Prompt

A prompt is the instruction or question you give an AI tool, in plain language, to tell it what to produce.

In practice: A prompt can be one line ("summarise this email") or a page of instructions with examples, tone and format rules. Image and video tools take prompts too, describing the scene you want. Many tools hide the prompt behind buttons and templates, but a prompt is still being sent to the model in the background.

Why it matters when picking a tool

Tools differ in how much control they give you over the prompt. Template-based tools are faster for routine jobs but harder to adjust; open prompt boxes give control but need more effort. If results feel generic, check whether the tool lets you edit or save your own prompts.