A prompting technique that guides AI to show its reasoning steps before giving a final answer. Asking Claude to "think through it first" significantly improves accuracy on complex reasoning, math, and multi-step analysis tasks.

Providing 2–5 input-output examples in the prompt, letting Claude infer the format and style you want from the examples, then apply the same pattern to new inputs. The core implementation of "examples beat explanations."

The systematic design and optimization of instructions given to AI to produce more accurate, need-aligned outputs. The core skill that makes the same Claude model produce completely different quality results depending on how instructions are crafted.

An attack where malicious instructions are embedded in external content (web pages, documents, user inputs) to override or bypass an AI system's System Prompt, causing the AI to execute unauthorized actions.

Assigning Claude a specific role or expert identity at the start of a prompt, causing it to respond using that role's knowledge framework, tone, and reasoning style. One of the most fundamental and effective prompting techniques.

A hidden instruction layer sent to Claude before conversation begins, used to define its role, set rules, and constrain behavior. All messages in the conversation operate within the System Prompt's framework, and it is invisible to end users.

Describing a task and asking Claude to complete it without providing any examples. Most everyday Claude usage is Zero-Shot. Understanding its limits helps you know when to upgrade to Few-Shot or CoT.