Custom prompts
Custom prompts are reusable scenario templates for your account. When a setup’s scenario type is Custom prompt, the one you pick becomes that interview’s scenario instructions.
When they apply
Interview setup has two scenario types. Predefined uses a catalog scenario. Custom prompt replaces that with a prompt you saved — profile, role, job description, resume, and each surface’s base instructions still apply; the prompt only fills the scenario slot.
Create and edit templates from the setup form: Saved custom prompts, or the + control beside it. They live on your account so later setups can reuse them.
What to put in one
Write scenario-specific instructions — not things the setup already carries. Good fits:
- Interviewer persona and question style for this round.
- Output format — STAR, system-design phases, short spoken sentences.
- Time limits and how many follow-ups to expect.
- Constraints unique to this scenario (e.g. “stay under 90 seconds spoken”).
Leave personal profile, job description, resume, Q&A, and support-type base prompts out — those are already layered in. Do not paste a full “You are an AI assistant…” system prompt or a catalog default.
Writing one that works
The Title and Prompt fields have “?” hints with the same authoring tips (and a sample). Two habits matter most:
- Be specific. “Be concise” does little. “Answer in at most four short sentences I can say out loud” does a lot.
- Say what you want, not what you do not. “Lead with the outcome” beats “don’t ramble”.
How they relate to answer style
Answer style (Conversational, STAR, Hints, and the rest) still shapes every response from the control bar. A custom prompt sets the scenario instructions for that interview; it does not replace the style, and it is not applied automatically to setups that use a predefined scenario.