Prompt Engineering · 7 min
Zero-Shot vs Few-Shot Prompting
Zero-shot prompting asks the model to perform a task without examples. Few-shot prompting supplies a small set of examples so the model can infer the expected pattern.
Use zero-shot when
The task is familiar, the output is flexible and your instructions already define success clearly.
Use few-shot when
The format, classification rule or tone is specific enough that examples communicate the standard better than prose alone.
Professional practice
Use representative examples, keep them accurate and test whether they bias the output. Examples should clarify the standard, not accidentally become the entire task.