Prompt Tokens vs Completion Tokens

Prompt tokens are the tokens consumed by input text, including system messages and user prompts, while completion tokens are those generated as the model’s output. Both count toward cost and limits. For cost-aware teams, tracking prompt and completion tokens separately clarifies how much overhead comes from instructions versus responses, informing optimizations in prompt design and output length. Prompt tokens are the tokens consumed by input text, including system messages and user prompts, while completion tokens are those generated by the model as output. Both contribute to token limits and billing. For cost-aware teams, tracking prompt versus completion usage clarifies how much budget is spent on instructions versus responses and informs optimization.