Why are MCP prompts called user-controlled and when should you use them?

Prompts are triggered by user actions. Users decide when to run these predefined workflows through UI interactions like button clicks, menu selections, or slash commands. Prompts are ideal for implementing workflows that users can trigger on demand. In Claude's interface, the workflow buttons below the chat input are examples of prompts: predefined, optimized workflows that users can start with a single click. So when you find yourself thinking the user should be able to invoke this whole workflow with a single action, that is the moment to package it as a prompt rather than expecting the user to type the same instructions every time.