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Prompt basics

A prompt is the text instruction you send to Kimi — it can be a question, a description, a set of requirements, or even a complete task brief. Kimi uses your prompt to understand your intent, organize a response, and execute tasks.

In short: how you ask determines how Kimi answers. A clear, specific prompt almost always leads to a more accurate and valuable response.

Four core elements of a good prompt

1. Define role and context

Telling Kimi who you are and what situation you're in helps it match the right depth and tone.

Vague PromptBetter Prompt
Write an article about AII'm a tech media editor. I need a 2,000-word AI explainer article for a general audience, written in an accessible, engaging style
Help me analyze dataI'm a market analyst. Please analyze the conversion rates by channel in this Excel file, focusing on month-over-month changes

2. Describe the task specifically

The more specific your description is, the fewer revision cycles you'll need. A good task description typically includes:

  • What to do: A clear action (analyze, summarize, translate, generate, compare…)
  • Output format: Table, list, paragraph, code, Markdown…
  • Scope and constraints: Word count, number of items, time range, geographic scope…
  • Quality requirements: Academic tone, conversational, concise, detailed…
Summarize this article
Summarize this article in 3 bullet points, each no more than 50 words, in English

3. Provide examples or references

When you have specific formatting expectations, giving Kimi an example (few-shot) is highly effective:

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4. Break complex tasks into steps

For complex tasks, split the work into smaller steps and guide Kimi through them:

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Practical tips

Use follow-ups and iteration

Not satisfied with the first response? Just follow up — no need to restate all the context:

  • "Please elaborate on point 2"
  • "Make the tone more formal"
  • "Add data sources"
  • "Re-analyze from a different angle"

Leverage files and links

Kimi supports uploading PDFs, Word docs, Excel files, images, and more. You can also paste URLs directly. Combining files with your prompt dramatically boosts efficiency:

TaskPrompt Example
Summarize PDF"Summarize the key points of this PDF"
Analyze data"Analyze sales trends based on this Excel data"
Extract from URL"Read this article at the link and extract the key takeaways"

Specify the output format

Tell Kimi exactly what format you want:

NeedPrompt Example
Comparison table"Compare the pros and cons of A and B in a table"
Code output"Implement this in Python with comments"
Structured list"Organize as a numbered list, each item under 20 words"
Markdown"Output in Markdown format with heading hierarchy"

Use memory for persistent preferences

If you have recurring preferences and requirements, use Kimi's Memory feature to remember them long-term:

  • "Remember that I'm a frontend engineer who prefers the React stack"
  • "Always reply in English using Markdown format"
  • "Include code examples when answering technical questions"

This way you don't have to repeat yourself — Kimi will automatically apply these preferences in future conversations.

Common mistakes

MistakeBetter Approach
Cramming multiple unrelated tasks into one messageStart a new session for each independent task to keep context clean
Overly vague prompts (e.g., "write something for me")Specify what to write, for whom, in what style, and how long
Expecting perfect output on the first tryGenerate a draft first, then iterate through follow-ups
Not fact-checking AI outputAlways verify dates, data, and factual claims

Quick-start templates

Here are a few ready-to-use prompt templates — copy, customize, and go: Writing

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Analysis

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Translation

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Master these core concepts and techniques, and you'll collaborate with Kimi far more effectively — turning AI into a true productivity tool.