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Glossary term
Instructions given to a model, usually by the developer, that set its role and rules for a conversation.
A system prompt is a block of instructions given to a model before the conversation, usually by the developer. It sets role, tone, rules and limits, such as 'You are a helpful support agent for Acme'.
It sits alongside the user's messages in the model's context, but is meant to carry higher priority.
Messages sent to a chat model
[
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a concise support agent for Acme."},
{"role": "user", "content": "How do I reset my password?"}
]Companies use the system prompt to shape an assistant's behavior without retraining the model.