Best practices for writing GenAI scanner descriptions

A well-written GenAI scanner description is both specific enough to limit false positives and flexible enough to adapt to unexpected scenarios. However, a little prompt engineering is needed to ensure our system is receiving instructions in the way it expects.

For best results, follow these guidelines when writing GenAI scanner descriptions:

• One topic per scanner: Each scanner should target a single concept or content theme. Use multiple scanners when you have different topics to cover.
• Focus on the negative: GenAI scanners are built for prevention, so it's better to describe what you don't want than what you do want. 
• Keep it short: The GenAI scanner description only allows 250 characters, so keep things short by only listing what you want the scanner to block or flag. 
• Avoid verbs and instructions: Avoid verbs like "detect" or "block" and instructions like, "if you see any content like this..." 
• All lowercase, no periods: Your description becomes part of a larger prompt in the system, so think of it as a list inside a larger sentence. Use lowercase to start (unless it’s a proper noun or acronym), don’t end with a full stop, and don’t use periods to split the description into parts.
• Avoid vague terms, use spell check. Avoid spelling errors and vague or uncertain language, like "things,"  "stuff,"  "maybe," "might," or "possibly".

Examples