Skip to main content
COMPEL Body of Knowledge
Get Certified Platform

COMPEL Glossary / system-prompt

System prompt

Operator-authored instructions that set behavior, persona, and boundaries for a model — distinguished from user prompts because the system prompt carries the operator's policy, while the user prompt carries end-user intent.

What this means in practice

System-prompt disclosure, versioning, and leakage are first-order governance concerns.

Synonyms

operator prompt , system message , system instruction

Related Terms Network

This diagram shows how System prompt connects to other concepts in the COMPEL body of knowledge. Each linked node is a term you can explore in turn.

Related terms for System prompt Network graph showing 3 related glossary terms connected to System prompt. System prompt User promp… System pro… Prompt tem…
3 related concepts connected to System prompt.

The COMPEL Glossary Graph visualizes relationships between framework terminology, showing how concepts interconnect across domains, stages, and pillars. Term nodes cluster by pillar affiliation while cross-references reveal semantic dependencies — for example, how risk appetite connects to control effectiveness, model governance, and assurance requirements. This network representation helps practitioners navigate the framework vocabulary and understand that COMPEL terminology forms a coherent conceptual system rather than isolated definitions.

Accessible list of related terms
  • User prompt — End-user input that consumes the system prompt's behavior — the "request" side of an LLM interaction.
  • System prompt leakage — Extraction of an LLM feature's hidden system prompt and structural instructions through crafted user input.
  • Prompt template — A versioned, parameterized representation of a prompt — with placeholders for user input, retrieved context, and dynamic state — enabling reuse, testing, and audit.

See also

  • User prompt — End-user input that consumes the system prompt's behavior — the "request" side of an LLM interaction.
  • System prompt leakage — Extraction of an LLM feature's hidden system prompt and structural instructions through crafted user input.
  • Prompt template — A versioned, parameterized representation of a prompt — with placeholders for user input, retrieved context, and dynamic state — enabling reuse, testing, and audit.