Glossary
Prompt — Glossary
The input text or structured instructions given to a generative model to steer its output toward a desired task or style.
Full definition
A prompt is the request a user or application sends to a generative model. It may include instructions, context documents, examples (few-shot demonstrations), and constraints such as format requirements. Prompt design influences usefulness but does not guarantee correctness.
In products, prompts are often templates filled with retrieved data and user content. Security matters: untrusted text inside prompts can attempt prompt injection. Clear separation between system instructions and untrusted content, plus output validation, reduces risk.