System Prompts

The system prompt is persistent context the model reads before every user interaction: it sets the agent's role, behavior boundaries, output format, and decision-making rules, functioning as the agent's standing instructions that govern all subsequent reasoning. Well-designed system prompts specify what the agent should and should not do, include examples of desired behavior, and give the model a clear framework for handling ambiguous situations without asking for clarification. The gap between a mediocre agent and a production-grade one often comes down entirely to system prompt quality, because every inference the model makes runs through this foundational context.