Prompt
Also: prompts
What you give a model to guide its reply. This may include a question, rules, and source text.
Most bad answers come from a missing part: no material, or no rule for what to do when the answer is not there. Behind your prompt sits a hidden one from the app, the system instruction, which sets the ground rules.
The fuller definition
A prompt is input that instructs or guides an AI system, often combining a task, context, examples, and output requirements.
Go deeper
- Task
Extract dates
- Context
Supplied document
- Output
Source-linked table
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
“Extract candidate dates into a table and cite the supporting passage” is a more checkable prompt than “review this.”
The distinction that matters
A prompt can request behavior but cannot by itself enforce file permissions or guarantee accuracy.
Related terms
System instruction
Standing instructions the app gives the model before your conversation starts, such as how to behave or what to refuse. Also called a system prompt.
Prompting & contextFew-shot prompting
Showing the model a few examples of what you want before asking it to do the same thing.
Prompting & contextStructured output
An answer in a set format, such as named fields. Software can check the format, but the facts still need review.
Where it is taught
Give AI a brief it can actually followSource and further reading
Anthropic · Context engineeringThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.