Constraints & Guardrails
Best for Any writing task where AI tends to over-produce or miss the mark
When to use When you keep getting outputs that are too long, too formal, or miss the point
Most people tell AI what to do. Fewer people tell it what not to do — and that second part is where the real control lives. Guardrails constrain AI’s natural tendencies (too long, too hedge-y, too formal) and steer it toward what you actually want.
The Recipe
Add any of these constraint phrases to your existing prompts:
Constraints:
- Maximum [X] words / sentences / bullet points
- No [jargon / buzzwords / passive voice / clichés / filler phrases]
- Do not start with [a question / "Certainly!" / "Great question!"]
- Avoid [giving advice I didn't ask for / adding a disclaimer / moralizing]
- Write as [a human would / a friend would / a [specific style]]
- Do not use [headers / bullet points / numbered lists] — just prose
- Never say [specific phrase you hate]
Example — Email that sounds human
Write a follow-up email to a client after our discovery call.
Context: We had a 45-minute call. They're interested but not committed. I want to remind them of the key value I can offer and suggest a next step.
Constraints:
- Maximum 150 words
- Conversational tone — like an email from a person, not a corporation
- No buzzwords ("synergies", "leverage", "value-add")
- Don't start with "I hope this email finds you well"
- No bullet points — just short paragraphs
- End with a specific, low-pressure next step
Most useful constraints by situation
| Situation | Constraint to add |
|---|---|
| AI is too long | ”Maximum [X] words” or “Give me just the key points, not a full essay” |
| AI sounds robotic | ”Write like a human talking to a friend” |
| AI keeps adding disclaimers | ”Skip the caveats — just answer the question” |
| AI starts with pleasantries | ”Do not open with affirmations like ‘Great question!’” |
| AI is too formal | ”Casual tone, like a Slack message, not an email” |
🔁 Leftover Remixes
🌶️ Spicy: Ask AI to write its own constraints first: “Before writing this, tell me what constraints you think I should apply given my goal. Then apply them.”
🧊 Mild: Single constraint: “Same prompt, but this time: maximum 3 sentences.”
💰 Budget: “Write this in the most minimal way possible. What’s the single sentence version?”