What prompt format/template should I use for training Unsloth/Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

A developer is seeking advice on the optimal prompt format for training the Unsloth/Phi-3.5-mini-instruct model, currently using a custom template with JSON input and output fields. The choice of format may impact model performance for API deployment.

Hi, I need some help figuring out the best way to format my prompts for my dataset based on the model I’m training, and I’d appreciate some advice. Should I keep it as it is, or use a chat template? Which approach should I use, and how should I format my prompts? I’m planning to run the model using an API I’ll code. Below I have attached my current format prompt that I am using to train my Unsloth/Phi-3.5-mini-instruct Model. python Example of my current format prompt from datasets import Dataset def format prompt example : return f" Input: {json.dumps example 'input' , ensure ascii=False }\n Output: {json.dumps example 'output' , ensure ascii=False }<|endoftext| " formatted data = format prompt item for item in file dataset = Dataset.from dict {"text": formatted data} Example of my dataset input and output { "input": { "insight period": "7-Days", "receipts": { "merchantName": "Lane7", "date": "2026-06-08", "total": 21.02, "currency": "£" }, { "merchantName": "LVLS", "date": "2026-06-07", "total": 53.78, "currency": "£" } }, "output": { "insights": { "title": "Balanced Spending", "description": "You spent £74.80, which falls within a reasonable range. The majority of your spending came from Entertainment. There is a consistent pattern in your recent transactions." }, { "title": "Spending Pattern", "description": "You made 2 transactions during this period." }, { "title": "Category Insight", "description": "Your highest spending category was Entertainment." } , "category": "Entertainment" } }