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Make a start
One step at a time.
3 steps
Start with the synthetic worked example or other non-sensitive inputs. Run one prompt at a time in your chosen AI tool. Replace any bracketed placeholders with the requested material, check each reply, and supply the source or earlier outputs that step needs. Paste them again if the tool lacks that context.
Start with the synthetic example, then adapt each prompt to your task.
01
Open a chat and use the complete sample
Open https://chatgpt.com. If you have access, choose New chat. Copy all the instructions below (the prompt), including the SAMPLE INPUT, into the message box and send it. You do not need to upload a file. You should see three distinct messages with accurate recovery actions and save-state wording. The wording can differ from the worked example, but the facts and constraints must agree. If you cannot access this service, use another text assistant available to you; account requirements and limits may differ.
Your starting prompt
Write three error messages with a short title, explanatory body and available button label. Preserve the exact recovery behavior and whether work has been saved. Use only the supplied facts; mark missing information rather than inventing it. Return written text only. Do not send, publish or change anything in another service.
SAMPLE INPUT
Made-up example for practice. All people, organizations, records and product behavior below are fictional.
Fictional app: Pebble notes. Confirmed states: E1 note title is blank; user can enter a title then select Save; typed body remains on screen. E2 selected attachment exceeds the app’s supplied 5 MB limit; user can choose a smaller file; note text is retained. E3 saving fails because connection is unavailable; note changes are not yet saved, stay on screen while the page remains open, and can be retried with Try again after reconnecting. Do not say saved automatically, secure, or permanently safe. For each state need title under 8 words, body under 35 words, exact button label. Labels available: Save, Choose file, Try again.
02
Compare, correct and save
Compare the answer with the complete sample input and the checks below. E2 preserves the supplied 5 MB limit without changing it to another unit. If a fact is missing, changed or invented, paste the correction prompt below into the same chat. Read the revised result again; if it still fails, correct the text yourself before using it. Copy the reviewed result into a new note or text document. Keep real publication, decisions and sending for a separate human review.
Your starting prompt
Check your previous answer against the SAMPLE INPUT in my first message. Test each point below. For a failure, show the problem and then return a complete corrected answer; for a missing source fact, keep it explicitly unknown. Do not invent a successful check.
- E2 preserves the supplied 5 MB limit without changing it to another unit.
- E3 explicitly says changes are not saved and does not promise recovery after closing the page.
- Each button matches an available label and each body is under 35 words.
03
Optional: use your own facts
Open a new chat. Copy the prompt below and replace [PASTE YOUR INPUT HERE] with your own non-sensitive source text, facts and limits for this task. Include any desired headings, count or length. Send the whole message. Expect the same kind of written result, using your facts. Check every source fact and limit yourself; the example’s names and totals do not apply. If a detail differs, show the exact mismatch and ask for a complete correction. Save the checked draft before any separate decision to use or send it.
Your starting prompt
For every supplied error state below, write a short title, explanatory body and available button label. Preserve the exact recovery behavior and whether work was saved. Do not invent buttons or imply a failed action succeeded.
Use only my input. Ask for information needed to finish rather than guessing. Return written text only; do not send, publish, book, submit or change another service.
MY INPUT
[PASTE YOUR INPUT HERE]
Optional: improve the result
Check a longer failure
Prepare honest wording for a second failed attempt. This extension uses the worked example. Return to that example chat, or paste its input and your checked example answer into a new chat first. Do not apply its sample values unchanged to your own input.
Advanced prompt
Using E3 only, write a follow-up message after another failed Try again. Do not invent a support channel, offline mode or automatic backup. Preserve the instruction to keep the page open. Keep the same SAMPLE INPUT from my first message unless I explicitly replace it.
Show, then try
See the shape of the result.
This input is synthetic. The output is a written illustration of the intended result, not a verified AI-tool run.
01 / The starting point
Synthetic input
Made-up example for practice. All people, organizations, records and product behavior below are fictional.
Fictional app: Pebble notes. Confirmed states: E1 note title is blank; user can enter a title then select Save; typed body remains on screen. E2 selected attachment exceeds the app’s supplied 5 MB limit; user can choose a smaller file; note text is retained. E3 saving fails because connection is unavailable; note changes are not yet saved, stay on screen while the page remains open, and can be retried with Try again after reconnecting. Do not say saved automatically, secure, or permanently safe. For each state need title under 8 words, body under 35 words, exact button label. Labels available: Save, Choose file, Try again.
Copies text only. For image or file tasks, use the source files named in the steps too.
Worked example written for this guide, not output recorded from a live AI session.
E1
Title: Add a title
Body: Your note needs a title before you can save it. Your text is still here. Enter a title, then select Save.
Button: Save
E2
Title: Choose a smaller file
Body: This attachment exceeds the 5 MB limit. Choose a file of 5 MB or less. Your note text is still here.
Button: Choose file
E3
Title: Your changes have not saved
Body: The connection is unavailable. Keep this page open while you reconnect, then try again. Your changes are still on screen but are not yet saved.
Button: Try again
These checks use the worked example and its particular facts. With your own material, check your actual names, numbers, sources and rules; do not reuse the sample’s values as the answer.
Unsaved checks stay in this tab and reset when you reload. If you choose Save guide, its current example checkmarks are kept in this browser when storage is available.
!
A few things to watch for.
Reassuring copy must not promise data persistence the app does not provide.
A good message cannot fix broken recovery behavior; confirm the actual product behavior before use.