AI engineering glossary · Prompt context engineering
What is step-back prompting?
Step-back prompting: A technique where the model is first asked a more general question about the underlying principle, and then uses that answer to solve the specific problem. Stepping back to the concept reduces errors from getting lost in details.
Step-back prompting: an example
Before answering a specific gas-law question, the model first states 'What is the ideal gas law and what do its variables mean?'
Related terms
More Prompt context engineering terms
- Stop sequence
- Structured extraction
- Structured output
- System prompt
- Task decomposition
- Template variable
- Thinking budget
- Token budget
Where you learn it
Step-back prompting is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.