Template variable
A template variable is a labelled placeholder in a reusable prompt, such as `{{audience}}`, that is replaced with a real value before the prompt is sent.
Templates turn a one-off prompt into a repeatable one. Naming variables for what they mean rather than where they appear keeps them readable, and leaving an unreplaced placeholder in a sent prompt is a common and easily-tested failure.
Related terms
- Prompt template
- A prompt template is a reusable prompt with placeholders for the parts that change, so the same tested structure can be applied to many inputs.
- Prompt structure
- Prompt structure is the order and separation of a prompt’s parts — role, context, task, constraints, format, examples — which changes model behaviour independently of the words used.
More on prompt structure
See the full glossary, read the guides, or put it into practice in the prompt builder.