Negative prompting explicitly tells the AI what to avoid — often as effective as telling it what to do.

Examples

• "Do NOT use bullet points"
• "Avoid jargon — write for a general audience"
• "Do not include disclaimers or caveats"
• "Never start a sentence with 'I'"
• "Don't repeat information already stated"

Pro Tip

Combine positive and negative instructions: "Write a persuasive essay. Use facts and logic. Do NOT use emotional manipulation or exaggeration."

Reference:

Prompt engineering techniques

https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/overview