OpenAI introduced a new guide for working with prompts for the GPT-5.1 model, which has become more accurate in executing user instructions. This guide explains how to update existing workflows and adapt the prompt style for the new model. Developers transitioning from GPT-4.1 are advised to use the “none” mode, which operates without reasoning tokens and behaves similarly to previous versions, but with the ability for detailed thinking through special prompts.
Those upgrading from GPT-5 are recommended to configure the model for completeness and consistency of responses, as they can sometimes be too narrow. To achieve this, it is advised to formulate prompts that encourage the model to plan actions in advance and analyze tool usage. The guide includes advanced capabilities for controlling GPT-5.1’s behavior, allowing for the definition of tone, structure, and personality of the agent for different scenarios, including support chatbots or assistants for programmers.
Developers can set constraints on response length, number of fragments, and politeness to avoid unnecessary verbosity. A separate parameter controls the detail of the response, and clear prompt schemes provide more control over the level of detail.
The new guide introduces two tools for software agents. “apply_patch” creates structured diff files that can be applied directly and reduce errors by 35 percent. The “shell” tool allows the model to suggest commands through a controlled interface, supporting a simple planning and execution scheme for system and software tasks.
OpenAI advises using prompts with an emphasis on autonomous task completion and decision-making in case of unclear instructions. A separate section of the guide is dedicated to meta-prompts, where GPT-5.1 analyzes its own prompts, identifies errors, and suggests corrections, helping to maintain large or complex system prompts.
