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A system prompt is a set of instructions sent to Claude at the start of a conversation, before any user messages. It shapes how Claude responds — setting its tone, focus, or role. Claudette lets you define a list of system prompts in settings, choose a default, and switch between them at any time.

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Default system prompts

Claudette ships with three built-in system prompts: 
{
  "system_messages": [
    "You are a helpful AI assistant focused on programming help.",
    "You are a helpful AI assistant focused on writing and documentation.",
    "You are a helpful AI assistant ready to help with any task."
  ]
}
The default_system_message_index setting controls which prompt is active. It is zero-based, so 0 selects the first prompt in the array. 
{
  "default_system_message_index": 0
}
With this default, Claude opens every new conversation with the programming-focused prompt. Set default_system_message_index to 1 to default to the writing and documentation prompt, or 2 for the general-purpose prompt.
The system prompt is sent when the first request in a conversation is made. Changing default_system_message_index affects new conversations only; existing chat views retain the prompt they started with.

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Adding custom prompts

Add your own entries to the system_messages array in your settings file. Each entry is a plain string. 
{
  "system_messages": [
    "You are a helpful AI assistant focused on programming help.",
    "You are a helpful AI assistant focused on writing and documentation.",
    "You are a helpful AI assistant ready to help with any task.",
    "You are a senior code reviewer. Point out bugs, performance issues, and deviations from best practices. Be concise and direct."
  ]
}
Open the settings file at Preferences > Package Settings > Claudette > Settings.
Tailor system prompts to the work you do most. A prompt that specifies your preferred language, coding style, or domain can significantly improve the relevance of Claude’s responses.

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Switching at runtime

To change the active system prompt without opening settings, open the command palette and run Claudette: Switch System Prompt (claudette_select_system_message_panel). A quick panel shows all prompts from system_messages. Selecting one updates default_system_message_index and saves immediately. The panel also includes a Manage system prompts option that opens the settings file directly if you want to add or edit prompts.
If system_messages is empty or default_system_message_index is out of range, no system prompt is sent with the request.

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