System Prompt
In one sentence
Pre-set instructions configured before a conversation begins that define the AI's role, rules, and response style. Users typically do not see them.
What users enter with each query are standard user prompts, whereas system prompts remain active throughout the entire conversation. When businesses build AI agents for customer service or sales consulting, the agent's identity, scope of business, and off-limit topics are all defined in the system prompt.
System prompts cannot guarantee that AI will never make mistakes. Critical facts still need to be placed in a knowledge base so the AI can pull from verified sources.
Example
A sales consultant on a website might be configured to 'only answer questions about our products, never provide quotes, and direct customers to contact an advisor for uncertain matters'—this configuration is a system prompt.
Related terms
- Prompt
- The instructions and reference materials provided to an AI, specifying what it should do, what information to use, and what format to follow.
- AI Agent
- An AI that can read files, call external tools, and complete multi-step tasks on its own, unlike a standard chat AI that only replies with text.
- Knowledge Base
- A repository of company documents and institutional knowledge that AI can search and reference, enabling it to answer questions and produce content grounded in internal facts.
