PRODUCTION SCENARIO
A Foundry prompt agent must answer a different question each request while keeping a fixed role and a short, sourced answer style.
Where do the fixed behavior rules belong?
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Answer: In the agent's instructions, set once at creation
An agent's instructions define its core behavior once, so responses stay consistent without the caller repeating the rules each time, while the user message carries the current question. Rules in the first user message belong to one conversation rather than to the agent. Few-shot assistant messages demonstrate a format, not standing behavior. Tool descriptions govern when a tool is called, and say nothing about answer style.