10 Ways to Get Better Results From GPT-5

OpenAI’s GPT-5 is powerful out of the box, despite a few hiccups, but getting the best results takes some smart prompting.

As the artificial intelligence (AI) startup’s latest model, GPT-5 underpins ChatGPT, which is the chat interface that sits atop the large language model to make it more user friendly. Most people using ChatGPT would only be exposed to GPT-5 because it is the default model for the free tier. Only paying subscribers get a choice of using older models.

GPT-5 is OpenAI’s most advanced model for agentic AI, the startup said . Tech companies like OpenAI have been driving the agentic AI revolution, according to an August 2025 PYMNTS Intelligence report . An accelerating cycle of innovation may soon arrive as more powerful models lead to powerful apps to drive model advances and app capabilities.

While OpenAI has billed GPT-5 as “smarter across the board,” a model’s intelligence is just one part of getting the best results from an AI chatbot. A lot of it depends on the quality of the prompt as well.

Think of a prompt as less like giving orders to a machine and more like managing a sharp but flexible team member: Set the scope, decide how much independence to give, and make sure instructions are clear.

With the right guidance, GPT-5 can move quickly when speed matters, go deep when complexity demands it, and adapt to your business context while saving time.

The following best practices are culled from OpenAI , the prompt engineering forum on Reddit and tech blogs .

1. Set the role

Tell GPT-5 who it should be.

“You are my research assistant.”

“Act as a career coach.”

“Be a writing tutor.”

2. State the task clearly

Be specific about what you want.

Weak: “Help me with marketing.”

Strong: “Write three catchy subject lines for a spring sale, each under 40 characters.”

3. Add context

Make sure to include the audience, tone or purpose.

“For a professional LinkedIn audience.”

“In a friendly, casual style.”

4. Define the format

Tell ChatGPT how you want the answer delivered.

“Give me a bullet list.”

“Write in two short paragraphs.”

“Summarize in a table.”

5. Break it down

For big tasks, go step by step.

First: “Make me an outline.”

Next: “Expand section one into two paragraphs.”

6. Ask for reasoning

When precision matters:

“Explain your reasoning briefly before the final answer.”

7. Use examples

Show GPT-5 what you want.

“Here’s an example of the style I want.”

8. Iterate and refine

Don’t restart from scratch. Refine.

“Make it shorter.”

“Use simpler words.”

9. Control the depth

For quick answers: “Give me a brief summary.”

For details: “Think step-by-step and explain thoroughly.”

10. Review and reprompt

If the response is still not adequate, sharpen your instructions. Treat it like a conversation, not a one-time command.

Read more:

The Business Professionals’ Guide to AI Prompting

5 Ways OpenAI’s GPT-5 Is Supercharging ChatGPT for Users

OpenAI’s New GPT-5 Can Write Software on Demand