ModelRefs / Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) — AI Glossary
Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) — AI Glossary
Using an LLM to generate and evaluate candidate instructions, selecting the highest-performing prompt automatically. Also called APE or prompt optimization.
Overview
APE (Zhou et al. 2022) frames prompt optimization as a program synthesis problem: generate candidate instruction variants, evaluate each on a held-out set, keep the best. Extensions (OPRO, ProTeGi, DSPy) add iterative refinement and gradient-free optimization. Reduces manual prompt engineering effort for high-traffic production prompts.
Reference details
| Topic | prompting |
|---|---|
| Also known as | APE, prompt optimization |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-24 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE)?
Using an LLM to generate and evaluate candidate instructions, selecting the highest-performing prompt automatically.
Is Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) the same as APE?
Yes — APE, prompt optimization are common aliases for Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE).
What concepts are related to Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE)?
Closely related concepts include dspy, prompt template, calibration.