Zero-shot prompting

Last updated Jul 17, 2026

Asking the model to do a task **with instructions only** — no example pairs in the prompt.

#When to use

Simple, well-known tasks (summarize, translate, explain) where examples aren't worth the tokens.

Tricky formats or edge cases — few-shot or JSON schema usually helps.

Summarize the email below in 3 bullets for a busy manager.
Email: ...