Carousel prompts: write a brief for the audience you want to help

Build the brief from five decisions

Name who is reading, which question they have, what they should be able to do afterward, which facts or examples you can provide, and the next step that fits. Specify one idea per slide and list any claims the generator must avoid. Keep language, number of slides and visual format consistent with the creator controls. A request such as “make a viral marketing post” leaves these decisions unresolved.

Example brief

Reader: [specific audience]. Question: [one problem]. Outcome: [one useful action]. Source notes: [your facts and example]. Sequence: [cover, explanation, steps, close]. Tone: [appropriate tone]. Keep headings short. Use only the supplied facts; do not invent statistics or customer results.

For an educator: explain the task and give practice

Describe the learner’s starting point and a task they can try. Define unfamiliar terms when they first appear and include a small worked example. The closing can invite the reader to apply the method. Check the explanation yourself before publishing; an educational prompt does not make the result automatically correct.

Example brief

Create five slides for students organizing their first study week. Explain how to pick one subject goal, reserve three study blocks and review what they understood. Example: review one lesson, answer practice questions, then note what still needs work. Close with a checklist the student can fill in. Use simple language and do not claim a guaranteed grade improvement.

For a service business: answer a pre-purchase question

Use a question a potential customer asks before contacting you. Explain your actual process and what the customer should prepare. Avoid having the generator invent prices, availability, guarantees or testimonials. A closing invitation to ask about the service works best when the preceding slides explain what the conversation is for.

Example brief

Create five slides for small business owners preparing a first conversation with a freelance designer. Notes: bring the business goal, examples of the current materials and the list of deliverables you need; discuss scope before requesting a quote. Structure: cover, goal, materials, deliverables, questions for the meeting. Close by inviting readers to prepare their brief. Do not add prices or delivery promises.

For a technical team: explain one decision and its limits

State what the reader already knows, the situation where your advice applies and any conditions that would change the recommendation. Use an example from the real workflow you want to explain. Verify commands, product behavior and security claims against your own documentation. A short carousel can introduce a decision; it cannot replace the complete operating procedure.

Example brief

Create five slides for a new teammate reviewing a small code change. Use these notes: understand the intended behavior, read the changed files, reproduce the relevant scenario, and describe any remaining uncertainty. Include an example of a label change versus a behavior change. Close with a review checklist. Do not invent commands, benchmark results or repository rules.

Review the result using the same brief

Ask whether the cover names the promised outcome, every middle slide helps achieve it and the closing action is appropriate for that reader. Remove claims missing from your notes. Use the editor to shorten text and improve spacing, then review the generated captions. If the audience or goal is still unclear, rewrite the brief before spending another generation on decoration alone.

References

• Anthropic: clear instructions, context and examples

Continue with these guides

• How to turn an article into a carousel without losing the point
• How to make a carousel readable on mobile
• AI carousel: turn one idea into five useful slides