The COSTAR Framework: Structure Every Prompt for Success
When you're staring at a blank prompt, it's easy to just start typing. But prompts written stream-of-consciousness often miss crucial elements. What you need is a framework—a systematic approach that ensures you include everything necessary for great results.
Enter COSTAR: Context, Objective, Style, Tone, Audience, Response. This framework gives you a mental checklist for prompt construction, turning prompt writing from an art into a repeatable process.
Why This Matters
Most prompt failures come from missing information. You know what you want, but you haven't told the AI. The COSTAR framework prevents these omissions by giving you six categories to consider for every prompt.
Think of COSTAR like a preflight checklist. Pilots don't skip it because they're experienced—they use it because it catches oversights that experience alone might miss. COSTAR does the same for prompts.
The COSTAR Framework Explained
C - Context
Background information the AI needs to understand your situation.
What to include:
- Your role or position
- Your industry or domain
- Relevant history or current situation
- Constraints you're working within
- What's already been tried or decided
Example:
Context: I'm a product manager at a fintech startup. We're launching a new budgeting feature next month. Our users are primarily millennials who are new to personal finance. Our main competitor just launched a similar feature last week.
O - Objective
What you want to accomplish with this prompt.
What to include:
- The specific outcome you need
- The action you want AI to take
- What success looks like
- Any secondary goals
Example:
Objective: Create launch messaging that differentiates our budgeting feature from the competition and resonates with users who feel overwhelmed by traditional finance apps.
S - Style
The writing style or approach you want.
What to include:
- Formal vs. informal
- Technical vs. accessible
- Brief vs. detailed
- Creative vs. straightforward
- Reference models ("like X publication" or "similar to how Y writes")
Example:
Style: Conversational and approachable, like personal finance advice from a knowledgeable friend. Avoid financial jargon. Use short sentences and practical examples.
T - Tone
The emotional quality of the response.
What to include:
- The feeling you want to convey
- Energy level (enthusiastic vs. measured)
- Attitude (confident, humble, encouraging, direct)
- What tone to avoid
Example:
Tone: Encouraging and empowering—make users feel capable, not judged about their finances. Optimistic without being naive about financial challenges.
A - Audience
Who will read or use the output.
What to include:
- Who they are (role, demographics)
- What they know (expertise level)
- What they care about
- What might concern or confuse them
- Their relationship to you or your organization
Example:
Audience: Potential users who have tried budgeting apps before but gave up. They're skeptical of another "revolutionary" app, somewhat anxious about money, but genuinely want to improve their financial habits.
R - Response
How you want the output structured.
What to include:
- Format (list, paragraph, table, etc.)
- Length (word count, number of items)
- Sections or organization
- Any specific elements to include
Example:
Response: Provide: 1. A headline (under 10 words) 2. A subheadline (one sentence) 3. Three key messages (2-3 sentences each) 4. A call-to-action (one sentence) Total length: under 200 words.
Examples in Action
Example 1: Marketing Content
Before (Unstructured):
Write some copy for our new app feature.
After (COSTAR):
CONTEXT: I'm a marketing lead at a B2B SaaS company. We just released an AI-powered reporting feature that automatically generates executive summaries from raw data. Our customers are mid-size companies frustrated with manual report creation. OBJECTIVE: Create website copy that explains this feature's value and motivates visitors to start a free trial. STYLE: Clear and professional, with concrete examples of time saved. Similar to how Notion or Slack describes features—benefit-focused, not feature-focused. TONE: Confident and helpful. Understands the frustration of manual work without being negative. Forward-looking. AUDIENCE: Operations managers and analysts who spend hours each week compiling data into reports. They're interested but skeptical of "AI" claims. They need to justify the purchase to their boss. RESPONSE: - Feature headline (under 8 words) - Feature description (2-3 sentences) - Three benefit bullets - One customer quote (you can make up a realistic one) - Call-to-action button text
Example 2: Internal Communication
Before (Unstructured):
Help me write an announcement about the new policy.
After (COSTAR):
CONTEXT: I'm an HR director. We're implementing a new flexible work policy after months of employee feedback and leadership discussions. Currently, everyone is required in-office 5 days. The new policy allows 2 remote days per week. OBJECTIVE: Announce the new policy in a way that generates excitement while setting clear expectations about how it will work. STYLE: Direct and clear. Get to the point quickly, then provide details. Use headers for scannability. TONE: Positive and appreciative—acknowledge employees advocated for this. But also practical—set clear expectations to prevent confusion. AUDIENCE: All 500 employees. Mix of roles—some will be thrilled, some (especially managers) might have concerns about coordination. They've been waiting for this announcement. RESPONSE: - Email subject line - Opening paragraph (announce the change) - "How It Works" section (the rules) - "What to Expect" section (timeline and process) - Closing (appreciation and who to contact with questions) Total: 300-400 words
Example 3: Analysis Request
Before (Unstructured):
Analyze our customer churn.
After (COSTAR):
CONTEXT: I'm the VP of Customer Success at a SaaS company. Our annual churn rate increased from 12% to 18% last year. We have 200 customers ranging from $10K to $500K ARR. Exit survey data shows "lack of ROI" and "poor adoption" as top reasons for leaving. OBJECTIVE: Develop a framework for analyzing our churn that helps me identify specific interventions we should prioritize. STYLE: Strategic and actionable. Think like a management consultant creating an analysis framework, not an academic paper. TONE: Pragmatic. Acknowledge that resources are limited and we need to prioritize. AUDIENCE: Me (to guide my analysis) and eventually my CEO (who will want to see clear thinking and prioritized recommendations). RESPONSE: 1. Key questions we should answer about our churn 2. Data we should analyze (and why) 3. A framework for segmenting churned customers 4. Suggested intervention categories with examples 5. How to prioritize based on effort vs. impact
Copy-Paste Prompts
COSTAR Quick Template
CONTEXT: [Background info, your situation, constraints] OBJECTIVE: [What you want to accomplish] STYLE: [Writing approach, formality, how it should read] TONE: [Emotional quality, attitude, energy] AUDIENCE: [Who will read this, what they know, what they care about] RESPONSE: [Format, length, structure, required elements] --- [Your specific request or question here]
COSTAR Checklist Prompt
Before I finalize my prompt, help me ensure I've covered the COSTAR elements: My current prompt: """ [Your prompt] """ For each COSTAR element, tell me: - What I've provided - What's missing or unclear - A suggestion to strengthen it Then give me a revised version of my prompt with all elements clearly addressed.
Common Mistakes
❌ Mistake: Filling in every element even when some aren't relevant ✅ Fix: Use COSTAR as a checklist, not a mandatory template—skip elements that don't apply
❌ Mistake: Making Context so long the AI loses focus ✅ Fix: Include only context that will change the output
❌ Mistake: Conflicting Style and Tone (e.g., "formal" style with "playful" tone) ✅ Fix: Ensure all elements work together coherently
❌ Mistake: Being vague in the Response section ✅ Fix: Specific format requirements get specific formats
❌ Mistake: Describing Audience but not their needs ✅ Fix: Include what they care about and what concerns them
When to Use This Technique
- Writing prompts for important or complex outputs
- When you keep getting results that miss the mark
- Building prompt templates for repeated use
- Training others on prompt writing
- When you need consistent, professional-quality outputs
When NOT to Use This Technique
- Quick questions where context is obvious
- Brainstorming where constraints limit creativity
- Simple tasks that don't need the full framework
- When time pressure makes thoroughness impractical
Advanced Variations
COSTAR+ (with Examples)
Add examples after your COSTAR elements:
[COSTAR elements] EXAMPLE of what I'm looking for: """ [An example output in the style/format you want] """
Weighted COSTAR
When one element matters most:
[Standard COSTAR elements] PRIORITY: Tone is the most critical element. I'd rather have perfect tone with okay content than great content with wrong tone.
Contextual COSTAR
For ongoing conversations:
[Standard COSTAR elements] CONSISTENCY: This is part of a series. Previous pieces used [X approach]. Maintain consistency with that while addressing this specific topic.
COSTAR for Different Task Types
| Task Type | Emphasize | Often Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing copy | S, T, A | Deep C |
| Technical docs | C, A, R | T |
| Internal comms | C, T, A | S |
| Data analysis | C, O, R | S, T |
| Creative writing | S, T | Detailed R |
| Strategy work | C, O, A | S, T |
Practice Exercise
Transform this basic prompt using COSTAR:
Write about our company for the website.
Try filling in each element:
CONTEXT: [What's your company? What's the website for? What exists currently?] OBJECTIVE: [What should this copy achieve? What action should visitors take?] STYLE: [How should it read? What's your brand voice?] TONE: [What feeling should it convey?] AUDIENCE: [Who visits your website? What do they want to know?] RESPONSE: [What sections? How long? What elements?]
Compare the results between the basic prompt and your COSTAR version.
Key Takeaways
- COSTAR = Context, Objective, Style, Tone, Audience, Response
- Use it as a checklist, not a rigid template
- Context prevents assumptions; Objective ensures focus
- Style and Tone shape how it feels; Audience shapes what to say
- Response gets you usable formats
- Not every prompt needs all six—use what's relevant
- COSTAR prevents omissions that cause prompt failures
Conclusion
The COSTAR framework transforms prompt writing from guesswork into process. Instead of wondering what to include, you have six specific categories to consider. Instead of hoping you've covered everything, you have a checklist to verify.
Like any framework, COSTAR works best when applied thoughtfully. Use the elements that matter for your specific prompt. Over time, you'll develop intuition for which elements need emphasis and which can be brief or skipped.
Start using COSTAR on your next important prompt. Work through each element, even if briefly. Notice how complete your prompt becomes—and how much better the results are.
Structure your prompts. Structure your success.
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