | Only says what not to do | Ask naturally, as a status check, without rushing them |
| Be gentle no matter what | Too strict, so it easily clashes with other instructions | Gentle by default, but make the conclusion clear |
Just for fun
Not for real work, but examples you might want to try once for a break. Use them as a conversation starter, a small Slack joke, or to see how wide AI’s range is. Please do check before you send…
| Style instruction | What you might get |
|---|---|
| All in pirate speak, with lots of energy | “Arr, much obliged, matey! Wednesday at 3 it be!” |
| Like a medieval knight. Always very grand | “Thy summons is received. On Wednesday at the third hour, I shall ride forth.” |
| Hard-boiled detective. Short, shadowy sentences | “Got it. Wednesday, 3 pm. I’ll be there. Unless it rains.” |
| Haiku. Always end the reply in 5-7-5 | “Yes, that works for me / On Wednesday at three p.m. / I will see you then” |
| Philosopher. Always open with a line about existence | “A meeting is a promise to our future selves. Noted…” |
| Shakespearean. Plenty of metaphors | “Thy proposal is as a shaft of light upon a misty morn…” |
| Instruction manual. Reply in numbered steps 1, 2, 3 | “1. Message received 2. Schedule checked 3. Wednesday at 3 pm accepted” |
| Never more than three words | “Sure. Wednesday works.” |
| RPG villager. Loves putting key info in bold | “Adventurer, thy request is **accepted**! Thy next destination: **Wednesday at 3 pm**!” |
Final tips
- Say what to do, not just what not to do — “Warm but concise” works better than “Don’t be cold”.
- Don’t write too much — Aim for about 150 words or fewer. Piling on conditions tends to create contradictions and backfire.
- Fine-tune over a few tries — Don’t aim for perfect on the first try. Look at what feels off in the drafts and adjust little by little.
- Don’t let AI add new promises — Adding a line such as “Don’t add deadlines or promises that aren’t in the original email” gives you peace of mind.