Navigating the Collection
The prompts are organized by vendor and model:Anthropic
Claude (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku), Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Claude for Excel
OpenAI
ChatGPT (GPT-5, GPT-4.5), o3, o4-mini, Canvas, Voice Mode, various personalities
Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, NotebookLM, various versions and interfaces
xAI
Grok 3, Grok 4, Grok 4.1 Beta, Grok 4.2, personas
Each vendor folder contains current prompts, historical versions (in
/old/ subfolders), and raw/unprocessed versions where available.Reading and Understanding Prompts
Start with the Basics
When examining a new prompt, look for these key sections:Core Capabilities
What tools and features are available? Look for tool definitions and usage instructions.
Behavioral Guidelines
How is the model instructed to interact? What tone, style, and formatting rules apply?
Understanding Structural Patterns
Many prompts use markup languages for organization:XML Tags (Common in Claude)
XML Tags (Common in Claude)
Markdown Headers (Common in GPT, Gemini)
Markdown Headers (Common in GPT, Gemini)
JSON/Function Schemas (Tool Definitions)
JSON/Function Schemas (Tool Definitions)
Practical Use Cases
1. Learning Prompt Engineering
System prompts are masterclasses in prompt engineering. Study them to learn:Clear Instructions
How to write unambiguous, actionable directives that models follow consistently.
Few-Shot Examples
How to provide examples that demonstrate desired behavior patterns.
Chain-of-Thought
How to guide models through multi-step reasoning processes.
Constraint Handling
How to define boundaries and handle edge cases gracefully.
Example: Learn from Claude’s Commit Workflow
Claude Code’s git commit instructions demonstrate excellent workflow design:2. Comparing Across Models
Gain insights by comparing how different AI companies handle the same challenges:Example: How Each Model Handles Web Search
Example: How Each Model Handles Web Search
Claude:Gemini:Grok:Insight: Claude emphasizes citation mechanics, Gemini focuses on paraphrasing, and Grok defines explicit decision criteria for tool usage.
Example: Personality and Tone
Example: Personality and Tone
ChatGPT Default:Claude:Gemini:Insight: ChatGPT aims for coaching, Claude prioritizes objectivity, Gemini emphasizes accuracy.
3. Building Your Own AI Applications
Use these prompts as templates when building with AI APIs:Extract Relevant Patterns
Find instruction patterns that match your use case. For a coding assistant, study Claude Code. For a research tool, examine Gemini’s guidelines.
Adapt the Structure
Copy the organizational approach (XML tags, markdown sections, etc.) that fits your needs.
Customize Instructions
Replace vendor-specific details with your own requirements while maintaining the clarity of instructions.
Practical Template: Customer Support Bot
Based on patterns from this collection:This template borrows Claude’s XML structure, Grok’s tool definitions, and ChatGPT’s personality framing.
4. Research and Analysis
For academic or professional research:AI Safety Research
Analyze how companies implement safety constraints and what vulnerabilities might exist.
Model Capabilities
Understand what features each model officially supports through tool definitions.
Prompt Injection Studies
Study system prompts to understand how models might be exploited or jailbroken.
Evolution Tracking
Compare historical versions to see how AI systems have evolved over time.
Tips for Effective Learning
Start with Your Use Case
Focus on Transferable Patterns
When reading a prompt, ask:- What problem does this instruction solve? (e.g., preventing hallucination, ensuring citations)
- How is it phrased? (specific vs general, permissive vs restrictive)
- Could I use this pattern elsewhere? (yes, almost always)
Take Notes on Techniques
Keep a running list of effective patterns you discover:Advanced Topics
Understanding Tool/Function Calling
Many prompts define extensive tool schemas. Key elements:Recognizing Prompt Engineering Anti-Patterns
Some prompts include instructions that represent lessons learned from failures:Multi-Agent and Collaboration Patterns
Grok’s multi-agent prompt shows advanced coordination:Common Questions
Can I use these prompts directly in my applications?
Can I use these prompts directly in my applications?
Yes, for learning and experimentation. However:
- These are copyrighted by the respective AI companies
- They’re optimized for specific models and may not work well with others
- You should adapt rather than copy verbatim
- For production use, create your own prompts inspired by these patterns
Why do some prompts include 'old' or 'raw' versions?
Why do some prompts include 'old' or 'raw' versions?
- Old versions: Historical prompts showing how the system has evolved
- Raw versions: Unprocessed or unformatted versions, sometimes with additional metadata
- These are valuable for understanding changes over time and seeing alternative formulations
How often are these prompts updated?
How often are these prompts updated?
System prompts change frequently as AI companies:
- Add new features
- Fix bugs or undesired behaviors
- Improve safety measures
- Optimize performance
What if I find a prompt that doesn't work as described?
What if I find a prompt that doesn't work as described?
System prompts extracted from production systems may:
- Be incomplete (some companies obfuscate or split their prompts)
- Require specific context or tools to function
- Be version-specific
Contributing and Community
This is a community-driven collection. You can contribute:New Prompts
Submit prompts from AI systems not yet in the collection
Updates
Provide newer versions of existing prompts
Documentation
Improve explanations and examples
Contributions are welcome via Pull Requests to the repository. For questions or discussions, contact via Discord: asgeirtj
Next Steps
Now that you know how to use this collection:Explore Anthropic Prompts
Dive into Claude’s sophisticated system prompts
Compare OpenAI Personalities
See how ChatGPT implements different personalities
Study Tool Definitions
Learn how major AI systems define and use tools
Review Historical Changes
Track how system prompts have evolved over time