What is Zero-shot prompting?
Zero-shot prompting asks the model to do a task with no examples — just the instruction — relying on what it already knows.
Most everyday prompts are zero-shot: "summarise this", "write a cover letter", "explain X". Modern chat models are good at it, which is why people rarely add examples. It works when the task is common and the format doesn't matter much.
It fails when you need a specific style, structure or judgment the model can't infer. That's the moment to add examples (few-shot) or a precise format instruction.
How to use it well
- Zero-shot first; add examples only when the output drifts from what you want.
- Compensate for missing examples with a role and an explicit format.
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Related terms
Use it right now
Ask our brain anything on the homepage — it remembers the whole conversation — or write a brief in the Studio and see the prompt it compiles to.