AI & DataBeginner
System Prompt
PronunciationSIS-tem PRAMPT
Definition
A system prompt is the initial set of instructions given to a large language model to define its persona, behavior, rules, and boundaries before user interaction begins.
Where you hear it
In AI development meetings, when configuring chat interfaces, or while writing AI agent configuration files.
Examples
The system prompt instructs the AI to always answer in a polite and professional tone.
We updated the system prompt to prevent the model from answering questions about competitors.
You can change the model's behavior by modifying the system prompt.
Common mistake
Treating the system prompt as an unbreakable security barrier, forgetting that users can often bypass these instructions with clever prompt injection techniques.