AI context checklist

A model knows the world in general and your situation not at all. These checks help you choose the material a capable new colleague would need for this one question. They cover what to leave out as well as what to include.

The checklist

1. 1

   Paste the source, not its name

   Give the document, the data, or the thread. A title alone tells the model nothing.

2. 2

   Explain what the material means

   Say what each column, field, or label stands for, and where the data came from.

3. 3

   Name the decision

   Say what the answer will be used for, so the model knows what matters in the material.

4. 4

   Cut what does not bear on the question

   Remove old drafts, side threads, and sections the question does not touch.

5. 5

   Remove what should not leave the building

   Strip names, account details, and confidential figures unless the tool is approved for them.

6. 6

   Ask for answers tied to the text

   Request quotes, page references, or row numbers so you can check the reading.

7. 7

   Restate the rules in long threads

   Repeat the key constraints, or start a fresh conversation from a short summary.

8. 8

   Keep a standing brief for repeat work

   Write the project background once and paste it at the start of each new conversation.

Red flags

• The answer is fluent and specific, and it is about a project the model has never seen.
• You pasted everything you had and the answer ignores the one part that mattered.
• Constraints you set early in a long conversation have stopped showing up in the output.
• The context includes customer or employee details the task does not need.

At each band

E1 · Foundational

Supplies the actual material instead of assuming the model knows the situation.

E2 · Proficient

Selects the relevant material and explains what it means and what decision it feeds.

E3 · Distinguished

Manages context across long work with summaries, fresh threads, and standing briefs.

E4 · Exceptional

Designs ordered, labeled briefing material with deliberate exclusions and traceable answers.

Summarized from the Emeri study guide Giving good context, free at emeri.org/learn/giving-context.