---
title: Prompt – AI Abstraction
canonical_url: https://ai-abstraction.com/glossary/prompt/
description: The instructions given to an AI model that tell it how to behave, what to focus on, and how to respond.
last_modified: 2026-07-29
---

Glossary

# Prompt

The instructions given to an AI model that tell it how to behave, what to focus on, and how to respond.

A prompt is the set of written instructions that shapes how an AI agent responds, similar to a job description for a new employee. A well-written prompt tells the agent what tone to use, what information to rely on, and what it should never do. Getting this right, and keeping it right as a business changes, is a big part of what ongoing prompt tuning covers.

[See every term in the glossary](/glossary/)

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## About AI Abstraction

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