FAQ: prompt engineering questions answered
Short answers to the most common questions for getting started with AI prompts.
What is prompt engineering?
It is the craft of designing precise instructions to get better results from an AI model. In 2026 it extends to context engineering: deciding which information to load into the context window, and in what form.
What is the difference between a simple prompt and a prompt chain?
A simple prompt is a single instruction. A prompt chain splits a complex task into steps, each output feeding the next, which reduces compounding errors.
Do I always need to give examples (few-shot)?
No. Start with none (zero-shot): recent models infer intent well. Add examples only if the result does not match what you expect.
How do I choose between Claude, GPT, Gemini and others in 2026?
By task: long instructions and code for Claude, versatility for GPT, large documents and multimodality for Gemini, data sovereignty for Mistral or open models. Test on your own cases.
What is a “skill” compared with a classic prompt?
A skill is a documented, named, versioned prompt designed to be reused and shared — the equivalent of a function in programming.
How do I apply prompt engineering to marketing?
Generate personalised content, campaign ideas or trend analyses, always specifying tone, audience and output format.