Prompting
Prompt hygiene
Habits for writing clearer AI requests and avoiding unnecessary risks in what you share.
Example
A user removes unnecessary private data and clearly separates instructions from quoted material.
Why people use it
It helps people give clear requests without including unnecessary information.
What you'll hear
“Separate the instructions from the text you want summarized.”
What this means for you
Include only needed information and make the intended task explicit.
Can you control it?
Yes
Yes. You choose what to include in your requests and can build a habit of checking them before sending.
Common questions
- Can prompt hygiene make every AI interaction safe?
- No. Permissions, product behavior and system-level controls also matter.
- Does a longer prompt always work better?
- No. Extra wording can introduce conflicting requests or hide the main task.
- Can copied text contain unwanted instructions?
- Yes. Material pasted from elsewhere may include directions that should be treated as content, not your request.