Llama Models Prompt Guide
Prompt Engineering Guidelines
1. Be Explicit and Direct
Say exactly what you want (length, format, tone).
Avoid vague instructions.
Example: “Summarize this report into 3 bullet points, under 15 words each, highlighting decisions and deadlines.”
2. Assign a Role (System Prompt)
Use the system prompt to set expectations.
Example: “You are a financial analyst. Provide concise, professional reports in plain English.”
This creates consistency across all outputs.
3. Step-by-Step Reasoning (Chain-of-Thought)
Encourage reasoning by asking for step-by-step solutions.
Example: “Solve this math problem. Show your reasoning before giving the final answer.”
4. Use Few-Shot Examples
Demonstrate the format you want with examples.
Example:
User: Translate English to French.
English: "Good morning" French: "Bonjour"
Output: English: "How are you?" French: "Comment ça va?"
5. Constrain Outputs
If you need structured data, specify the exact format (JSON, CSV, tables).
Example:
User: Summarize this meeting into JSON with fields: decisions, next_steps, owners.
Output: { "decisions": "Budget approved", "next_steps": "Launch campaign", "owners": "Marketing team" }
6. Multi-Turn Consistency
Remind LLaMA of previous instructions if a conversation runs long.
Example: “Remember to always answer in JSON format.”
7. Sampling & Reliability
Use techniques like self-consistency (multiple runs, majority answer) for tasks that require correctness.
Example: Run LLaMA 5 times on a reasoning task, pick the most common answer.
Templates
General Task Prompt
User:
You are a project manager.
Summarize this meeting transcript into 5 bullet points, under 15 words each.
Context: This will be shared with the executive team.
Constraints: Only include decisions and deadlines.
Output:
• Budget increase approved
• Deadline extended to Q4
• Hiring 3 new engineers
• Product beta launch in June
• Next review set for July 15
Few-Shot Prompt
User:
Translate English to French. Follow the examples below and keep answers short and accurate.
English: "Good morning"
French: "Bonjour"
English: "How are you?"
French: "Comment ça va ?"
English: "See you tomorrow"
French:
Output:
"À demain"
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