Prompt Engineering
The practice of designing and refining instructions so an AI system produces a more useful, reliable, or controlled result.
“She used prompt engineering to make the model return consistent JSON.”
The term covers practical instruction design, testing, context selection, examples, and output constraints; it is more than simply writing a long request.
It became widely used with large language models and generative image systems in the early 2020s.
prompt design
A simpler term for creating effective prompts.
prompt optimization
Iteratively improving prompt performance.
Is prompt engineering a real skill?
Yes, though its depth varies by task and tool.
Does one perfect prompt work forever?
No. Models, goals, and context can change, so testing remains important.