GPT KISS - Structured and Specific Prompts

Shay Zaidenberg
Aug 19
2 min read

Updated: Sep 4

Why ChatGPT Can Lose Its Edge & How Your Prompt Can Fix It

Ever notice how your ChatGPT responses start out strong but become less helpful over time? It’s not your imagination. As the conversation grows, certain limitations in how these models work start to show. This article breaks down what’s happening behind the scenes, and more importantly, what you can do to keep your chats sharp and productive.

How Does Your Prompt Being Processed?

Chat tools like GPT-5 are impressive, but they’re still bound by real constraints. Here are the top reasons your results may start to suffer after a few exchanges:

1. Token Limits

Every part of your conversation — from words to emojis — counts as data. There’s a cap on how much the system can handle at once. As you reach that limit, things slow down or lose coherence.

How to manage this:

Begin a new chat session when things get too long.

Don’t overload the prompt. Get to the point.

Instead of repeating or referencing old material, briefly summarize it.

2. Vague Prompts

Open-ended questions like “Can you help with this?” give the system too many options. It has to guess what you want, which leads to slower and less focused answers.

Better approach:

Specify a role, task, and format. For example: “As a social media manager, write a 2-line hook for a LinkedIn ad.”

Include tone or length if it matters: e.g., “Make it punchy and under 30 words.”

Be clear about the goal: What kind of answer are you expecting?

3. Long Threads

The system re-reads the entire conversation every time it responds. The longer your thread, the more effort it takes. Eventually, performance suffers.

What you can do:

Divide long tasks into shorter, separate chats.

Restate key info when continuing a topic, so it stays fresh in the prompt.

Avoid endless back-and-forth like “Try again” or “Say it differently.” These add clutter.

The KISS Method: Keep It Structured & Specific

The easiest way to maintain high-quality responses is to simplify. This is what we call the KISS method — Keep It Structured & Specific.

Key principles:

Make your requests concise.

Structure your prompts clearly.

Reduce unnecessary instructions or edits.

Simple rules to follow:

Save the output you like before moving on.

If things go off track, open a new chat.

Always guide the tool using role + task + format for clarity.

Going Further: Using Custom GPTs

If you use GPT tools regularly and want more control, consider creating a Custom GPT. These are tailor-made versions of the tool that remember your preferences, brand voice, and common tasks.