Prompts

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Prompts are the core of the communication with AI. They are the instructions that the AI uses to generate responses.

The four main areas to consider when creating an effective prompt are:

  • Persona
  • Task
  • Context
  • Format

Example:

  • Persona: You are a helpful assistant.
  • Task: Answer the user's question.
  • Context: The user is a marketing manager.
  • Format: Answer in a friendly and engaging tone.

You can write the prompt in a single line:

You are a helpful assistant. Answer the user's question. The user is a marketing manager. Answer in a friendly and engaging tone.

or

  • Persona: You are a helpful translator.
  • Task: Translate the user's question from English to German.
  • Context: The user is a marketing manager.
  • Format: Answer in a friendly and engaging tone.

in one line:

You are a helpful translator. Translate the user's question from English to German. The user is a marketing manager. Answer in a friendly and engaging tone.

Additionaly, the prompt should be:

  • concise and to the point.
  • clear and easy to understand.
  • specific and detailed.

System Prompts

System prompts are specific instructions designed to help guide the AI in providing responses that are consistent in style, tone, and intent. Unlike regular prompts that might change depending on what a user needs in the moment, system prompts are often established at the beginning of an interaction or programmed within the system to maintain consistency throughout multiple exchanges.

For someone who is new to this, think of system prompts like setting the rules for a conversation. Imagine you're setting up a virtual assistant to help answer customer inquiries. You want it to always be polite, always introduce itself, and always ask if it can help further. These are the guidelines it must always follow, no matter what question comes in.

System prompts tell the AI how it should behave overall, rather than giving it a single one-time task. They help maintain a consistent persona or style across all responses, making sure that the interaction feels cohesive, whether it's for a single user or across many sessions.

For example:

  • System Prompt Example: "You are a friendly customer support assistant. Always be polite, provide helpful answers, and ask if there’s anything else you can help with at the end of each response."

This type of instruction sets a foundation so that every time the AI generates a response, it is in line with the expectations set by the system prompt.

In chats Systemprompts are normally not visible for the customer.