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System prompt
A system prompt is a set of instructions given to a language model before the user's message, defining its role, tone, or rules for the whole conversation.
Prerequisite: Prompt
What matters
It lets a developer set consistent behavior, such as a persona or a restriction, without the end user seeing or writing that instruction themselves.
Example
A customer-support chatbot's system prompt might say 'Only answer questions about billing and always respond in a polite tone,' shaping every reply in the conversation.
Common misconception
A system prompt does not guarantee the model will always follow it; users can sometimes phrase requests that override or bypass it.
Recall question
How does a system prompt differ from a regular user prompt?
Keywords and related concepts
system promptinstructionspersonadeveloper control