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A prompt is a reusable message template that helps AI clients start common tasks with consistent instructions. Unlike tools, prompts don’t perform actions. Instead, they provide structured instructions that guide the AI model. Prompts can also accept user inputs, allowing the same template to be reused with different values.
A prompt guides the AI model but does not call your API by itself. Use a tool when the workflow must perform an action.

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When to use prompts

Prompts are useful for repeatable AI workflows, such as:
  • Summarizing support cases
  • Drafting customer emails
  • Writing release notes
  • Analyzing logs
  • Reviewing pull requests
  • Generating product descriptions
Instead of rewriting the same instructions every time, clients can invoke a prompt and provide the required inputs.

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Creating a prompt

Each prompt includes:
  • Name
  • Title
  • Description
  • Arguments, if needed
  • One or more messages
Messages can have either the user or assistant role and may contain plain text or reference existing resources.

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Arguments

Arguments make prompts reusable. Define the values a client must provide when invoking the prompt, such as a case ID, customer name, or product identifier. Argument names:
  • May contain letters, numbers, and underscores (_)
  • Must begin with a letter or underscore
  • Can be marked as required or optional
Reference an argument using Go template syntax: 
Summarize the support case for {{.case_id}}.
When the prompt runs, {{.case_id}} is replaced with the value provided by the client.

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Best practices

  • Give prompts clear, task-oriented names.
  • Keep each prompt focused on a single workflow.
  • Use arguments instead of hardcoded values whenever possible.
  • Write instructions that produce consistent results across different inputs.

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Publishing changes

Prompts become available to MCP clients only after you publish a new version of your MCP server. Draft prompts remain private until they’re published, allowing you to review and test changes before making them available.