Glossary · Prompting & context
Instruction Hierarchy
A rule set for resolving conflicts among instructions from sources with different authority, such as application policy, users, and untrusted retrieved content.
Why it matters
Agent systems mix trusted goals with external text, so the model and harness need a defined response when lower-authority content conflicts with higher-authority constraints.
In practice
Label untrusted tool output as data, preserve higher-priority constraints outside that content, and test direct and indirect conflict cases.
Common confusion
An instruction hierarchy can improve behavior but is not a security boundary; least privilege and approval controls still limit consequences.
Related terms
Sources
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