Avoiding Vague Prompts That Confuse AI

AI can feel powerful, but it’s only as good as the way you frame your question.

Ask it something vague, and you’ll get vague results.

The same rule applies to stock screeners. If your prompts are unclear, the output will be messy or irrelevant.

To get sharp, useful shortlists, you need to frame prompts with precision.

What Counts as Vague?

Prompts like these:

• “Show me good stocks to buy.”
• “Which companies will go up?”
• “Find safe investments.”

These are too broad. AI doesn’t know what “good,” “safe,” or “will go up” means for you. Everyone’s definition is different.

Why Vague Prompts Fail

• Too many possibilities: AI has no way to narrow down your search.
• Subjective language: Words like good or cheap don’t have fixed meaning.
• Missed context: Without numbers or timeframes, results become guesses.

How to Make Prompts Clear

Instead of vague words, use specific conditions.

• Vague: “Show me cheap stocks.”
• Clear: “Show me Nifty 100 stocks with P/E below 15 and price under ₹500.”
• Vague: “Find safe investments.”
• Clear: “List banking stocks with NPAs under 2%, ROE above 15%, and dividend history for 5 years.”

See the difference? The clear prompt gives AI measurable rules.

Tips for Avoiding Vagueness

• Add numbers: Price < ₹500, ROE > 12%, RSI < 30.
• Mention timeframes: Profit growth in 3 years, 10-day average volume.
• State sector or size: Mid-cap IT, large-cap banks, FMCG.
• Use AND/OR logic: “Under ₹1,000 AND above 200-DMA.”

Example A vague prompt:
“Find strong auto companies.”

A clear prompt:
“Show me auto stocks with sales growth above 10% for 3 years, debt-to-equity below 0.5, and trading above 50-day moving average.”

Now the screener knows exactly what you mean by “strong.”

The Role of Iteration

Even with clear prompts, the first result may not be perfect. Don’t hesitate to refine. Example:

• First: “Show me FMCG stocks with P/E under 25 and profit growth above 10%.”
• Then: “Now exclude companies with promoter pledges.”

This iterative process turns vague prompts into sharp, actionable ones.

Final Takeaway

AI isn’t a mind reader. Vague prompts create vague results.

But when you write clear, measurable conditions, the screener becomes a sharp tool.

Replace subjective words with numbers, timeframes, and filters.

The clearer your prompt, the sharper and more reliable your shortlist will be.