Choose Workspace¶
If this is your first time opening Prompt Optimizer, do not start with every feature. Start by choosing the right workspace.
The simplest rule is:
Look at what the right side needs as input.
First-time shortcut¶
| Your goal | Recommended workspace | What the left side edits | Main right-side input |
|---|---|---|---|
| Define a stable role, policy, or boundary | System Prompt Workspace | system prompt | one test message |
| Improve one direct task instruction | User Prompt Workspace | user prompt | usually no extra input |
| Turn one prompt into a reusable template | Variable Workspace | prompt template with {{variables}} |
one set of variable values |
| Optimize one message inside a full conversation | Context Workspace | one target system/user message inside the conversation |
full conversation + shared variables + optional tools |
| Generate images from text only | Text-to-Image Workspace | image prompt | image model |
| Continue editing from an input image | Image-to-Image Workspace | image-to-image prompt | input image + image model |
If you just want the fastest decision, these 4 lines are enough¶
- If the right side needs test text, choose System Prompt Workspace
- If the right side needs no extra input, choose User Prompt Workspace
- If the right side needs variable values, choose Variable Workspace
- If the right side needs a full conversation or images, choose Context / Image workspaces
Check the right-side input one more time¶
- Needs one test message: usually System Prompt Workspace
- Needs no extra input: usually User Prompt Workspace
- Needs variable values: usually Variable Workspace
- Needs a full conversation: usually Context Workspace
- Needs an image model to generate pictures: usually Text-to-Image Workspace
- Needs an input image first: usually Image-to-Image Workspace
If you are still unsure, judge by task type¶
If you are writing:
- “You are a support assistant”
- “Always answer in two parts”
- “Do not invent facts”
use System Prompt Workspace.
If you are writing:
- “Write an email”
- “Summarize this text”
- “Write a poem about autumn”
use User Prompt Workspace.
If your prompt looks like this:
Write a poem about {{topic}} in {{style}}.
use Variable Workspace.
If your problem already includes:
systemuserassistant- tools / function calling
use Context Workspace instead of forcing everything into a single-prompt mode.
If your main goal is image generation:
- text only: use Text-to-Image Workspace
- input image included: use Image-to-Image Workspace
The 3 most common points of confusion¶
- System vs User workspace: system is for long-lived role and rule design; user is for one concrete task instruction
- User vs Variable workspace: user is one fixed prompt; variable is a reusable template
- Variable vs Context workspace: variable is one prompt with parameters; context is one target message inside a full conversation
Recommended fallback order¶
- Start with User Prompt Workspace for one task prompt
- Use System Prompt Workspace for role and boundary design
- Move to Variable Workspace when you need reusable parameters
- Move to Context Workspace when you need full conversation context
- Use image workspaces only when the final output is an image
Next pages¶
- Want a full first run: Quick Start
- Want the boundary between analysis and evaluation: Testing & Evaluation
- Want guidance on left-side vs right-side model use: Model Testing Strategy