---
title: "Overriding System Prompts"
slug: "overriding-system-prompts"
updated: 2026-04-03T22:03:08Z
published: 2026-04-03T22:03:08Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overriding System Prompts

> [!NOTE]
> This article is about system prompts in Slate — the predefined option lists managed in **Database > Prompts**. This is not related to AI system prompts. For information on adjusting Slate AI’s behavior, see [Slate AI Snippets](/v1/docs/slate-ai-snippets).

When a Form Field is mapped to a system field that uses a [prompt list](/v1/docs/fields-and-prompts-prompts), the form automatically displays the active prompt options. The **Connect to system prompts** checkbox keeps the form field in sync: any changes to the prompt list in [the Prompts tool](/v1/docs/prompts) are automatically reflected on the form.

You can override these prompts to customize what appears on the form without changing the underlying system data. There are two reasons to override prompts:

- **Restrict which options appear** — Remove options that should not be available on a specific form. (See also: [Conditionally Show Prompts](/v1/docs/form-conditional-logic#conditionally-show-prompts))
- **Change the display name** — Show a different label to the person completing the form while keeping the value mapped to the system prompt.

To override prompts, select the **Override system prompts** checkbox in the form field settings.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image-BKXS8CQ6.png)

When override is enabled, each prompt appears in the format:

- **Prompt Value** — The text before the caret (^) is what appears on the form.
- **Caret (^)** — The text after the caret is the translation value that maps the display text back to the system prompt. This is usually the 36-character GUID for the system prompt, though some special prompt keys use an index value instead.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/image-NBA06UXS.png)

## **Restricting prompt options**

Some active system prompts should not appear on certain forms. For example, if Summer 2017 is still active as an entry term but the inquiry form should only show Fall 2017 and later, you can remove the outdated option.

To remove a prompt option from the form, delete its line from the list.

> [!CAUTION]
> 🔔 Important!
> 
> **Never** change the translation value that appears after the caret.
> 
> **Never** add prompt options to a form field that is mapped to a system field. Instead, add these new prompt options in [the Prompts tool](/v1/docs/prompts).

## **Modifying prompt display names**

You can change the display name of a prompt so it is clearer to the person completing the form. For example, instead of "MBA," you could display "Master of Business Administration."

To modify a display name, edit the value that appears before the caret (^).

[![rename.png](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/rename.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/rename.png)

> [!CAUTION]
> 🔔 Important!
> 
> When you override system prompts, the form field no longer syncs with the prompt values set in the Prompts tool. If the system prompt list changes, you must manually update the form field.

Form fields are data points collected on a form; these can be text boxes, prompt-driven lists, addresses, or many other types of data. Unmapped form fields can capture data that is not essential within the larger context of the person record as they will not store back to the record. Form fields mapped to system fields will be stored back on the associated record.

A **globally-unique identifier**, or one-of-a-kind ID that can be used to identify a record or object in your Slate database.