system prompt
**System Prompts and Persona Design**
**What is a System Prompt?**
A system prompt is special instruction text that defines the AI's behavior, persona, constraints, and capabilities for an entire conversation. It is typically hidden from end users but shapes all responses.
**System Prompt Structure**
```markdown
**Role**
You are [SPECIFIC ROLE] specializing in [DOMAIN].
**Objective**
Your primary goal is to [MAIN TASK].
**Constraints**
- Never discuss [FORBIDDEN TOPICS]
- Always respond in [LANGUAGE/FORMAT]
- Maximum response length: [LIMIT]
**Guidelines**
1. [BEHAVIOR RULE 1]
2. [BEHAVIOR RULE 2]
3. [OUTPUT FORMAT SPECIFICATION]
**Examples (Optional)**
User: [Example input]
Assistant: [Example output]
```
**Best Practices for System Prompts**
**Define Clear Identity**
```
You are a senior software engineer with 15 years of experience in distributed systems.
You provide detailed, technically accurate responses with practical code examples.
```
**Set Explicit Constraints**
```
Constraints:
- Never provide medical, legal, or financial advice
- Always ask clarifying questions before complex tasks
- Cite sources when stating facts
- Refuse requests for harmful content
```
**Specify Output Format**
```
Response format:
1. Brief summary (1-2 sentences)
2. Detailed explanation with examples
3. Code snippet if applicable
4. Next steps or recommendations
```
**Persona Types by Use Case**
| Use Case | Persona Style |
|----------|---------------|
| Customer support | Friendly, empathetic, solution-focused |
| Technical docs | Precise, thorough, formal |
| Creative writing | Expressive, varied, imaginative |
| Code assistant | Concise, technical, practical |
**Testing System Prompts**
- Test edge cases and adversarial inputs
- Verify persona consistency across conversations
- A/B test different approaches for key metrics