Google Gemini Prompting: Practical Patterns

A durable prompt structure

Goal: define the outcome. Context: provide the situation. Inputs: include the material to analyze. Constraints: specify limits. Output: request a useful format. Verification: ask the model to identify uncertainty and distinguish assumptions from facts.

Technical learning prompt

Teach me how DNS resolution works as if I am preparing for an entry-level IT role.
Start with a browser-to-server example.
Explain recursive resolver, root, TLD and authoritative DNS.
Then give me a 5-step troubleshooting exercise.
Do not reveal the solution until I answer.

Multimodal analysis pattern

Analyze the attached diagram or screenshot.
First describe only what is visibly present.
Then list possible technical interpretations separately.
Do not infer a root cause from the image alone.
Give me the next three checks that would confirm or reject each interpretation.

Research discipline

When a task depends on current information, request dated sources and verify important claims independently. For high-impact decisions, treat AI output as a starting point rather than authoritative evidence.