Here are 10 tips to unlock the full potential of Prospector AI Search:

1. Don’t do keyword searches, make searches conversational. Prospector AI Search understands full statements, so describe what you need the way you’d explain it to a colleague, instead of stringing together keywords. Natural language provides the AI tool with additional information and the intent it needs to return a relevant response, not just a list of keyword matches.
   • Instead of: “Moisturizer ingredients”
   • Try: “Recommend naturally derived moisturizing ingredients for facial creams targeting sensitive skin.”
2. Provide your objective. Providing Prospector AI Search with what you are hoping to achieve supplies additional context, background details, and exactly what you are looking for.
   • Instead of: “emollients SPF”
   • Try: “Help me find emollients for an SPF facial moisturizer that keep the formula light and non-greasy while maintaining sun protection.”
3. Outline constraints. Prospector AI Search can only account for the requirements you give it, so clearly define your non-negotiables so the AI tool can provide results that are usable, not just relevant. Users often forget to mention key details like natural or synthetic preference, sustainability goals, regulatory requirements, geographic market, cost considerations, and product format. Prospector AI Search performs particularly well when users combine multiple requirements into a single query.
   • Instead of: “Suggest silicone alternatives for hair care.”
   • Try: “Suggest naturally derived silicone alternatives for a rinse-off hair care product that maintain slip and shine, are compliant in the U.S. (including CA) EU and have multiple global suppliers.”
4. Comparative analysis. Users often search for a single ingredient or material but overlook the ability to compare multiple options at once. Instead of running separate searches and manually piecing the results together, ask the AI to evaluate several candidates side by side against the criteria that matter to you. You’ll get a clear, decision-ready report of the trade-offs in a single response.
   • Instead of: “Find me a silicone alternative for a lightweight facial moisturizer.”
   • Try: “Compare top three silicone alternatives for a lightweight facial moisturizer and explain the tradeoffs in application properties and sensory feel.”
5. Group relevant questions together. Submitting multiple unrelated queries at once often confuses the AI tool and weakens results. This is why it is advised to break complex problems down into related requests to achieve better results.
   • Instead of: “Find a phenoxyethanol alternative for a facial moisturizer, recommend a natural fragrance for a body wash, and explain EU sunscreen labeling rules.”
   • Try: “I’m reformulating a leave-on facial moisturizer. First, find a phenoxyethanol alternative that provides broad-spectrum preservation and is suitable for sensitive skin. Then show which of those options have multiple global suppliers.”
6. Continue to refine questions based on results. Many users grow impatient or don’t realize that they are able to refine and improve the results they’ve been provided by making follow-up statements. The first query should be thought of as the start of the conversation and not a one-off request.
7. Be specific. The more detail you provide, the more precise and useful your results will be. Vague queries tend to return broad, generic responses, while specific requests surface options you can actually act on.
   • Instead of: “Moisturizer ingredients”
   • Try: “Recommend naturally derived moisturizing ingredients for facial creams targeting sensitive skin.”
8. Save your best prompts. When you find that one of your prompts produces an informative, well-rounded result, save it. It not only gives you an example of the thematic structure of a great query, but it also lets you swap in new details when starting a fresh research thread.
9. If the results miss the target, tell Prospector AI Search why. Like other AI search tools, when you get a response to your query and it’s just not quite right, tell the AI tool exactly why. These details provide additional context that helps narrow in on the right response — and it’s faster than starting over.
   • Example: “This response is too broad. Limit to preservatives compliant with the 2025–2026 EU Cosmetics Regulation and suitable for sensitive skin.”
10. Focus on one goal per request. Bundling several unrelated goals into a single query can dilute the results you receive across all of them. Tackle them one at a time instead.
    • Instead of: “Find a preservative alternative, suggest a fragrance, and tell me EU labeling rules.”
    • Try: “Find a phenoxyethanol alternative for a leave-on facial formulation”, then move to your next request once you have that result.