Use prompt templates

This document describes how to use prompt templates. A prompt template is a prompt that includes replaceable variables. Prompt templates enable you to test how different prompt formats perform with different prompt data, without requiring you to write multiple individual prompts.

Prompt template variables must meet the following requirements:

  • Variables must be wrapped in curly-braces.
  • Variable names must not contain spaces.

For example, consider the following prompts and their corresponding system instructions:

  • System instructions: Respond to the question concisely.
  • Prompts:
    • Do coyotes eat berries?
    • Do eagles swim?
    • Do squirrels dig holes?

The corresponding prompt template would be similar to the following:

  • Prompt template: Do {animal_name} {animal_activity}?

  • Variable replacements:

    animal_name replacements animal_activity replacements
    Coyotes eat berries
    Eagles swim
    Squirrels dig holes

Limitations

  • System instructions are not supported as a replaceable variable in prompt templates.
  • Prompt templates don't support multimodal prompts.

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