[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":75},["ShallowReactive",2],{"help-article-customizing-a-prompt":3},{"data":4},{"title":5,"excerpt":6,"content":7,"help_category":8,"seo":11},"Customizing a Prompt","How do I override a locked AI prompt in m18t? Learn why prompts are Locked, the Customize template option, the Customized-not-synced badge, and how to reset.","\u003Cp>Most of the time you steer m18t's AI through the \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-brand-ai-profile\">Brand AI Profile\u003C\u002Fa>. But sometimes a brand needs a genuinely different task structure, and for that you can override a platform prompt template directly. This article covers when to do it, how, and the footgun to avoid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What you'll learn\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>Why platform prompts are Locked by default and what that protects.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>How to override a Locked template under the advanced option.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>What the "Customized — not synced" badge means and how to reset.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>When overriding is the right move versus when to edit the Brand AI Profile instead.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Chr>\n\u003Ch2>The concept: Locked for a reason\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>The prompts that power m18t's features — content rewrites, SEO meta, news drafting — are tuned by the platform and wired to specific slugs. The SEO button calls the SEO prompt by its slug; the news pipeline calls the news prompts by theirs. That wiring is what makes the buttons work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, platform prompts ship \u003Cstrong>Locked\u003C\u002Fstrong>. A Locked prompt shows its System Prompt as read-only with a lock icon. You can read every word — nothing is hidden — but the edit surface is cushioned so you don't accidentally rewrite a load-bearing template. The editor's standing advice is plain: to change how the AI writes for a brand, tune its \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-brand-ai-profile\">Brand AI Profile\u003C\u002Fa>, which is injected into the prompt automatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are two more things a Locked prompt gives you that an override gives up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Platform improvements.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Locked prompts keep receiving the platform's tuning over time. Override one and it stops tracking those improvements until you reset.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>A safety floor.\u003C\u002Fstrong> The shipped templates have been tested. A hasty override can produce worse output that still costs the same tokens.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>When to override (and when not to)\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Edit the Brand AI Profile instead\u003C\u002Fstrong> when you want to change:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>The brand's tone, formality, or energy → \u003Cstrong>Voice\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Claims to avoid, words to never use, things to always include → \u003Cstrong>Rules\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Preferred terminology → \u003Cstrong>Glossary\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Who the brand is and serves → \u003Cstrong>Positioning\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>That covers the large majority of real needs, and it applies cleanly across all of a brand's prompts at once. See \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-brand-ai-profile\">The Brand AI Profile\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Override the template\u003C\u002Fstrong> only when the \u003Cem>task structure itself\u003C\u002Fem> needs to differ — the output format, the steps the model must follow, a constraint that can't be expressed as voice or rules. That's a real but narrow case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>How to override a Locked template\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli>Open \u003Cstrong>Configuration ▸ AI Prompts\u003C\u002Fstrong> (\u003Ccode>\u002Fstudio\u002Fconfig\u002Fprompts\u003C\u002Fcode>) and click the prompt you want to change.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>The \u003Cstrong>System Prompt\u003C\u002Fstrong> shows as a read-only, locked panel with m18t's tuned template inside, plus a note pointing you to the Brand AI Profile.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>To edit it anyway, click \u003Cstrong>Customize template (advanced)\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>m18t shows a warning: you're overriding the platform template, it stops receiving platform improvements until you reset, and a weak edit wastes tokens on poor output. If you still want to proceed, edit the System Prompt that's now editable.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Use \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Finjection-tokens\">injection tokens\u003C\u002Fa> so your override still receives the real brand and content values. The token badges below show which tokens are available and whether each is filled (green) or empty (amber) for the selected brand.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Click \u003Cstrong>Save Changes\u003C\u002Fstrong>. (The button only enables when there's an actual change.) You can review exactly what you changed with \u003Cstrong>View Changes\u003C\u002Fstrong> before saving.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Fol>\n\u003Cp>If you decide mid-edit not to override, the warning banner has a \u003Cstrong>Cancel\u003C\u002Fstrong> link that returns the prompt to its locked, default-tracking state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>The "Customized — not synced" badge\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>Once you've saved an override on a platform prompt, it carries a \u003Cstrong>Customized — not synced\u003C\u002Fstrong> badge. That badge is the honest signal that this prompt has diverged from the platform default and is no longer receiving platform tuning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To go back, click \u003Cstrong>Reset to platform default\u003C\u002Fstrong>. m18t restores the canonical template and the prompt resumes tracking platform improvements. Your override is discarded, so reset only when you're sure you don't want the custom version.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>The footgun, stated plainly\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>An override is a commitment. The warning in the editor isn't boilerplate: a weak edit to a System Prompt can produce noticeably worse output, and you still pay full token cost for that worse output on every run — you bring your own AI key, so it's your bill. The platform templates exist because getting these prompts right took iteration. Before you override, ask whether the Brand AI Profile would get you there instead. It usually will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>Variations\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Building a brand-new prompt.\u003C\u002Fstrong> \u003Cstrong>Add Prompt\u003C\u002Fstrong> creates a fresh, fully-editable prompt (not a platform default), so there's no lock and no sync concern. Use this when you genuinely need a new AI task the platform doesn't ship.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Disabling vs. deleting.\u003C\u002Fstrong> If you don't want a platform prompt to run, disable it rather than deleting it — platform prompts reseed on restart, so a delete won't stick.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Per-brand by nature.\u003C\u002Fstrong> Prompts are brand-scoped. An override on one brand's prompt doesn't touch another brand's copy.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Ch2>FAQ\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Why can't I edit the System Prompt directly?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nPlatform prompts are Locked to protect the wiring and the tuning. Click \u003Cstrong>Customize template (advanced)\u003C\u002Fstrong> to override, but read the warning first — most tuning belongs in the \u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-brand-ai-profile\">Brand AI Profile\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What does "Customized — not synced" mean?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nThe prompt has been overridden and no longer receives platform improvements. Click \u003Cstrong>Reset to platform default\u003C\u002Fstrong> to restore the shipped template and resume syncing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Will my override break when m18t updates its prompts?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nNo — that's exactly what the badge protects. An overridden prompt is left alone by platform updates. The trade is that it also stops \u003Cem>benefiting\u003C\u002Fem> from them until you reset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>I overrode a prompt and the output got worse. What now?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nOpen the prompt and click \u003Cstrong>Reset to platform default\u003C\u002Fstrong>. That discards your override and restores the tested template. Then consider whether your goal can be met through the Brand AI Profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Can I see what I changed before saving?\u003C\u002Fstrong>\nYes. Use \u003Cstrong>View Changes\u003C\u002Fstrong> in the editor to see a field-by-field diff of your edits against the original.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch2>What's next\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-brand-ai-profile\">The Brand AI Profile\u003C\u002Fa> — where most tuning should happen.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fhow-ai-prompts-work\">How AI Prompts Work\u003C\u002Fa> — the System\u002FUser split you're editing.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Finjection-tokens\">Injection Tokens\u003C\u002Fa> — keep your override fed with real data.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"\u002Fhelp\u002Fthe-seo-ai-prompt\">The SEO AI Prompt\u003C\u002Fa> — a category prompt with special canonical-URL injection.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n",{"slug":9,"title":10},"ai-prompts-and-voice","AI Prompts & Brand Voice",{"meta_title":12,"meta_description":6,"keywords":13,"canonical_url":14,"og_title":5,"og_description":15,"og_image":16,"robots":17,"json_ld":18},"Customizing a Prompt | m18t Help","customize prompt, locked prompt, override template, reset to default, customized not synced, brand ai profile, m18t","https:\u002F\u002Fm18t.com\u002Fhelp\u002Fcustomizing-a-prompt","When and how to override a Locked platform prompt, what the Customized-not-synced badge means, and the footgun to avoid before editing a template.","https:\u002F\u002Fm18t.com\u002Fog-default.png","index, follow",{"@context":19,"@graph":20},"https:\u002F\u002Fschema.org",[21,34,59],{"@type":22,"headline":5,"description":6,"articleSection":10,"inLanguage":23,"datePublished":24,"dateModified":24,"image":16,"author":25,"publisher":29,"mainEntityOfPage":32},"Article","en","2026-06-25",{"@type":26,"name":27,"url":28},"Organization","m18t","https:\u002F\u002Fm18t.com",{"@type":26,"name":27,"url":28,"logo":30},{"@type":31,"url":16},"ImageObject",{"@type":33,"@id":14},"WebPage",{"@type":35,"mainEntity":36},"FAQPage",[37,43,47,51,55],{"@type":38,"name":39,"acceptedAnswer":40},"Question","Why can't I edit the System Prompt directly?",{"@type":41,"text":42},"Answer","Platform prompts are Locked to protect the wiring and the tuning. Click Customize template (advanced) to override, but read the warning first — most tuning belongs in the Brand AI Profile.",{"@type":38,"name":44,"acceptedAnswer":45},"What does \"Customized — not synced\" mean?",{"@type":41,"text":46},"The prompt has been overridden and no longer receives platform improvements. Click Reset to platform default to restore the shipped template and resume syncing.",{"@type":38,"name":48,"acceptedAnswer":49},"Will my override break when m18t updates its prompts?",{"@type":41,"text":50},"No — that's exactly what the badge protects. An overridden prompt is left alone by platform updates. The trade is that it also stops benefiting from them until you reset.",{"@type":38,"name":52,"acceptedAnswer":53},"I overrode a prompt and the output got worse. What now?",{"@type":41,"text":54},"Open the prompt and click Reset to platform default. That discards your override and restores the tested template. Then consider whether your goal can be met through the Brand AI Profile.",{"@type":38,"name":56,"acceptedAnswer":57},"Can I see what I changed before saving?",{"@type":41,"text":58},"Yes. Use View Changes in the editor to see a field-by-field diff of your edits against the original.",{"@type":60,"itemListElement":61},"BreadcrumbList",[62,66,70,73],{"@type":63,"position":64,"name":65,"item":28},"ListItem",1,"Home",{"@type":63,"position":67,"name":68,"item":69},2,"Help","https:\u002F\u002Fm18t.com\u002Fhelp",{"@type":63,"position":71,"name":10,"item":72},3,"https:\u002F\u002Fm18t.com\u002Fhelp\u002Fcategories\u002Fai-prompts-and-voice",{"@type":63,"position":74,"name":5,"item":14},4,1786312170908]