System prompt
Also called system message, system instructions.
In plain English
A system promptA prompt is the instructions, question, or other input you give an AI model to guide its response. is the standing set of instructions a model reads before your messages, setting its role and rules.
Example
An app's system promptA prompt is the instructions, question, or other input you give an AI model to guide its response. says "You are a friendly travel helper. Give short answers." Every reply after that follows those rules.
Why it matters
Anthropic's promptingA prompt is the instructions, question, or other input you give an AI model to guide its response. guide shows how a system prompt can give a model a role, such as a data scientist or an editor, and that this changes how it answers. Apps use system prompts to set tone, limits, and the job the model is there to do. You usually do not see the app's system prompt, but your own instructions work in a similar way.
How it shows up on bot.ski
On bot.ski, the instructions you write for a Bot in Plan your bot play a similar role: one clear job, what it may use, and when to stop.
Common confusion
A system promptA prompt is the instructions, question, or other input you give an AI model to guide its response. is not the same as your prompt. Your prompt is one request. The system prompt sits behind every request.
Sources
Updated October 11, 2026.