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AI prompts glossary

System Prompt

A system prompt is a high-level instruction that sets global behavior, rules, and constraints for a language model before any user interaction occurs. It defines role, style, allowed actions, and safety boundaries across all subsequent messages. For AI designers and prompt engineers, the system prompt is the foundational layer that enforces brand guidelines, compliance requirements, and consistent handling of SEO or PPC-related tasks. A system prompt is a high-priority instruction that defines the overall behavior, constraints, and objectives of a language model before user interaction begins. It encodes role, tone, safety requirements, and formatting rules that persist across the conversation. For AI designers and prompt engineers, the system prompt is the foundation that keeps all generated messages aligned with brand guidelines, policy, and use-case strategy.