Prompts

Prompts allow you to tailor the performance and output of AI models used in your agents. The prompt editor in Airia uses a modular, segment-based approach that allows you to build, version, and reuse prompt components across your agents. We support both system prompts and user prompts to preseed information into requests and guide the end user through prompting.

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Prompt Categories

Prompts are split into two categories in the Airia platform, Prompts and User Prompts. Prompts are system prompts to then be added to model configurations or specific AI operations within Agent workflows. User Prompts are templates that can be surfaced in deployments for chat-focused Agents (see Skills in Airia Chat).

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The Prompt Editor

The prompt editor consists of three main areas:

• Consolidated Prompt View: Displays the complete prompt that will be sent to the model when executed, composed from all your segments
• Building Section: Where you compose your prompt from custom and shared segments
• Shared Prompts Section: Review and pull from shared segments to construct your agent prompt

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Prompt Segments

Prompts in Airia are built using segments - modular, reusable components that can be mixed and matched to create your agent’s instructions. There are two types of segments:

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Custom Segments

Custom segments are agent-specific and ideal for:

• Getting started quickly with a new agent
• Instructions unique to a specific agent operation
• Simple concepts or prototyping
• Content that doesn’t need to be reused elsewhere

Custom segments are editable inline, are versioned with the agent, and cannot be shared across agents or viewed in the Prompts administration table.

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Shared Segments

Shared segments are reusable, versioned components that work like functions across your agents. They are best for:

• Best practices and common patterns
• Instructions used across multiple agents
• Model provider-specific guidelines
• Audience-specific content that can be easily swapped
• Starter templates for common use cases

Shared segments are versioned, centrally managed, and cannot be edited directly within the agent.

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Building with Segments

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Adding Custom Segments

To add a custom segment:

1. In the building section of the prompt editor, create a new custom segment
2. Enter your prompt instructions inline
3. The segment will be added to your consolidated prompt

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Adding Shared Segments

To add a shared segment:

1. Browse the shared segments library on the right side of the editor
2. Drag the desired segment into the highlighted drop area in your building section
3. The segment will be added at the end of your segment list
4. Select the specific version of the segment you want to use

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Organizing Segments

Once you have multiple segments:

• Rearrange segments by dragging them into your preferred order
• Mix custom and shared segments to combine agent-specific instructions with reusable patterns
• The consolidated prompt at the top updates to reflect your segment composition

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Managing Shared Segments

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Editing Shared Segments

Since shared segments are centrally managed:

1. Click the action button on the shared segment
2. On the shared segment’s header, click to open the segment in a new tab
3. Make your edits in the central prompt management area
4. Changes will apply to all agents using that segment version

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Unlinking Shared Segments

If you wish to detached from the shared instance of a prompt:

1. Select the “Unlink” option on the shared segment
2. The segment becomes a custom segment specific to this agent
3. You can now edit it inline
4. It will no longer receive updates from the shared version

This is useful for:

• Using a shared segment as a starting template
• Creating a variant for a specific use case
• Branching into a new concept based on existing patterns

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Browsing the Libraries

Airia provides a diverse library of prompts that can be used out of the box or further customized to your use case. When browsing, you can target industry, model, and other tags to find the prompt best suited for you. The library includes:

• Model provider templates with common capabilities as quick-start guides
• Best practice patterns for common agent behaviors
• Industry-specific prompt structures

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Prompt Variables

Prompts can be used more broadly as templates across a variety of use cases by including variables. There are two supported methods to add variables in prompts:

1. Use a structure of {{variable_name}} in both user prompts and system prompts
2. Use a structure of <variable_name /> in system prompts
3. Reference loaded memory from upstream in the agent flow using <memory value="memory_name" />

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Best Practices

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When to Create Shared Segments

If you find yourself copying the same custom segment across multiple agents (typically three or more), consider converting it into a shared segment. This allows you to:

• Manage the content in one central location
• Version and track changes over time
• Ensure consistency across agents

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Keep Segments Small

Smaller, focused segments provide:

• Higher reusability across different agents
• Easier maintenance and updates
• More flexibility in composing prompts
• Clearer organization of your prompt logic

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Versioning Strategy

• Use versioning to iterate and refine prompts based on testing
• Link agents to specific versions for stability
• Update to newer versions when improvements are validated

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Migrating Existing Prompts

If you’ve been building in Airia prior to the segment-based editor, your existing prompts remain accessible:

• Legacy prompts appear in the prompt segments library
• They continue to be available in the administration area

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Migration Paths

Your approach depends on how you were using prompts before: