A useful request tells the Cedros assistant what you want, what to work from, and how you will judge the result. You can write naturally; a few concrete details help more than a long introduction.
If you need help opening chat or sending your first message, start with Getting started with the Cedros assistant.
Include the essentials
For a task with several requirements, cover these six points:
- Goal: what should the assistant produce or change?
- Source: which page, record, document, or pasted text should it use?
- Audience: who will read or use the result?
- Limits: what length, tone, facts, or existing content must it preserve?
- Action: should it answer in chat, save a draft, or make a live change?
- Done: what should it show you when the work is finished?
For example, “Write a welcome email” leaves the audience, offer, and next step open. “Draft a welcome email for new workshop attendees using the details below; keep it under 150 words and show it here without sending” gives the assistant a clear task.
You do not need all six points for a simple question. Add the details that affect the answer.
Identify the source and the exact item
Give the page title and URL, the record name, or the relevant text. If several items have similar names, ask the assistant to identify the one it found before changing it.
For a report or summary, specify the period, timezone if dates could be ambiguous, and any filter that matters. For example, say “the enquiries received from 1–30 September” rather than “recent enquiries.”
Keep reference material separate from your instructions. Introduce it with a line such as “Use the following as source material,” then explain what the assistant should do with it.
If you attach a file, name it in the request and explain which part matters. Wait for the upload to finish before sending. Files upload to the media library as soon as you select them, so use the attachment guidance before adding sensitive material.
Say how far the assistant should go
Choose wording that matches the action you want:
- An answer in chat: “Show three alternatives here. Do not change the site.”
- A saved draft: “Save this as a new draft and give me the link to review it. Do not publish it.”
- A live change: identify the exact item and change, and explicitly say to publish or send only when that is what you intend.
For larger work, ask for a short plan or list of proposed changes first. Review that result, then give a specific instruction for the next step.
Clear wording guides the assistant's work, but it does not change its permissions. Your administrator controls which actions are available. Review any approval card that appears, and remember that some permitted actions can run without a separate confirmation.
Adapt these examples
Replace the example names and source details with your own before sending.
Rewrite text for customers
Rewrite the text below for first-time customers. Use plain language and keep it under 100 words. Preserve every price and date, and do not add features or promises. Give me one version here in chat without saving or publishing anything. If a fact is unclear, ask me instead of guessing.
Paste the text after the request. Include a short example of your preferred tone if words such as “friendly” or “professional” could mean different things.
Prepare a page draft
Create a new draft page titled “Autumn workshops” using the details below. It is for people who have never attended before. Include a short introduction, the confirmed dates and prices, and a booking section. Keep it under 400 words. Use only the booking URL I provide. If required details are missing, ask me before saving. Do not publish. When finished, give me the draft link and list anything I should check.
Add the confirmed workshop details and booking URL. If you want to revise an existing page instead, provide its exact title and URL and say which sections may change.
Summarize information without changing it
Summarize the customer enquiries pasted below. Group them into the five most common topics, count the enquiries in each group, and include one short example per topic without names or contact details. Count each enquiry once. Finish with three suggested improvements. Use only this material and tell me if any entries are incomplete. Return the summary here without updating customer records or sending replies.
Paste only the information needed for the task. If you want the assistant to read records from Cedros, name the source and date range and ask it to confirm what it could access. Do not assume it has reviewed records it could not open.
Tell it what to do with missing information
If a missing fact would change the result, say so: “Ask me for the offer end date before drafting” or “Leave out any claim that is not supported by the source.”
For exploratory work, you can allow assumptions while keeping them visible: “Suggest two approaches and list the assumptions behind each.” Review those assumptions before asking for a saved or live change.
Ask the assistant to distinguish what it found from what it recommends. This is especially useful when you want a summary followed by suggested next steps.
Give focused follow-ups
Keep related revisions in the same conversation. State the change and what should stay:
- “Shorten the introduction to two sentences. Keep the dates, prices, and booking link exactly as they are.”
- “Use the second version, but replace the final paragraph with the wording below.”
- “You used the old product page. Use this URL instead and check the description again.”
Wait for the current result when your follow-up depends on it. A message sent while the assistant is busy can be queued to run next; use the queue controls to edit or remove a request you no longer want.
Check that the result meets the request
- Confirm that the assistant used the right source and worked on the right item.
- Compare the result with your limits: length, required facts, unchanged sections, and intended audience.
- Check whether it answered in chat, saved a draft, or made the live change you requested. Open saved items to verify them.
- Review missing details and assumptions before approving the next step.
For pages, use Understanding drafts, previews, and publishing to review what customers will see.
If the result is wrong, point to the specific difference and ask for a correction. If a request fails after it may have saved or sent something, check the affected item before repeating it. Rewording a request will not resolve a missing permission or provider connection; ask your administrator to check those errors.