What Is Particle Mode? The Modular Prompt Builder Explained

Particle Mode is Cuadra AI's approach to configuring AI behavior without writing complex system prompts. Instead of one monolithic prompt, you compose behavior from reusable building blocks called "particles" that work across all LLM providers.

The Problem with Traditional Prompts

Traditional system prompts have issues:

• Hard to maintain — As prompts grow longer, they become difficult to edit
• Not reusable — You rewrite similar instructions for each project
• Provider-specific — Prompts optimized for GPT-4 may not work well on Claude
• Require expertise — Effective prompt engineering is a specialized skill

Particle Mode solves these problems with modularity.

The Five Particle Categories

Every AI behavior can be broken into five categories:

1. Role

Define who your AI is.

Example particles:

• Customer Support Agent
• Technical Documentation Expert
• Sales Consultant
• Executive Assistant

2. Tone

Set how your AI communicates.

Example particles:

• Professional & Formal
• Friendly & Casual
• Technical & Precise
• Empathetic & Supportive

3. Guardrails

Add safety and boundary constraints.

Example particles:

• No Personal Advice
• Stay On Topic
• No Competitor Mentions
• Privacy Compliant

4. Constraints

Define output rules.

Example particles:

• Maximum 200 Words
• Always Cite Sources
• Include Next Steps
• No Jargon

5. Format

Structure response output.

Example particles:

• Bullet Points
• JSON Output
• Markdown
• Numbered Steps

How Particles Work Together

You combine multiple particles to create your AI's behavior. For example:

Customer Support Bot:

• Role: Customer Support Agent
• Tone: Friendly & Professional
• Guardrails: Stay On Topic, No Competitor Mentions
• Constraints: Include Ticket Link
• Format: Bullet Points

Technical Documentation AI:

• Role: Technical Documentation Expert
• Tone: Technical & Precise
• Guardrails: Accuracy First
• Constraints: Always Include Code Examples
• Format: Markdown with Headers

Why Particles Are Provider-Agnostic

Here's the key insight: the same particle combination works across GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and Mistral.

Cuadra AI translates your particle configuration into provider-optimized prompts automatically. This means:

• Switch providers without rebuilding configurations
• Test different models with the same setup
• Future-proof your AI as new models launch

Creating Custom Particles

Beyond pre-built particles, you can create your own:

1. Name your particle
2. Write the instruction content
3. Assign to a category
4. Save and reuse across models

Custom particles are perfect for company-specific rules, industry terminology, or unique use cases.

Particle Mode vs Manual Prompts

Feature	Particle Mode	Manual Prompts
Reusability	✓ Share across models	✗ Rewrite each time
Provider-agnostic	✓ Works on all LLMs	✗ Optimize per provider
Maintenance	✓ Edit one place	✗ Update everywhere
Learning curve	✓ Visual builder	✗ Prompt engineering

Getting Started with Particle Mode

1. Open your model settings in the Cuadra AI dashboard
2. Select the Particles tab
3. Choose particles from each category or create custom ones
4. Test in the playground to see how they work together
5. Deploy when satisfied

Particle Mode is available on all Cuadra AI plans, including Free.

Try Particle Mode →

---