Different LLMs have different strengths and interfaces. This lesson walks you through setting up accounts and getting familiar with the most popular options.
1ChatGPT (OpenAI)
ChatGPT is the most popular starting point for prompt engineering.
**Setup**:\n1. Go to chat.openai.com\n2. Create a free account\n3. Start with GPT-3.5 (free) or upgrade to GPT-4 (paid)
**Interface**: Clean chat interface with conversation history\n**Strengths**: Great for general tasks, very responsive\n**Best for**: Beginners, quick experiments, conversational tasks
**Tip**: Use the 'New Chat' button frequently to avoid context bleed between experiments.
2Claude (Anthropic)
Claude excels at analysis and longer-form content.
**Setup**:\n1. Go to claude.ai\n2. Create a free account\n3. Start with Claude 3 Haiku (free tier available)
**Interface**: Clean, focused on conversation\n**Strengths**: Excellent analysis, creative writing, long contexts\n**Best for**: Research, writing, complex reasoning tasks
**Tip**: Claude tends to be more 'helpful' and less likely to refuse requests than some other models.
3Gemini (Google)
Google's LLM with strong multimodal capabilities.
**Setup**:\n1. Go to gemini.google.com\n2. Sign in with Google account\n3. Use the free tier
**Interface**: Modern, integrated with Google services\n**Strengths**: Good at coding, real-time information, multimodal\n**Best for**: Technical tasks, current events, image-related tasks
**Tip**: Gemini has access to current information through Google Search.
4Testing your setup
Once you have access to at least one LLM, test it with this simple prompt:
**Test Prompt**: 'Explain the concept of prompt engineering in 3 sentences.'
**What to check**:\n- Does the model respond appropriately?\n- How long does it take to respond?\n- Does the interface feel comfortable to use?
If you run into issues, try a different model or check if there are temporary service issues.
Key Takeaways
Start with whichever LLM feels most comfortable. You can always switch later. The techniques you learn in this course work across all models - the fundamentals of good prompting are universal.
Try These Prompts
Put these prompt engineering concepts into practice with our beginner-friendly prompts:
Fix Common Issues
Having trouble with your prompts? These common issues and their solutions will help:
Continue Learning
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need programming experience to learn prompt engineering?
No, prompt engineering is accessible to everyone. While some advanced techniques require understanding AI concepts, you can start creating effective prompts with just basic writing skills. This course is designed for beginners and builds up gradually.
Which AI tool should I start with?
We recommend starting with ChatGPT (free tier available) or Claude (generous free tier). Both are excellent for learning prompt engineering fundamentals. You can try Gemini later once you understand the basics. The techniques you learn work across all major AI platforms.
How long does it take to become good at prompt engineering?
Most people see significant improvements within 1-2 weeks of consistent practice. The basics can be learned quickly, but mastery comes from experimentation and iteration. Focus on understanding why techniques work rather than memorizing templates.
Can I use these techniques for work?
Absolutely! Prompt engineering is becoming an essential skill across many industries. Companies are hiring prompt engineers, and effective prompting can significantly boost productivity in content creation, analysis, coding, and many other fields.
What if the AI gives me unexpected results?
Unexpected results are part of the learning process! When this happens, analyze what went wrong: Was your instruction unclear? Did you provide enough context? Did you give good examples? Each iteration teaches you something new about how AI interprets your prompts.