Reference · Glossary
System prompt
Hidden instructions that set the AI's **role, rules, and tone** for a whole session — before the user messages begin.
When to use
Support bots, tutors, brand voice, safety rules, output format ("always reply in JSON").
When not to
Don't put secrets in system prompts on client-side apps — users can sometimes extract them.
Example
"You are a patient math tutor for ages 12–14. Never give final exam answers outright. Use one hint at a time."