What Is a Prompt?

A prompt is simply the input you give an AI — your question, instruction, or task.

Plain and simple

A prompt is the text you send an AI to make it do something: answer a question, write code, summarize a document. Nothing mysterious — it's just your input.

Good vs. weak prompts

A weak prompt is vague: "Make the website better." A strong prompt is specific: "Change the heading font size to 24px and make the background white." The clearer your prompt, the more targeted the response.

What belongs in a good prompt?

The goal (what should come out)
Context (relevant info, files, constraints)
Format (what the answer should look like)

Prompting isn't magic

There's no secret magic phrase. A prompt works like a clear task description for a new coworker: the more precisely you explain what you want, the better the result. Vague prompts lead to vague or wrong answers.