Tell It When to Stop

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Intro

When you do not say when to stop, the AI has to guess. It usually guesses: "more is safer than less." A stopping condition fixes that in one line.

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What is happening

Every time the AI receives a message, it has to decide how much to say. Without guidance, it defaults to covering the topic thoroughly — which often means more than you needed. It is not being difficult. It genuinely does not know whether you wanted a sentence or a page.

A stopping condition is the part of your message that tells it when enough is enough. It can be a word count ("under 100 words"), an item count ("3 bullet points"), a format ("just the summary, nothing else"), or an exclusion ("no introduction, no conclusion"). Any of these work. The AI follows them reliably when you make them specific.

Adding a stopping condition does not require rewriting your whole message. It is usually one sentence, added at the end.

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The exercise

You are going to send the same request twice — once without a stopping condition, and once with one.

Step 1: Without a stopping condition

Copy this message and send it:

Explain how to make a good cup of coffee.

Read the response. Notice how long it is. Notice what is in it that you did not ask for.

Step 2: With a stopping condition

Start a new conversation. Copy this message and send it:

Explain how to make a good cup of coffee. 5 steps. Each step under 15 words. No introduction, no conclusion.

Read this response. Notice the difference in length, structure, and how much extra you received.

Step 3: Now try it with your own task

Think of something you have actually wanted to ask the AI. Copy this template, personalise the brackets, and send it:

[Verb: summarise / explain / list / draft] [what you want]. Stop after [your condition: e.g. "3 bullet points" / "under 100 words" / "5 steps, each under 20 words"].

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COPY — PERSONALISE — USE

The template for this module:

[Verb] [what you want]. Stop after [condition].

How to personalise it:

[Verb] — the action you want: "summarise," "list," "explain," "draft." One verb only.

[what you want] — the specific thing the verb should be applied to. "The main points of this article." "The steps for onboarding a new client." "A reply to this complaint."

[condition] — how you will know it is done. Some options:

• A number of items: "3 bullet points," "5 steps," "4 options"
• A word limit: "under 80 words," "no more than one paragraph"
• A format limit: "just the list, no introduction," "no preamble, no suggestions"
• A combination: "3 bullet points, each under 15 words, no introduction"

You can also add exclusions after the stopping condition. "No jargon." "No suggestions I didn't ask for." "Don't include a summary at the end." These work as additions, not replacements.

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What good looks like

The response with a stopping condition should be noticeably shorter and more contained than the one without. It should feel like it answered exactly your question and then stopped, rather than continuing into related territory you did not ask about.

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If this did not work

If the AI went over your word count or added sections you excluded, the condition may have been too vague. "Keep it short" is not a stopping condition. "Under 80 words" is. "No extras" is not. "No introduction and no conclusion" is. Make the condition as specific as you can.

If the response still ran long, try putting the stopping condition at the start of your message rather than the end:

In under 80 words and no more than 3 bullet points: [your request].

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Next

Now that you know how to send one focused message with a clear stopping condition, B-07 teaches you what to do with the response once it arrives — how to read it, what to look for, and what your options are.