Controlling ChatGPT with Custom Instructions or API System Messages

This focused course explains how to reliably steer LLM outputs using custom instructions and API-level system messages. You’ll learn the conceptual difference between system, assistant, and user messages, craft robust instruction templates, version and test instructions, and monitor drift. Practical labs demonstrate how to produce consistent behavior with prompt scaffolding, instruction overrides, and controlled evaluation methods for repeatable outputs.

• Skills you’ll learn: instruction design, system vs user messaging, versioning prompts, behavior testing, monitoring outputs.

Certificate: Certificate of completion provided upon finishing the course.

Requirements

• Access to ChatGPT custom instructions or API system messages; sample prompts to experiment with.

Who this course is for

• Developers; prompt engineers; product managers.

Benefits

• Differentiate system, assistant, and user instructions; craft effective system prompts; version and test instruction sets; monitor behavior.