# What Is Grounding in AI? A Visual Guide > A visual guide to grounding: tie an AI reply to numbered facts so every claim can be checked, shown in a real tax firm reply lesson. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/term-grounding-explained · Updated 2026-10-01 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [AI term explained](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual#format-term-of-the-day) · 4 slides · [ChatGPT](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/chatgpt) By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 1, 2026 · From the free lesson [Reply Faster to Clients Chasing Their Refund: ChatGPT for Tax and Bookkeeping Firms](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-client-refund-emails-accounting) A visual guide to grounding: tie an AI reply to numbered facts so every claim can be checked, shown in a real tax firm reply lesson. Swipe or scroll sideways for all 4 slides. The whole guide is written out below. ## The guide in text ****Grounding**:** Tying an AI answer to specific, trusted information, like facts you provide, so it states what the source supports instead of what merely sounds right. ## Every claim points to a fact Northgate Tax & Bookkeeping (made up) can't promise a refund date. The first draft did anyway, and the check table caught it. ## Make it checkable - Number your facts so each claim can be traced to one. - Include what you can't promise as facts too, like "We can't promise a refund date." - Ask for a claim-by-claim check table before you send anything important. **The full definition:** [What is grounding in AI?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/grounding) in the AI glossary, with an example from a free lesson, common confusions and tips. Businesses and people in the examples are made up. The steps, screens and wording come from the free lesson and the Stepthrough glossary and prompt library. ## Do it yourself, free **Reply Faster to Clients Chasing Their Refund: ChatGPT for Tax and Bookkeeping Firms**. A client wants a refund date while two tax forms are still missing. Give ChatGPT the thread and your firm's facts, catch the date it shouldn't promise, and send a calm, clear reply from Gmail. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/accounting-reply-faster) [Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/chatgpt-reply-client-refund-emails-accounting) ## Related terms Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson. [Grounding](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/grounding) · [Client portal](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/client-portal) · [Email thread](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/email-thread) · [Hallucination](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/hallucination) · [Redaction (masking private details)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/redaction) · [Self-check prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/self-verification) · [Sentiment analysis](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/sentiment-analysis) · [Service recovery](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/service-recovery) [The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) ## Related prompts - [Check reply promises prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/check-reply-promises-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt that checks a draft before you send it: a table of every promise, the fact behind each, and safer wording for… - [Email newsletter prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/email-newsletter-prompt): A ChatGPT prompt for a short customer newsletter built from your numbered updates: one section each, one main call to action, no… - [Email to task list prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/email-to-task-list-prompt): Turn a long email thread into a to-do list: every request, promise and unanswered question, who asked and when, what is overdue… - [Estimated tax payment reminder prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/estimated-tax-reminder-email-prompt): Remind a client about an upcoming estimated tax payment using your firm's numbers: amount, due date, how they pay, and who to… [All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts) ## From the blog - [Is It Safe to Paste Client Emails into ChatGPT?](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/is-it-safe-to-paste-client-data-into-chatgpt): Is it safe to put client data in ChatGPT? A practical checklist: what to remove first, which plan settings to check, and the rules your industry points to. - [ChatGPT for Accountants: Client Recaps and Replies](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/blog/chatgpt-for-accountants): ChatGPT for accountants and bookkeepers: turn client meetings into dated action items and answer "where's my refund?" emails without overpromising. ## More visual guides - [What Is a Context Window? A Visual Guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/term-context-window-explained): A visual guide to the context window: how much text an AI model can see at once, shown with a real ChatGPT meeting summary lesson. - [What Is a Trigger in n8n? A Visual Guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/term-trigger-explained): A visual guide to triggers: the event that starts an automation, like a chat message, a schedule or a form, shown in a real HVAC n8n lesson. - [What Is a Webhook? A Visual Guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual/term-webhook-explained): A visual guide to webhooks: a web address that waits for another app to send it data, shown in a real Lovable + n8n lesson, with tips to use it safely. [All visual guides](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/visual) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)