Agent platform builders debate whether custom prompts belong in system or user messages
Final-Choice8412 · reddit · 2026-07-24
The author asks agent-platform builders whether a user’s custom agent prompt should be placed in the system message or kept in the first user message.
- Option A: Merge the platform prompt and the user’s custom prompt into the system message.
- Option B: Put the custom prompt into the first user message, alongside the actual task.
The practical question is not just prompt hierarchy, but also how to hide or surface that prompt in the UI if it lives inside user-facing content.
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