How to Use Prompts

First steps with prompts

Prompts are the instructions, questions, or tasks we give to large language models (LLMs). The way you write and structure your prompt directly affects the accuracy, tone, and usefulness of the model’s output.

This guide explains how to use the prompts from this documentation, how to adapt them for different scenarios, and how to avoid common mistakes.

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What is a prompt?

A prompt is not just text, it’s the interface between you and the model. It can contain:

• Role or persona: Telling the model who it should act as.
• Context: Background information or constraints.
• Task: The actual thing you want done.
• Output format: How you want the answer structured.

Example:

You are an experienced technical writer.
Summarize the following documentation into 5 bullet points.
Use plain English and keep each bullet under 12 words.

It’s important to be clear and specific in your prompts to get the best results.