Tips for Better Prompts

Small changes to how you prompt the Content Agent lead to dramatically better episodes, docs, and blog posts.

Be Specific About What You Want#

The more detail you give the agent, the better the output. Include:

• Topic: What exactly should the content cover?
• Length: Short, medium, or long? (You can also set this in Settings.)
• Tone: Casual and conversational? Authoritative and data-driven? Humorous?
• Audience: Who is this for? Beginners, experts, a general audience?

Weak prompt:

Make an episode about AI.

Strong prompt:

Create a 10-minute episode about the future of remote work, focusing on recent trends in hybrid models and what they mean for small businesses. Keep the tone conversational and accessible.

Two sentences with clear direction will always outperform a vague one-liner.

Reference Your Sources#

Attaching sources (URLs, PDFs, files) is only half the job: tell the agent how to use them. Otherwise it may not emphasize the parts you care about.

• "Use the attached report as the primary basis for this episode"
• "Pull the key statistics from the linked article and build the discussion around them"
• "Compare the findings in these two sources"

Iterate for Free#

Drafting, outlining, revising, and audio generation are completely free. Credits are only consumed when you publish or download. Take advantage of this:

1. Start with a broad prompt to get a first draft.
2. Review the outline and ask for structural changes.
3. Listen to the generated audio and request specific edits.
4. Regenerate individual segments as many times as you want until it sounds right.

Ask for Targeted Edits#

The agent edits surgically. It modifies only the relevant section without rewriting the entire piece.

Effective revision prompts:

• "Make the opening more attention-grabbing: start with a surprising statistic"
• "Add a section about hybrid work models after the second chapter"
• "Make the closing shorter and more action-oriented"
• "The tone is too formal in the intro: make it punchier"
• "Add more back-and-forth between the hosts in section three"

Use Host Personalities#

Your hosts have personalities and backstories that shape how they speak. Lean into this:

• "Have [Host A] challenge [Host B]'s perspective on this point"
• "Make the conversation feel like a debate, not a lecture"
• "Let [Host A] bring in a personal anecdote to illustrate the point"

The agent writes dialogue that reflects each host's personality, with one host pushing back while the other explains. This creates natural, engaging conversations rather than two people taking turns reading paragraphs.

Structure Your Complex Prompts#

For longer or multi-faceted content, break your prompt into clear sections:

Create an episode covering three topics:

1. The rise of AI coding assistants
2. How they're changing developer workflows
3. Predictions for the next two years

Open with a hook about how much code is now AI-generated. Close with practical advice for developers.

Quick Reference#

• Do: Specify topic, length, and tone. Don't: Use vague one-line prompts.
• Do: Tell the agent how to use your sources. Don't: Assume it will read your mind.
• Do: Iterate on the outline before the script. Don't: Generate audio on the first draft.
• Do: Ask for targeted edits. Don't: Start over for small changes.
• Do: Reference host names for dialogue direction. Don't: Ignore host personalities.

Frequently Asked Questions#

How detailed should my prompt be?

The more specific you are about topic, tone, audience, and length, the better the output. A two-sentence prompt with clear direction outperforms a vague one-liner every time.

Can I revise the outline before the agent writes the full script?

Yes. After the agent presents the outline, you can request changes in the chat. It will revise the outline without starting over, and only proceeds to the full script once you are satisfied.