Prompts System

Overview

Prompts are the core user-facing feature of ThunderAI. Each prompt defines an AI instruction and how it behaves. There are two kinds:

Built-in prompts — defined in js/mzta-prompts.js
Custom prompts — created by the user and stored in browser.storage.local

Prompt Properties

Base Properties (built-in only)

Property	Type	Description
`id`	string	Unique identifier
`name`	string	`__MSG_key__` i18n reference or plain text
`prompt`	string	The prompt template text (may contain `{%placeholder%}` tokens)
`type`	number	`0` = always visible, `1` = reading email only, `2` = composing only
`action`	number	`0` = close, `1` = reply (open compose), `2` = substitute text in-place
`need_selected`	number	`0` = use full message body, `1` = requires text selection
`need_signature`	number	`0` = no signature, `1` = include signature
`need_custom_text`	number	`0` = no custom input, `1` = show custom text input field
`define_response_lang`	number	`0` = no language hint, `1` = append response language instruction
`use_diff_viewer`	number	`0` = normal output, `1` = show diff viewer (ChatGPT Web only)

User Properties (stored per-prompt in storage)

Property	Type	Description
`enabled`	number	`0` = hidden, `1` = shown in popup
`position_display`	number	Sort order in reading view
`position_compose`	number	Sort order in compose view

Per-Prompt API Override Properties

Each prompt can override the global API connection. These mirror the keys in integration_options_config and prefs_default:

Property	Description
`connection_type`	Override API type for this prompt
`chatgpt_web_model`	Override ChatGPT Web model
`chatgpt_web_project`	Override ChatGPT Web project
`chatgpt_web_custom_gpt`	Override custom GPT
All `chatgpt_`, `ollama_`, `openai_comp_`, `google_gemini_`, `anthropic_*` keys	Override specific API settings

Special Prompts

Some prompts trigger additional Thunderbird actions beyond just sending text to the AI. They are identified by their id:

ID	Feature
`add_tags`	Auto-tag the email after AI response
`spamfilter`	Classify as spam and optionally move email
`summarize`	Summarize email content
`get_calendar_event`	Extract and create a calendar event
`get_task`	Extract and create a task
`translate`	Translate email content into a target language

These special prompts can have their own dedicated API integration settings (configured in the Options page). The list of these special prompts is in options/mzta-options-default.js as special_prompts_with_integration.

Summarize: Dual-Mode Prompt System

The summarize feature uses two distinct prompt pathways:

Context Menu Summarize (right-click on messages in message list):

Activated via the summarize context menu item, controlled by the summarize feature flag
Uses 3 special prompts stored in specialPrompts:
- prompt_summarize — the main instruction prompt for the LLM
- prompt_summarize_email_template — template for formatting each email's content
- prompt_summarize_email_separator — separator text between multiple emails
Supports multi-email summarization: each selected message is formatted with the email template, joined by the separator, then prepended with the instruction prompt
All 3 prompts support placeholder autocomplete ({%placeholder%} syntax)
Result is displayed via openChatGPT() in the standard chat output window (not inline)
Default prompt texts are stored as i18n keys: prompt_summarize_full_text, prompt_summarize_email_template_full_text, prompt_summarize_email_separator_full_text

Inline Summary on Message Display (automatic or manual per summarize_auto pref):

Uses the same 3 special prompts as webchat mode, via taPromptUtils.buildSummaryPrompt() in js/mzta-utils-prompt.js
Does not support chatgpt_web connection type (shows error if configured)
Result is rendered as a styled banner at the top of the message body via mzta-compose-script.js
Banner includes a refresh button (↻) to regenerate the summary
Cached per-message via taSummaryStore / taStorage (max 100 entries)

Unified Prompt Building — taPromptUtils.buildSummaryPrompt(messageDataArray):

All summary paths (inline, webchat single, webchat multi) use this single method
Accepts an array of { message, fullMessage } entries
Returns { promptText, promptInfo } where promptInfo is the prompt_summarize prompt object

Translate: Inline-Only Prompt System

The translate feature uses a single special prompt (prompt_translate_this) for inline translation in the message body. Unlike summarize, it has no context menu entry and no webchat mode.

Inline Translation on Message Display (controlled by translate_auto pref):

Uses a single special prompt: prompt_translate_this
The prompt text is appended with the target language and the email body: prompt_text + " " + lang + ". \"" + body_text + "\""
Target language is determined by translate_lang pref, falling back to default_chatgpt_lang
Does not support chatgpt_web connection type (shows error if configured)
Result is rendered as a styled banner (green/teal theme) in the message body via mzta-compose-script.js
Banner includes refresh (↻) and delete (×) buttons
Cached per-message via taTranslationStore / taStorage (max 100 entries)
The prompt was originally a regular prompt (defaultPrompts) and was moved to specialPrompts with is_special: "1" and type: "1" (reading email only)

Prompt Building — taPromptUtils.buildTranslationPrompt(fullMessage, lang):

Retrieves the prompt_translate_this special prompt text
Extracts the email body from the full message
Combines prompt + language + body text
Returns { promptText, promptInfo }

Prompt Types Reference

type 0  → shown when reading AND composing
type 1  → shown only when reading an email (message display)
type 2  → shown only when composing an email

Action Types Reference

action 0  → no output, just close (e.g. for tag/spam actions handled in background)
action 1  → open a reply compose window with AI response
action 2  → replace selected text (or insert) in compose window

Adding a New Built-in Prompt

Add the prompt object to the defaultPrompts array in js/mzta-prompts.js
Add the name string key to _locales/en/messages.json
If the prompt text needs a localized string, add it to _locales/en/messages.json as well
Reference any needed placeholders using {%placeholder_id%} syntax in the prompt field

Custom Prompts

Custom prompts are stored in browser.storage.local and managed via pages/customprompts/. They follow the same property structure as built-in prompts but are created/edited/deleted by the user through the UI. Custom placeholders can also be referenced in custom prompt text.

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