> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.rallies.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Getting Better Answers: Prompt Tips > Get more useful answers from the Rallies AI. Learn prompting techniques, example questions, and tips to make your investment research more effective. # Getting Better Answers: Prompt Tips The AI Research Assistant can do a lot, but the quality of your answers depends partly on how you ask. These tips will help you get more useful, accurate, and relevant responses. ## The Golden Rule: Be Specific The more specific your question, the better your answer. | Vague Question | Specific Question | | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | "Tell me about Tesla" | "What are Tesla's gross margins and how have they changed over the last 3 years?" | | "Is Apple good?" | "What are the bull and bear arguments for Apple at its current valuation?" | | "What about dividends?" | "Which S\&P 500 stocks have increased dividends for 25+ consecutive years?" | Vague questions get vague answers. Specific questions get actionable research. ## 7 Tips for Better Questions ### 1. Use Ticker Symbols Ticker symbols are unambiguous. Company names can be confusing. * ✓ "What's AAPL's P/E ratio?" * ✗ "What's Apple's P/E ratio?" (Works, but less precise) * ✓ "Compare GOOGL and MSFT on profit margins" * ✗ "Compare Google and Microsoft" (Google could mean Alphabet Class A or C shares) ### 2. Specify Time Periods Financial data is time-dependent. Tell the AI what period you care about. * ✓ "What was Amazon's revenue growth from 2020 to 2024?" * ✓ "How have Netflix's margins changed over the last 5 years?" * ✓ "What was Tesla's gross margin last quarter?" * ✗ "What's Amazon's revenue growth?" (Which period?) ### 3. Ask for Comparisons Comparative analysis is often more useful than looking at one stock in isolation. * "Compare Costco and Walmart on operating margins" * "How does AMD's valuation compare to Nvidia and Intel?" * "Rank the big banks by return on equity" * "Which has grown faster: Microsoft's cloud or Amazon's?" ### 4. Request Specific Metrics If you know what metric you want, ask for it directly. **Valuation:** P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, PEG ratio **Profitability:** Gross margin, operating margin, net margin, ROE, ROA, ROIC **Growth:** Revenue growth, earnings growth, free cash flow growth **Financial Health:** Debt-to-equity, current ratio, interest coverage Example: "What's NVDA's EV/EBITDA compared to its 5-year average?" ### 5. Ask for Both Sides Avoid confirmation bias by asking for balanced analysis. * "What are the bull and bear cases for \[stock]?" * "What are the biggest risks facing \[company]?" * "What could go wrong with this investment thesis?" * "What are analysts who are bearish on \[stock] saying?" ### 6. Use Follow-Up Questions The AI remembers your conversation. Build on previous answers instead of starting over. **Effective follow-up sequence:** > **You:** Give me an overview of Nvidia's business. > > **You:** What are their profit margins? > > **You:** How does that compare to AMD? > > **You:** What's driving the difference? > > **You:** What are the main risks to Nvidia's margins? Each follow-up drills deeper without repeating context. ### 7. Specify the Format You Want Tell the AI how you want information presented. * "Give me a quick summary in 3 bullet points" * "Explain this like I'm new to investing" * "Create a comparison table of these 5 stocks" * "Walk me through this step by step" * "Give me the detailed version with numbers" ## Power Prompts to Try ### For Stock Analysis ``` "Give me the bull and bear case for [TICKER], focusing on valuation, competitive position, and growth outlook." ``` ``` "What would a value investor think about [TICKER] at its current price? Include specific metrics." ``` ``` "Summarize [TICKER]'s last earnings report. What did management say about guidance?" ``` ### For Portfolio Analysis ``` "Look at my portfolio and identify any concentration risks or gaps in diversification." ``` ``` "Which of my holdings has the highest valuation relative to its growth rate?" ``` ``` "If interest rates rise 1%, which of my stocks would be most affected and why?" ``` ### For Learning ``` "Explain [concept] like I'm new to investing. Use a simple analogy." ``` ``` "What metrics should I look at when evaluating a [type of stock, e.g., bank, REIT, tech company]?" ``` ``` "Walk me through how to read an income statement, using [TICKER] as an example." ``` ### For Screening ``` "Find me stocks with: P/E under 15, dividend yield over 3%, and positive earnings growth last 5 years." ``` ``` "What are some high-quality companies trading below their 5-year average valuation?" ``` ``` "Which tech stocks have the strongest free cash flow relative to their market cap?" ``` ## What to Do When Answers Aren't Helpful ### If the answer is too general Add more specifics to your question: * Include ticker symbols * Specify time periods * Name the exact metrics you want * Ask for numbers, not just descriptions ### If the answer seems wrong * Ask the AI to show its sources or data * Try rephrasing the question * Ask about a specific metric directly to verify * Check the data on the stock page yourself * Report the issue using the feedback button ### If the AI won't answer The AI declines certain questions for good reasons: * It won't give buy/sell recommendations (regulatory compliance) * It won't predict specific future prices (nobody can) * It won't provide personalized advice (requires knowing your full situation) Try reframing: instead of "Should I buy TSLA?" ask "What are the arguments for and against owning TSLA?" ### If you hit your query limit Free accounts have weekly limits. You can: * Wait for your limit to reset (Mondays) * [Upgrade to Pro](/billing/upgrade) for unlimited queries * Use the stock pages and screener, which don't count against your chat limit ## Common Mistakes to Avoid **Don't ask the AI to predict the future** * ✗ "Where will AAPL be in 6 months?" * ✓ "What factors could affect AAPL's stock price over the next year?" **Don't ask for personal financial advice** * ✗ "Should I put my 401k in this stock?" * ✓ "What are the risks of having a concentrated position in one stock?" **Don't assume the AI knows your situation** * ✗ "Is this a good investment for me?" * ✓ "What type of investor would find this stock attractive, and why?" **Don't use vague references** * ✗ "What do you think about it?" (What's "it"?) * ✓ "What do you think about Tesla's current valuation?" *** ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Does capitalization matter? No, "AAPL", "aapl", and "Apple" all work. But ticker symbols are clearer when there's potential ambiguity. ### Can I ask multiple questions at once? Yes, but simpler questions often get better answers. If you have multiple complex questions, ask them one at a time for more thorough responses. ### How do I get the AI to be more concise? Just ask: "Give me a brief answer" or "Summarize in 3 bullet points" or "Keep it short." ### Can the AI remember things across different conversations? No, each new conversation starts fresh. If you want to reference something from a previous chat, you'll need to provide that context again. *** ## Related Articles * [What Can I Ask the AI?](/ai-assistant/what-to-ask) * [How the AI Research Assistant Works](/ai-assistant/how-it-works) * [Understanding AI Limitations](/ai-assistant/limitations) * [Reporting Inaccurate AI Responses](/ai-assistant/report-issues)