Targeted Extraction Techniques

5 min

What you will learn

Use few-shot prompting to train AI on your specific extraction pattern
Build extraction templates for recurring summarization tasks
Apply structured output prompting to get summaries in tables, checklists, and specific formats

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Targeted Extraction Techniques

The EXTRACT framework from Lesson 1 tells you what to ask for. This lesson teaches you how to ask for it consistently using few-shot prompting and structured output techniques.

If you summarize the same type of document regularly — meeting notes, research papers, client calls, weekly reports — you shouldn't be reinventing your prompt every time. Few-shot prompting lets you show AI exactly the output format you want, and it'll match that pattern every time.

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Knowledge check

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What's the main advantage of few-shot prompting over zero-shot prompting for summarization tasks?

Key takeaway

Few-shot prompting — showing AI 2-3 examples of exactly the output format you want — is the most reliable way to get consistent, structured extractions. Once you build a template that works, you can reuse it every time you encounter the same type of document.

Practice Exercise

Hands-on practice — do this now to lock in what you learned

Open an AI assistant and try this:

Find a meeting summary, status email, or report you received recently. Build a few-shot extraction prompt: write out the exact format you want (use one of the structured output formats from this lesson), provide one example of that format filled in, then ask the AI to extract from the real document. Save this prompt — you'll use it again.

Open in ChatGPT

Or try it in:Claude Gemini Perplexity

+10 XP when completed

Write your prompt attempt here (optional)

Targeted Extraction Techniques

The EXTRACT framework from Lesson 1 tells you what to ask for. This lesson teaches you how to ask for it consistently using few-shot prompting and structured output techniques.