Why you Should Use Markdown and Delimiters in AI Prompts

Using AI tools like ChatGPT can help you generate content quickly and easily. But to get the best results, you need to know how to write clear prompts. One important way to improve your prompts is by using Markdown and delimiters correctly. These tools guide the AI so it understands exactly what you want and help you structure your content better.

The use of Markdown and delimiter’s in AI prompting is perhaps one of the most widely misunderstood aspects of prompt writing. In this post, we’ll explain what Markdown and delimiters are, how to use them, and why they matter when crafting AI prompts. We’ll also show clear examples and compare their use to help you make better prompts.

What Is Markdown?

Markdown is a simple way to add formatting to your text. It helps you and others organize and read your prompts more easily. But here’s something important: Markdown doesn’t change how the AI understands your prompt. It’s mainly there to make things look nicer and clearer to the human eye.

Example of Markdown:

# This is a Heading 1
## This is a Heading 2
**This is bold text**
- This is a bullet point

In this example:

• # turns text into a big heading.
• ## makes a smaller heading.
• ** makes text bold.
• - creates bullet points.

While Markdown is great for formatting, remember that it doesn’t actually help the AI understand your instructions. It’s mainly for making prompts easier to read. You can read more about Markdown here.

What Are Delimiters?

Delimiters are special characters that help the AI separate different parts of your prompt. Unlike Markdown, delimiters do affect how the AI interprets your prompt. They help the AI figure out which part of the text is instructions and which part is data.

Common Delimiters:

1. Triple Backticks: ``` Used for larger blocks of text or data.
2. Quotation Marks: "" Used for short pieces of text.
3. Square Brackets: [] Used for placeholders or optional words.
4. Angle Brackets: <> Used to mark placeholders where values like numbers or categories will be swapped in.
5. XML-style Tags <TEMPLATE>, <INPUT>: Used to organize different sections of a prompt, like templates and inputs.

Why Use Markdown and Delimiters Together?

Now that you know what Markdown and delimiters are, let’s see how they work together. Markdown helps you keep your prompts organized, especially if you’re working on long, complex ones. Delimiters, on the other hand, guide the AI and help it understand which parts are instructions and which are data.

For example, if you’re writing a prompt to generate an Instagram caption, you could use Markdown to keep it readable, and delimiters to tell the AI where to focus.

Delimiters in Action

Let’s look at how to use these delimiters in AI prompts. Below are examples for each type.

1. Triple Backticks (```):

Use triple backticks when you want the AI to work with a large block of text. This helps the AI understand that everything inside the backticks is data, not instructions.

Example:

Summarize the following text:
```The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The dog did not chase the fox.```

Here, the backticks show the AI where the text begins and ends, making it easier to separate the task from the data.

2. Quotation Marks (""):

For shorter pieces of text, you can use quotation marks to mark off the text you want the AI to process.

Example:

Review the following sentence: "The product was good, but the shipping was slow."

3. Square Brackets ([]):

Square brackets are great for marking options or interchangeable words in your prompt.

Example:

I've been [curating/collecting/gathering] resources over the last 6 months.

In this case, you can choose one of the words in brackets depending on the context, making the prompt flexible.

4. Angle Brackets (<>):

Angle brackets are typically used to mark placeholders that will be replaced with actual values.

Example:

Steal the <number> <resource category> I use every day to grow my business.

You’d replace <number> with something like “5” and <resource category> with “tools” before running the prompt.

5. XML-style Tags:

XML-style tags are used to organize and separate different parts of your prompt into clear sections.

Example:

<TEMPLATE>
  Use the following format to create a new blog post: 
  - Title: <title>
  - Introduction: <intro>
  - Body: <body>
</TEMPLATE>

<INPUT>
  title: How AI Helps You Save Time
  intro: AI tools are making life easier for solopreneurs.
  body: They automate tasks like writing content, doing research, and answering questions.
</INPUT>

In this example, the tags <TEMPLATE> and <INPUT> separate the prompt into two parts: one that contains instructions and another with the input data.

Key Differences Between Markdown and Delimiters

Real-World Example

Let’s imagine you’re using AI to generate content for Instagram. Here’s how Markdown and delimiters can help:

Prompt Example:

# Instagram Post Generator

<TEMPLATE>
  I’ve been [curating/collecting/gathering] the best <resource_category> over the past <time_frame>.
  Here are the top <number> <resource_category> I use daily:
</TEMPLATE>

<INPUT>
  resource_category: marketing tools
  time_frame: 6 months
  number: 5
</INPUT>

In this example:

• Markdown adds headings and makes the prompt easier to read.
• The XML-style tags separate the template from the input.
• Square brackets show interchangeable words, and angle brackets show placeholders that will be replaced with actual values.

This setup helps the AI know exactly what you need it to do, and it makes the prompt easy for you to read and reuse.

Conclusion

Learning how to use Markdown and delimiters in AI prompts can help you create more precise and effective content, whether you’re generating blog posts, Instagram captions, or even email subject lines. Markdown keeps your prompts clean and organized, while delimiters help the AI understand your instructions more clearly.

Now that you’ve learned the basics, try experimenting with Markdown and delimiters in your next AI prompt and see how much better your results can be!

Check out this article if you want to learn how to write killer prompts.