Top news
Investing in the public benefit OfficialAnthropic NewsOct 18Popular Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares to ‘Every Kid in America’ WebBloomberg TechnologyOct 19Popular Websites are closing their doors to AI agents WebThe Verge AIOct 17 This is the new ChatGPT Voice, powered by GPT Live OfficialOpenAI on YouTubeOct 18 How AI giants will reshape global philanthropy WebAxios AIOct 19 Gemini 4 Argon Really Surprised Me WebTwo Minute PapersOct 19 Google Gemini 4 agents just beat Minecraft with no human intervention WebEngadget AIOct 19 Who could it be? 🧐 OfficialGoogle on YouTubeOct 18 Anthropic gives outside AI watchdog “employee-like” access WebArs Technica AIOct 18 What are self-replicating ‘AI worms’, and why is Anthropic worried about them? WebThe Guardian AIOct 18
GlossaryProductsNew to AI

Prompt

Also written: Exemplar prompts, Prompt-completion pairs, Inputs, Role_prompting, Prompt Writing, Prompt Engineering, Prompt variable, Monolithic prompts

A prompt is the instruction or question you give to an AI to get it to do something.

In plain terms

A prompt is what you type into an AI chatbot or tool to tell it what you want. Think of it like giving instructions to a very smart assistant. The better your instructions, the better the AI can help you.

For example, if you want an AI to write a poem about a cat, your prompt might be: 'Write a short poem about a fluffy cat napping in a sunbeam.' The AI will then use that prompt to generate the poem for you.

The expert version

A prompt is the input provided to a large language model (LLM) or other generative AI system to guide its output. It can range from simple questions to complex instructions, including context, examples, and desired formatting. The design of effective prompts, known as prompt engineering, is crucial for controlling AI behavior and achieving specific results. The quality and specificity of the prompt directly influence the relevance, accuracy, and utility of the AI's response.

Why it matters now

Recent items show a continued focus on improving AI interactions. Companies are refining how users and developers provide instructions to AI models, whether through direct prompts, structured inputs for agents, or specialized configurations. This suggests ongoing efforts to make AI more controllable and predictable.

Where it shows up 45 items, newest first
How each company uses it
Anthropic Claude
Anthropic provides official tips for users to get better results from Claude by improving their prompts.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini's API cookbook includes examples for prompt variables, and its models are being updated to better understand and respond to user inputs.
Meta Meta AI
Meta AI is likely exploring prompt engineering techniques to optimize the performance of its AI models.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is exploring structured markdown files to define AI coding agent behavior, which involves carefully crafted prompts.
Related terms

Large Language ModelGenerative AIPrompt EngineeringAI AssistantChatbotInstruction Tuning

Often confused with
Input
An input is any data fed into a system; a prompt is a specific type of in
Query
A query is typically a request for information from a database or search
Command
A command is a direct instruction to a computer; a prompt is a more nua
Origin

The term 'prompt' in computing dates back to early command-line interfaces where the system would display a prompt to indicate it was ready for user input. In the context of modern AI, it refers to the user's input that initiates a generative process. Source ↗

Try this about 5 minutes

Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Type a simple request like 'Tell me a joke about computers' and press enter. Then, try a more specific prompt like 'Write a haiku about the feeling of finishing a difficult task.' Notice how the AI's response changes based on your instructions.

Try it: Playbook entries that use thisPlaybook →

The Playbook: reusable how-tos, prompts, configs and tips pulled out of the news.

Questions people ask

What makes a good prompt?
A good prompt is clear, specific, and provides enough context for the AI to understand your request. Including examples or desired formats can also improve the output.
Can prompts be long?
Yes, prompts can be very long, especially when providing detailed instructions, background information, or examples to guide the AI.
Do I need to be a programmer to write prompts?
No, anyone can write prompts. While prompt engineering can become technical, basic prompts are simple instructions or questions anyone can formulate.

First seen on Subvolts Jun 11, 2020. Updated Oct 17, 2026. Written by an AI model from the items above and reviewed against them weekly; report an error.