Prompt
The input text, question, or instruction given to an AI model to generate a response. The quality of the prompt directly shapes the quality of the output.
A prompt is not just a question. It includes context, constraints, examples, and formatting instructions that guide the model's output. Good prompts are specific and structured. Bad prompts are vague and hope the model reads your mind. In long sessions, earlier prompts stay in the context window and continue influencing later responses, which is why prompt discipline matters even more as conversations grow.
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Related Terms
System Instructions
Hidden directives loaded into an AI session that shape the model's behavior, tone, and constraints. They consume context window tokens like any other input.
Context Window
The total amount of text, code, and conversation history an AI model can hold in active memory during a single session. Measured in tokens, not words.
AI Token
The basic unit of text that AI language models process. Roughly 0.75 words per token in English, though the ratio varies by language and content type.