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Glossary My Map Account

Glossary My Map AccountQuick answers Choose my route History of AI Sources About this platform

You are here

Current learning moveOrient

Follow a question, situation, concept, person, or historical thread.

Do nowRead, decide, then check

Your guide

A prompt is input that guides a model’s current output

Your learning move

OrientEnter through a question or situation.

Why this page exists

Explore is the connected atlas. It shows several ways to approach the same subject without pretending that every learner needs the same sequence.

What you will leave with

A prompt is text, an image, audio, code, or other input supplied to a generative system. It can state a task, context, constraints, examples, and desired format.

Before you begin

No prerequisite is required for topic and Quick Answer entrances.

Do this now

Choose the entrance that matches what you already have: a question, little time, a situation, or a term.

Do now on this pageRead, decide, then checkThe plan states the outcome, time, prerequisite, immediate action, and prepared continuation.Another valid routeGet a Quick AnswerUse a short orientation before deciding whether to go deeper.

Account

Quick answer · 3 min

A prompt is input that guides a model’s current output

What is a prompt?

Plan for this page

Get a clear answer, then check that you can use it.

You will leave with: A prompt frames a task; context, evidence, system design, and review still matter.
Time: 3 min
Before you begin: No prerequisite. Start with your question.
Do this now: Read the direct answer before the example and active check.

Prepared next stepPractise asking for useful help

A prompt is text, an image, audio, code, or other input supplied to a generative system. It can state a task, context, constraints, examples, and desired format.

The visible user message may be only one part of the context: system instructions, earlier messages, retrieved documents, and tool results can also shape output.

Example

A bounded request

“Using these notes, list three decisions, cite the sentence for each, and mark uncertainty” supplies task, source, format, and evidence behavior.

Important limit

Prompting is not magic control

Clear wording improves task conditions but cannot guarantee truth, privacy, obedience, or safe action.

Interactive model

Separate before deciding

Selected layerPrompt

Input or instruction presented for the current task.

Read the complete text alternative

PromptInput or instruction presented for the current task.
EvidenceSupport from sources or observation; a prompt cannot create it by command.

Useful distinctions

Separate the questions before judging

Prompt

Input or instruction presented for the current task.

Evidence

Support from sources or observation; a prompt cannot create it by command.

Active check

Which request best supports a verifiable summary?

Practise asking for useful help

Sources and scope

What supports this object

Established

Machine Learning GlossaryGoogle for Developers

Provider terminology; product instruction hierarchies differ.

Open source

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