Definition
What this term means
The discipline of crafting effective inputs (prompts) to AI systems to elicit desired, accurate, and useful outputs. Prompt engineering involves understanding how AI models interpret instructions, what context improves response quality, and how to structure requests for optimal results. It applies to both end users writing queries and developers building AI-powered applications.
Why it matters
The business impact
Understanding prompt engineering reveals how your audience interacts with AI systems and what kinds of responses they receive. By analysing the prompts commonly used in your category (e.g., 'recommend a CRM for small businesses' vs. 'compare CRM features'), you can structure your content to align with the patterns that AI models expect to match. This is a form of reverse-engineering AI visibility from the user's perspective.
Used in context
How you might use this term
“A marketing team analysed 200 common prompts in their category to understand how users ask AI for recommendations. They discovered that prompts typically included budget constraints and team size. By adding structured content addressing these dimensions, their brand began appearing in AI responses to a much wider range of category prompts.”
Related terms
Explore connected concepts
LLM
A type of artificial intelligence model trained on vast datasets of text to understand, generate, and reason about human language. LLMs power the AI assistants and generative search tools, including ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity, that are rapidly becoming the primary way people discover products, services, and information online.
Search Intent
The underlying goal or motivation behind a user's search query, whether they want to learn something (informational), find a specific website (navigational), compare options (commercial investigation), or make a purchase (transactional). AI systems are increasingly sophisticated at identifying search intent and matching content that directly serves the user's purpose at that moment.
Model Citation
An instance where an AI model references, quotes, or links to a specific source when generating its response. Model citations can appear as inline references, linked source lists, or attributed quotes, and they represent the AI equivalent of earning a backlink in traditional SEO. Platforms like Perplexity and Google's AI Overviews prominently display citations.