# Zero-shot prompting

> Asking a model to do a task from the instruction alone, with no examples, relying on what it already learned in training.

Source: Promptea — https://www.promptea.me/en/glossary/zero-shot · Language: English · Last updated: 2026-11-09

## What it means

- Definition: zero-shot means the prompt contains the instruction and the input but no worked examples. The model relies on its pretrained knowledge and your wording.
- Why it matters: it is the cheapest, shortest way to prompt and the right starting point — you see how far the instruction alone gets you.
- How to apply it: be explicit about the task, the allowed outputs and the format ('Positive, Negative or Neutral; one word only'). Current models handle many well-defined tasks this way.
- When to move on: if the format is inconsistent or edge cases fail, add one or two examples (few-shot) rather than a longer description.

## Example

```text
Classify the sentiment of this review as Positive, Negative or Neutral.
Reply with one word only.

Review: """[paste]"""
```

[Open in Promptea](https://www.promptea.me/en/analyzer?prompt=Classify+the+sentiment+of+this+review+as+Positive%2C+Negative+or+Neutral.%0AReply+with+one+word+only.%0A%0AReview%3A+%22%22%22%5Bpaste%5D%22%22%22&purpose=text&target=gpt)

## Frequently asked questions

### When should I move from zero-shot to few-shot?

When outputs are inconsistent in format or miss edge cases. Start with 1–2 examples and add more only if the problem persists.

### Is zero-shot less accurate?

Not necessarily. For clear, common tasks a precise instruction performs well; examples matter when you need an exact format or unusual behavior.

## Related

- [Zero-shot prompting: how to get reliable results without providing examples](https://www.promptea.me/en/guides/zero-shot-prompting)
- [Few-shot prompting: how to show examples instead of just explaining](https://www.promptea.me/en/guides/few-shot-prompting)
- [Prompt checklist (copy-paste) to get better outputs](https://www.promptea.me/en/guides/prompt-checklist)
- [Few-shot prompting](https://www.promptea.me/en/glossary/few-shot)
- [Constraints](https://www.promptea.me/en/glossary/constraints)