Prompting
Delimiters
Markers such as quotes, XML tags, or separators used to clearly distinguish instructions from data.
Example
Triple backticks separate customer-provided text from the instructions governing the model.
Why it matters
They make separate parts of a request easier for people and systems to distinguish.
You'll hear it
“Put the customer message between these markers.”
Can you control it?
Yes
Yes. You can often use or adjust delimiters directly when the product supports it. The available options and their effect still depend on the tool.
Common questions
- Are markers a complete security boundary?
- No. Clear formatting alone cannot guarantee that misleading instructions inside the material will be ignored.
- Can a marker appear inside the supplied text?
- Yes. That can make the boundary confusing unless the application handles the situation carefully.
- Must the markers use a particular format?
- No. Several formats can work; suitability depends on the tool and how the request is assembled.