What is a prompt?
A prompt is the input you give an AI model to tell it what you want. It can be a question, an instruction, an example, or a block of background material, and it shapes the response the model produces.
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What a prompt can include
A prompt often combines an instruction, background context, and details about the format you want. It can also include examples of good output or the text the model should work from.
The more clearly you describe the task, audience, and constraints, the less the model has to guess.
Why wording matters
Small changes in a prompt can lead to quite different results. Vague requests tend to produce generic answers, while specific ones give the model something to work with.
If the first result is off, adjust the prompt and try again rather than editing the output alone.
Prompts in a business setting
Teams often save prompts that work well so others can reuse them. Don't include confidential or personal data in a prompt unless your policy and the tool allow it.
Common questions
What's the difference between a prompt and prompt engineering?
A prompt is a single input to a model. Prompt engineering is the practice of designing and refining prompts to get better, more reliable results.
What makes a good prompt?
A good prompt states the task, gives relevant context, and describes the format and audience. Examples of what you want can help too.
Does the model remember my prompts?
Within a conversation, earlier messages are usually part of the context. Whether anything is kept after that depends on the tool and its settings.
Is a system prompt different from a user prompt?
Yes. A system prompt is set by the developer or administrator to define the model's role and rules, while a user prompt is what the person types in.
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