Brief jobs with a 9-part outcome framework

How this helps you

Your Bot gets an outcome, freedom, limits and a definition of done in one brief.

1: ACHIEVE: [The outcome you want and the finished deliverable]

2: USE: [The sources, accounts, tools and existing resources available]

3: TIMING: [The deadline, schedule or trigger, including time zone]

4: YOU MAY: [What Grok Bot can do without asking permission]

5: ASK ME BEFORE: [Actions requiring your approval]

6: DO NOT: [Anything it must avoid or never change]

7: DONE MEANS: [How to verify the job was completed successfully]

8: IF BLOCKED: [Whether to retry, stop or escalate, and when]

9: DELIVER: [The format and where to send the finished work]

Use the simplest reliable approach. Reuse existing connections and workflows. Ask only about gaps that materially affect the result.

What they did

Michael noticed people tell Grok Bot how to do a task instead of what must be achieved. He asked Grok Bot to design an ideal instruction framework and landed on nine fields: ACHIEVE, USE, TIMING, YOU MAY, ASK ME BEFORE, DO NOT, DONE MEANS, IF BLOCKED and DELIVER, then a closer that prefers the simplest reliable approach and only asks about material gaps. His contrast example: instead of "research three options and send the best one," specify budget, sources, no-purchase rule, comparison criteria, delivery time and what to do if prices cannot be verified. He notes you do not need every field for every ask, but the full set shines for recurring routines, unattended jobs and multi-agent work. The closing line matters as much as the nine fields: use the simplest reliable approach, reuse existing connections, and ask only about gaps that change the result. That keeps the brief from turning into another wall of process.

Who it's for: Anyone writing routines or multi-Bot jobs that keep coming back for clarification.

Before you start

• A Grok Bot you already use for real tasks
• One upcoming job that usually needs back-and-forth

How to try it

1. Copy the 9-part template below into a note you reuse.
2. Fill ACHIEVE, DONE MEANS and ASK ME BEFORE first; add the other fields when the job is recurring or unattended.
3. Paste the filled brief as the whole instruction for the next task.
4. If the Bot asks questions, check whether a field was empty rather than rewriting the whole brief.
5. For routines, save the filled brief as the routine Instruction and keep DO NOT / ASK ME BEFORE strict.

What to expect

You fill ACHIEVE with a three-option comparison under $200, ASK ME BEFORE with purchases, DONE MEANS with source links, and TIMING with 8am Sydney; the Bot returns a comparison instead of a vague shortlist.

Common mistakes

• Listing every click instead of the outcome and limits.
• Leaving ASK ME BEFORE empty on jobs that can send, pay or post.
• Forcing all nine fields on a two-line chat ask.
• Skipping IF BLOCKED so the Bot loops forever on missing data.

Related tips

• Write the outcome, not the recipe: Describe what you want; pasted tool calls break by week two.
• Give deep research a finish line: "Research this deeply" gives no finish line and no reason to stop browsing.

Worth knowingClear outcomes and boundaries cut the ping-pong without turning you into a micromanager.

Learn more: Grok Bot Use Cases: Real Workflows From Real Users · All Grok Bot workflows tips