AI glossary
What is prompt?
Short answer
The input text you give an LLM to steer its output.
For example
"Summarise this email in three bullet points for a busy manager" is a prompt. Adding who it's for and the format you want usually improves the answer.
Learn it in a free lesson
- Talking to AI: prompting wellBeginner · 6 min
- Diffusion: art from noiseAdvanced · 6 min
- How AI makes picturesBeginner · 6 min
- How models are served: prefill, decode and the KV cacheAdvanced · 8 min
- How we test language modelsIntermediate · 7 min
- RAG & AI agentsAdvanced · 7 min
Related terms
Questions
What is prompt in simple terms?
The input text you give an LLM to steer its output.
What is an example of prompt?
"Summarise this email in three bullet points for a busy manager" is a prompt. Adding who it's for and the format you want usually improves the answer.
Where can I learn about prompt for free?
AI in Bed explains it in the free lesson "Talking to AI: prompting well" (Beginner level, 6 minutes), with no sign-up.