How to Get Better Genealogy Answers from AI: Weak vs. Strong Prompts (2 Min Read)

Written By Heidi Buck

If you have ever asked ChatGPT (sign up for a free account) a genealogy question and felt underwhelmed by the answer, you are not alone. ChatGPT is an AI assistant that can read, summarize, explain, and analyze information, which makes it especially helpful for genealogy. You can use it to understand record types, brainstorm research paths, or turn long documents into something easier to digest.

But most people start with “weak prompts.” These are short, vague questions that lack the details an AI needs to help you solve a real research problem. The good news is that you can fix this with very small changes. Strong prompts give an AI the kind of information a real research assistant would need: location, time period, what you already tried, and what you want next.

Let me show you how this works.

Treat Your AI Like an Eager Junior Researcher

A helpful way to think about ChatGPT is to treat it like a brand new junior researcher. It is eager, fast, and capable, but it cannot read your mind. If you give it clear direction, it will jump in and assist you. If you give it very little to work with, it will return something generic. Just like mentoring a new team member, the more structure you provide, the better the results you will get.

The Weak Prompt Example

Here is the kind of question most people ask first:

“I need help researching Joseph Tucker. He was born in 1876.”

This seems fine, but to an AI it is like saying “Find someone named Smith.” It is too general and the AI has no idea where to begin.

The Strong Prompt Example

Here is the strong version, rewritten to give the AI the right structure and direction:

“Act as a genealogist familiar with Illinois research. Create a research plan for Joseph Tucker born 1876 in Fulton County. I already checked the census. I need sources to search before 1900.”

See the difference?
• You set the role.
• You give the location.
• You give the time frame.
• You explain what you already searched.
• You say exactly what you need next.

With just one sentence added, the AI can now give you targeted, genealogically sound guidance.

A Simple Formula for Strong Genealogy Prompts

Try this format next time:

  1. Role: “Act as a genealogist who specializes in [place or topic].”

  2. Person: “I am researching [name], born [year] in [location].”

  3. What I Already Tried: “I already checked [records].”

  4. What I Need Now: “I need sources or strategies for [time frame or problem].”

This one small shift can completely change the quality and usefulness of the answers you receive.

Give It a Try on Your Next Research Problem

If you want your AI tools to behave like a genealogy assistant instead of a casual search engine, strong prompts are your new superpower. They will save you time, focus your work, and help you make faster breakthroughs when the paper trail gets messy.

Want more examples like this? Keep following along and I will continue sharing practical, genealogy-friendly ways to use AI in your research.

Heidi Buck