trustgraph/docs/cli/tg-set-prompt.md

tg-set-prompt

Sets prompt templates and system prompts for TrustGraph LLM services.

Synopsis

# Set a prompt template
tg-set-prompt --id TEMPLATE_ID --prompt TEMPLATE [options]

# Set system prompt
tg-set-prompt --system SYSTEM_PROMPT

Description

The tg-set-prompt command configures prompt templates and system prompts used by TrustGraph's LLM services. Prompt templates contain placeholders like {{variable}} that are replaced with actual values when invoked. System prompts provide global context for all LLM interactions.

Templates are stored in TrustGraph's configuration system and can be used with tg-invoke-prompt for consistent AI interactions.

Options

Prompt Template Mode

• --id ID: Unique identifier for the prompt template (required for templates)
• --prompt TEMPLATE: Prompt template text with {{variable}} placeholders (required for templates)
• --response TYPE: Response format - text or json (default: text)
• --schema SCHEMA: JSON schema for structured responses (required when response is json)

System Prompt Mode

• --system PROMPT: System prompt text (cannot be used with other options)

Common Options

• -u, --api-url URL: TrustGraph API URL (default: $TRUSTGRAPH_URL or http://localhost:8088/)

Examples

Basic Prompt Template

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "greeting" \
  --prompt "Hello {{name}}, welcome to {{place}}!"

Question-Answer Template

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "question" \
  --prompt "Answer this question based on the context: {{question}}\n\nContext: {{context}}"

JSON Response Template

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "extract-info" \
  --prompt "Extract key information from: {{text}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {"name": {"type": "string"}, "age": {"type": "number"}}}'

Analysis Template

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "analyze" \
  --prompt "Analyze the following {{data_type}} and provide insights about {{focus_area}}:\n\n{{data}}\n\nFormat the response as {{format}}."

System Prompt

tg-set-prompt \
  --system "You are a helpful AI assistant. Always provide accurate, concise responses. When uncertain, clearly state your limitations."

Template Variables

Variable Syntax

Templates use {{variable}} syntax for placeholders:

# Template
"Hello {{name}}, today is {{day}}"

# Usage
tg-invoke-prompt greeting name="Alice" day="Monday"
# Result: "Hello Alice, today is Monday"

Common Variables

• {{text}} - Input text for processing
• {{question}} - Question to answer
• {{context}} - Background context
• {{data}} - Data to analyze
• {{format}} - Output format specification

Response Types

Text Response (Default)

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "summarize" \
  --prompt "Summarize this text in {{max_words}} words: {{text}}"

JSON Response

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "classify" \
  --prompt "Classify this text: {{text}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "category": {"type": "string"},
      "confidence": {"type": "number", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 1}
    },
    "required": ["category", "confidence"]
  }'

Use Cases

Document Processing Templates

# Document summarization
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "document-summary" \
  --prompt "Provide a {{length}} summary of this document:\n\n{{document}}\n\nFocus on: {{focus_areas}}"

# Key point extraction
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "extract-key-points" \
  --prompt "Extract the main points from: {{text}}\n\nReturn as a bulleted list."

# Document classification
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "classify-document" \
  --prompt "Classify this document into one of these categories: {{categories}}\n\nDocument: {{text}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {"category": {"type": "string"}, "confidence": {"type": "number"}}}'

Code Analysis Templates

# Code review
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "code-review" \
  --prompt "Review this {{language}} code for {{focus}} issues:\n\n{{code}}\n\nProvide specific recommendations."

# Bug detection
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "find-bugs" \
  --prompt "Analyze this code for potential bugs:\n\n{{code}}\n\nError context: {{error}}"

# Code explanation
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "explain-code" \
  --prompt "Explain how this {{language}} code works:\n\n{{code}}\n\nTarget audience: {{audience}}"

Data Analysis Templates

# Data insights
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "data-insights" \
  --prompt "Analyze this {{data_type}} data and provide insights:\n\n{{data}}\n\nFocus on: {{metrics}}"

# Trend analysis
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "trend-analysis" \
  --prompt "Identify trends in this data over {{timeframe}}:\n\n{{data}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {"trends": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}}}}'

Content Generation Templates

# Marketing copy
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "marketing-copy" \
  --prompt "Create {{tone}} marketing copy for {{product}} targeting {{audience}}. Key features: {{features}}"

# Technical documentation
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "tech-docs" \
  --prompt "Generate technical documentation for:\n\n{{code}}\n\nInclude: {{sections}}"

Advanced Usage

Multi-Step Templates

# Research template
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "research" \
  --prompt "Research question: {{question}}

Available sources: {{sources}}

Please:
1. Analyze the question
2. Review relevant sources
3. Synthesize findings
4. Provide conclusions

Format: {{output_format}}"

Conditional Templates

# Adaptive response template
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "adaptive-response" \
  --prompt "Task: {{task}}
Context: {{context}}
Expertise level: {{level}}

If expertise level is 'beginner', provide simple explanations.
If expertise level is 'advanced', include technical details.
If task involves code, include examples.

Response:"

Structured Analysis Template

tg-set-prompt \
  --id "structured-analysis" \
  --prompt "Analyze: {{subject}}
Criteria: {{criteria}}
Data: {{data}}

Provide analysis in this structure:
- Overview
- Key Findings
- Recommendations
- Next Steps" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "overview": {"type": "string"},
      "key_findings": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
      "recommendations": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}},
      "next_steps": {"type": "array", "items": {"type": "string"}}
    }
  }'

Template Management

# Create template collection for specific domain
domain="customer-support"
templates=(
  "greeting:Hello! I'm here to help with {{issue_type}}. What can I assist you with?"
  "escalation:I understand your frustration with {{issue}}. Let me escalate this to {{department}}."
  "resolution:Great! I've resolved your {{issue}}. Is there anything else I can help with?"
)

for template in "${templates[@]}"; do
  IFS=':' read -r id prompt <<< "$template"
  tg-set-prompt --id "${domain}-${id}" --prompt "$prompt"
done

System Prompt Configuration

General Purpose System Prompt

tg-set-prompt --system "You are a knowledgeable AI assistant. Provide accurate, helpful responses. When you don't know something, say so clearly. Always consider the context and be concise unless detail is specifically requested."

Domain-Specific System Prompt

tg-set-prompt --system "You are a technical documentation assistant specializing in software development. Focus on clarity, accuracy, and practical examples. Always include code snippets when relevant and explain complex concepts step-by-step."

Role-Based System Prompt

tg-set-prompt --system "You are a data analyst AI. When analyzing data, always consider statistical significance, potential biases, and limitations. Present findings objectively and suggest actionable insights."

Error Handling

Missing Required Fields

Exception: Must specify --id for prompt

Solution: Provide both --id and --prompt for template creation.

Invalid Response Type

Exception: Response must be one of: text json

Solution: Use only text or json for the --response option.

Invalid JSON Schema

Exception: JSON schema must be valid JSON

Solution: Validate JSON schema syntax before using --schema.

Conflicting Options

Exception: Can't use --system with other args

Solution: Use --system alone, or use template options without --system.

Template Testing

Test Template Creation

# Create and test a simple template
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "test-template" \
  --prompt "Test template with {{variable1}} and {{variable2}}"

# Test the template
tg-invoke-prompt test-template variable1="hello" variable2="world"

Validate JSON Templates

# Create JSON template
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "json-test" \
  --prompt "Extract data from: {{text}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {"result": {"type": "string"}}}'

# Test JSON response
tg-invoke-prompt json-test text="Sample text for testing"

Template Iteration

# Version 1
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "analysis-v1" \
  --prompt "Analyze: {{data}}"

# Version 2 (improved)
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "analysis-v2" \
  --prompt "Analyze the following {{data_type}} and provide insights about {{focus}}:\n\n{{data}}\n\nConsider: {{considerations}}"

# Version 3 (structured)
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "analysis-v3" \
  --prompt "Analyze: {{data}}" \
  --response "json" \
  --schema '{"type": "object", "properties": {"summary": {"type": "string"}, "insights": {"type": "array"}}}'

Best Practices

Template Design

# Good: Clear, specific prompts
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "good-summary" \
  --prompt "Summarize this {{document_type}} in {{word_count}} words, focusing on {{key_aspects}}:\n\n{{content}}"

# Better: Include context and constraints
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "better-summary" \
  --prompt "Task: Summarize the following {{document_type}}
Length: {{word_count}} words maximum
Focus: {{key_aspects}}
Audience: {{target_audience}}

Document:
{{content}}

Summary:"

Variable Naming

# Use descriptive variable names
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "descriptive-vars" \
  --prompt "Analyze {{data_source}} data from {{time_period}} for {{business_metric}} trends"

# Group related variables
tg-set-prompt \
  --id "grouped-vars" \
  --prompt "Compare {{baseline_data}} vs {{comparison_data}} using {{analysis_method}}"

Environment Variables

• TRUSTGRAPH_URL: Default API URL

Related Commands

• tg-show-prompts - Display configured prompts
• tg-invoke-prompt - Use prompt templates
• tg-invoke-document-rag - Document-based AI queries

API Integration

This command uses the Config API to store prompt templates and system prompts in TrustGraph's configuration system.

Best Practices

1. Clear Templates: Write clear, specific prompt templates
2. Variable Names: Use descriptive variable names
3. Response Types: Choose appropriate response types for your use case
4. Schema Validation: Always validate JSON schemas before setting
5. Version Control: Consider versioning important templates
6. Testing: Test templates thoroughly with various inputs
7. Documentation: Document template variables and expected usage

Troubleshooting

Template Not Working

# Check template exists
tg-show-prompts | grep "template-id"

# Verify variable names match
tg-invoke-prompt template-id var1="test" var2="test"

JSON Schema Errors

# Validate schema separately
echo '{"type": "object"}' | jq .

# Test with simple schema first
tg-set-prompt --id "test" --prompt "test" --response "json" --schema '{"type": "string"}'

System Prompt Issues

# Check current system prompt
tg-show-prompts | grep -A5 "System prompt"

# Reset if needed
tg-set-prompt --system "Default system prompt"