Using System Prompts Will Improve Your Relationship With AI

Evan Gutman
Dec 16, 2025
4 min read

– By Evan Gutman, AICC (AI-Certified Consultant)

Most people use AI the hard way.

They ask a question. The AI gives a mediocre answer. They ask again, slightly differently. The AI gets a little closer. After three or four attempts, they finally get something usable.

It doesn't have to be this way.

The secret to better, faster, more consistent AI outputs isn't asking better questions (though that helps). It's giving the AI a set of instructions before you even start. These are called system prompts, and once you understand how to use them, you'll never go back.

Let's break down what they are, why they matter, and how you can start using them today.

We Love A Good Gym Analogy

Imagine you join a gym for the first time and hire a trainer. Before you touch a single weight, the trainer tells you how to stand, how to breathe, and what to watch for. These cues apply to every rep you do, not just the first one.

More importantly, these instructions don't just apply to today's workout. They're foundational principles you'll follow every time you set foot in the gym. Shoulders back. Chest out. Lift with your legs, not your back. Exhale on the way up. Don't stand in the way of someone else's mirror while they're checking their form.

You don't need to be reminded of these things every single time. Once you've been trained, you just know how to operate in that environment.

That's exactly what a system prompt does for AI.

What is a System Prompt?

A system prompt is a set of pre-defined instructions given to an AI model before a user's input. It defines the AI's overall behavior, role, tone, and constraints for the entire conversation (or for its entire existence).

Think of it as the foundational guide that shapes how the AI responds. Instead of treating every question like a blank slate, the AI already knows how you want it to operate. It knows your preferences. It knows your standards. It knows what to avoid.

Here's the difference:

User prompts handle specific, individual questions or tasks ("Write me a marketing email").
System prompts set the rules for how the AI approaches every task ("Always write in a professional but approachable tone. Never use em dashes. Keep responses under 200 words unless asked otherwise").

When you combine both, you get consistent, high-quality outputs without needing to repeat yourself every single time.

Where to Use System Prompts

There are two main places where system prompts make the biggest impact:

1. At the Start of Individual Prompts

You can give the AI a persona, role, and detailed instructions right at the beginning of your prompt. This yields greater and more consistent output.

For example:

Without a system prompt: "Write a marketing email."
With a system prompt: "Act as a lead generation expert specializing in B2B SaaS. Write a 150-word marketing email targeting small business owners. Focus on the value of AI automation in saving time. Keep the tone professional but approachable, and end with a clear call to action."

The second version doesn't just tell the AI what to do. It tells the AI how to think, who to be, and what standards to follow.

2. In Personalization/Customization Settings

Every good AI tool has a section in the settings where you can personalize or customize how the system operates by default. This is where system prompts become incredibly powerful.

For example, you can instruct ChatGPT to:

Never hallucinate (or flag uncertainty when unsure).
Never use em dashes.
Always format responses in markdown.
Write in a specific tone or style.
Prioritize brevity or depth, depending on your preference.

The best part? You only need to set this up once. After that, every conversation starts with those instructions already in place. You're squeezing the juice out of every interaction with AI, without needing to repeat yourself.

Giving your AI a specified lens to see through will help improve perfomance.

The Benefits You'll Gain

Once you start using system prompts, three things happen immediately:

1. Consistency

System prompts guide your AI with stable, repeatable instructions. You receive clearer, more predictable results every time. No more guessing whether the AI will match your tone or format things the way you want.

2. Efficiency

By setting expectations upfront, you reduce back and forth. You get the right output sooner, saving time and energy. Instead of five iterations to get something usable, you get it in one or two.

3. Alignment

Clear guidance builds a smoother working relationship with your AI. The tool understands your goals and operates the way you prefer. It feels less like wrestling with a machine and more like working with a capable assistant.

Start Using System Prompts Today

Here's the truth: most people don't know they can personalize AI tools. They treat every interaction like a one-off request, starting from scratch every single time.

But you don't have to work that way. You can set the rules once and let the AI adapt to you, not the other way around.

System prompts aren't complicated. They're just intentional. And once you start using them, you'll wonder how you ever worked without them.