Glossary · Building
noun
Standing instructions given to a model before the conversation, setting its role, rules and tone. In custom tools, the system prompt is where most of the behaviour is defined.
In practice
In a custom tool, the system prompt is where most of the behaviour is defined: the assistant's role, the rules it follows, its tone, what it should refuse and the format of its answers. It is written once and applied to every conversation. Writing and testing it carefully is one of the most important parts of building a reliable AI tool.
A system prompt is the standing instructions set before a conversation starts, defining the assistant's role and rules. A prompt is the individual message or question a user sends during the conversation.
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