Skip to main content
Knowledge prompts are reusable instruction templates stored centrally in your Layest workspace. Instead of writing the same system instructions from scratch in every agent, you compose a prompt once, store it in the prompt library, and attach it to as many agents as you need. When the underlying instructions need to change—a new company policy, a refined tone, an updated process—you update the prompt in one place and every agent that references it picks up the change automatically.

​
Create a new prompt template

1

Navigate to the prompt library

In the left sidebar, click Knowledge → Prompts, then click + New Prompt.
2

Name and describe the prompt

Give the prompt a clear, specific name (for example, Customer Support – Tone Guide) and add an optional description so teammates understand when to use it.
3

Write the prompt content

Type or paste your instructions into the editor. Use plain prose, markdown, or a mix—the editor renders a live preview as you type.
4

Add tags

Apply one or more tags to help your team find the prompt later (for example, support, tone, onboarding).
5

Save the prompt

Click Save Prompt. The prompt is now available to attach to any agent in the workspace.

​
Use variables in prompts

Variables let you inject dynamic values into a prompt at runtime, turning a static template into a flexible instruction set. Wrap any variable name in double curly braces:
When an agent runs with this prompt attached, Layest substitutes each {{variable}} with the corresponding value from the agent’s input or from the trigger payload. If a variable is missing at runtime, Layest leaves a warning in the run trace so you can identify gaps in your data mapping. Rules for variable names:
  • Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only.
  • No spaces: use customer_name, not customer name.
  • Keep names descriptive—{{ticket_subject}} is clearer than {{ts}}.

​
Attach a prompt to an agent

1

Open the agent editor

Navigate to Agents, select the agent you want to configure, and click the Prompts tab.
2

Add a prompt

Click + Add Prompt and search for the prompt by name or tag. Select it from the results.
3

Set the prompt role

Choose where the prompt is injected into the agent’s context:
  • System – Prepended as the system message, setting the agent’s overall persona and rules.
  • Pre-task – Injected before each task or user message, providing task-specific instructions.
  • Post-task – Appended after the agent’s response, useful for formatting rules or sign-off instructions.
4

Map variable values

If the prompt contains variables, the editor shows a variable mapping panel. Bind each variable to an agent input, a trigger payload field, or a static value.
5

Save the agent

Click Save. The prompt is active on the next run.

​
Organize prompts with tags and categories

As your prompt library grows, tags and categories keep it navigable. From Knowledge → Prompts:
  • Filter by tag – Click any tag chip in the sidebar to show only prompts with that tag.
  • Sort – Sort by name, last modified date, or number of agents using each prompt.
  • Archive – Archive prompts that are no longer in active use. Archived prompts remain attached to agents that already reference them but are hidden from the browsing view.
Establishing a tagging convention early—by function (tone, rules, persona), by team (support, sales, engineering), or by status (draft, approved, deprecated)—saves significant time as the library scales.

​
Share prompts across the workspace

Every prompt you create is automatically visible to all members of your Layest workspace. There are no per-prompt sharing settings—the library is intentionally shared to encourage reuse and consistency. To control who can create or edit prompts, use workspace roles:
  • Editor and above can create, edit, and delete prompts.
  • Viewer can browse and attach prompts to agents but cannot modify them.

​
Example prompt template

Here is a complete example of a prompt template using variables and structured instructions:
Layest keeps a full version history for every prompt. Click Version History on any prompt to see a timestamped list of every saved revision, who made the change, and a diff of what changed. You can restore any previous version with one click—making it safe to experiment and iterate without fear of losing a prompt that was working well.