The quality of an agent’s output depends heavily on the input it receives. A few simple habits make a noticeable difference.
Start with context, not just a task
The single biggest improvement you can make is telling the agent about your situation before asking it to do something. Compare these two requests to Quill:
- “Write a blog post about packaging.”
- “I sell handmade soy candles on Etsy. My customers care about sustainability. Write a blog post about eco-friendly packaging options for small e-commerce businesses.”
The second version gives Quill enough to produce something you can actually use. The first will get you a generic article that needs heavy editing.
Be specific about what you want
If you have preferences about format, length, tone, or audience, say so upfront. “Make it casual and under 500 words” or “write this as a numbered list aimed at first-time business owners” gives the agent a clear target. Without that guidance, the agent makes its own assumptions, and they may not match what you had in mind.
Use skills for structured tasks
When you know what you want to accomplish, starting with a skill is usually more effective than describing the task from scratch. Skills ask you the right questions in the right order, which means the agent gets better context with less effort on your part. You can always continue chatting after a skill produces its result.
Refine, don’t restart
If the agent’s response is close but not right, tell it what to adjust. “Make the tone more casual,” “add a section about pricing,” or “this is too long, cut it in half” are all useful follow-ups that build on the work already done. Starting over from scratch wastes Agent credits and usually produces a worse result than iterating.
One task at a time
Asking for five things in one message tends to produce weaker results across the board. Let the agent finish one task well before moving to the next. A conversation is ongoing, so there’s no rush to pack everything into a single message.
Tell the agent what hasn’t worked
If you’ve already tried something and it didn’t work, mention it. Agents give better advice when they understand what’s been attempted, not just what the goal is. “I’ve been posting on Instagram daily for three months but my engagement is flat” gives Buzz much more to work with than “help me grow on Instagram.”