System Prompts vs User Prompts
Understand what a prompt is and learn the practical difference between system prompts and user prompts
Instructor: Reza Rafati & NotebookLM by Google
What you will learn
- Understand what a prompt is in the context of AI
- Learn the distinct role of a system prompt
- Learn the distinct role of a user prompt
- Recognize why separating intent and instructions improves results
- Build a stronger foundation for practical prompt engineering
About this course
In this short foundational lesson, you will learn what a prompt is and why prompt structure matters when working with AI systems. The video explains the difference between a system prompt, which defines the model's role, behavior, and operating boundaries, and a user prompt, which contains the specific request or task. This is an ideal introduction for anyone who wants to use AI more intentionally and write clearer instructions inside real workflows.