Including Notes and Comments in an A.I. Chat

Prompt Version Version 2.0

Last Updated Dec 23, 2024

My Prompt Rating 4 ★★★★

Difficulty Easy

Status Tested

Compatibility ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude

This A.I. Cookbook recipe demonstrates how to include comments in prompts. Including comments in a ChatGPT(or similar LLM A.I.) conversation can significantly enhance the clarity, efficiency, and usability of your interactions.

Main Recipe Prompt

 PROMPT:

Hello, I will be using "//" to mark personal reminders in our conversations. These markers are not part of the questions or content for you to process. Please treat the content following these markers as contextual information to help me organize my thoughts and project details.

For example:

// Timestamp: 10-15-24

// Tags: [ai cookbook], [recipe], [using comments]

// Title: Using Comments with ChatGPT Prompts

// Reference: https://www.ketelsen.ai

// Description: This A.I. Cookbook recipe demonstrates how to include comments in prompts. Including comments in your ChatGPT conversations can significantly enhance the clarity, efficiency, and usability of your interactions. They help in organizing thoughts, clarifying intent, managing projects, and creating a lasting record that can be easily referenced or shared. This practice makes the conversation more structured and focused, ultimately leading to better outcomes in your projects or tasks.

 RESPONSE:

Got it! I'll treat any text following "//" as personal reminders and context, not as part of your queries or content to process. How can I assist you today?

Example 2: Reminders

 PROMPT:

// Reminder: I'm working on a marketing campaign for a new product. Create a tagline that emphasizes innovation and reliability. This tagline is for client …

Example 3: Recap a Chat for Future Revisions

 PROMPT:

// Recap of the chat so far: So far we have brainstormed the overall outline for my blog post. The first section is 90% complete, and we have a rough draft of the second section. We need to work on the third section and conclusion.

Please summarize our chat so far in 200 words or less.

Example 4: Outline the Structure of the Chat

EXAMPLE 4.1: Include comments that outline the chat structure for future reference and suggest alternatives: For example:

 PROMPT:

// Option 1: Focus on luxury and exclusivity

// Option 2: Emphasize affordability and value

Please assist me in writing two different ad copies for our new product. Let's start with the first ad, which should focus on luxury and exclusivity.

EXAMPLE 4.2: Include Comments that Explore Different Perspectives: Ask the model to present multiple viewpoints or arguments on a topic by using comments to guide this exploration. For example:

 PROMPT:

// Perspective 1: Benefits of remote work

// Perspective 2: Challenges of remote work

Please assist me in writing the pros and cons of remote work. Let's start with the benefits of remote work.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Why use “//” to mark personal reminders instead of just typing them out plainly?

  Using a clear marker like “//” tells both you and the A.I. that whatever follows is your own note or comment rather than an actual part of the prompt. This visual separation makes it easier to scan through your conversation history, especially in lengthy interactions. It also helps ensure the A.I. doesn’t get confused by personal context or project details that don’t directly relate to the question you want answered.

  Summary:
  Marking comments with “//” creates a mental and visual boundary that keeps conversations organized and helps the A.I. focus on what truly matters.

• Will adding personal reminders in my prompt cause confusion for ChatGPT?

  As long as you clearly differentiate personal reminders from the actual query (for example, by using “//” or labeling them as “notes”), ChatGPT typically won’t get confused. In fact, it’s trained to ignore specified segments of the conversation if prompted to do so. That way, your personal notes remain private context and don’t influence the A.I.’s responses.

  Summary:
  No, properly marked personal reminders won’t confuse ChatGPT. They help structure the conversation without muddling your main queries.

• Can I include links or references in my comments for ChatGPT?

  Yes! Including links (such as “// Reference: https://www.example.com”) is a great way to keep track of your sources and relevant external materials. When flagged as notes with “//”, ChatGPT understands they’re supplementary info rather than the question itself, so it won’t get distracted. If you do want ChatGPT to process content from those links, it’s helpful to paste any essential excerpts or relevant details separately.

  Summary:
  Link away! Just remember to clarify if the link is for ChatGPT to process or for your own reference only.

• Is it necessary to use comments in every prompt?

  Not necessarily. Comments are most helpful when you’re dealing with complex tasks, ongoing projects, or creative brainstorming sessions. They’re also useful if you plan to share the conversation later, or if you want a record of your thought process. In shorter, straightforward queries, comments might not be needed.

  Summary:
  Use comments when you need clarity and structure, but don’t feel obligated if it’s a quick question.

• Will detailed comments slow down the A.I. or reduce performance?

  Detailed Explanation:
  In most cases, adding comments to your conversation doesn’t significantly affect speed or performance. Large, complex conversations can slow things a bit simply because there’s more text to process, but structured comments can actually improve the quality of the answer by ensuring the A.I. knows exactly what’s important and what’s not.

  Summary:
  Long prompts take a bit more time to handle, but organized comments can lead to more accurate results.

• How do I ensure ChatGPT only focuses on the question, not my side notes?

  Make it explicit in your instructions. State that anything following certain markers (such as “//”) is not to be processed as part of the query. This is exactly what you did in your example. ChatGPT follows written instructions to the best of its ability, and clear directions help it adhere to your intended structure.

  Summary:
  Tell ChatGPT directly how to handle your comments, and it’ll follow your instructions to focus on the main question.

• Are there best practices for making comments that ChatGPT understands easily?

  Yes. Keep comments concise and relevant, and consistently use the same markers or labels (like “//” or “NOTE:”) so ChatGPT can detect them. If your notes include specialized jargon, it can be helpful to briefly define or contextualize those terms for your own clarity and for anyone reading the conversation later.

  Summary:
  Consistency is key. Use the same markers for comments and avoid overloading them with irrelevant details.

• If I share my conversation with someone else, will they see my “//” comments?

  Yes, any text you type in the conversation, including “//” comments, will be visible to others who view that conversation transcript. If you don’t want others to see certain private details, you’ll need to remove or redact those comments before sharing. A good practice is to keep sensitive info out of your prompts whenever possible.

  Summary:
  Everything you type is visible, so think ahead about what you want to share publicly.

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