diff --git a/backend/app/api/v1/tasks.py b/backend/app/api/v1/tasks.py
index 92ee9b8e..145ba4af 100644
--- a/backend/app/api/v1/tasks.py
+++ b/backend/app/api/v1/tasks.py
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ def generate_task(request: protocol_schema.TaskRequest) -> protocol_schema.Task:
                 summary="This is a summary.",
                 scale=protocol_schema.RatingScale(min=1, max=5),
             )
+        case protocol_schema.TaskRequestType.initial_prompt:
+            logger.info("Generating an InitialPromptTask.")
+            task = protocol_schema.InitialPromptTask(
+                hint="Ask the assistant about a current event."  # this is optional
+            )
         case _:
             raise HTTPException(
                 status_code=HTTP_400_BAD_REQUEST,
@@ -123,6 +128,7 @@ def post_interaction(
             logger.info(
                 f"Frontend reports rating of {interaction.post_id=} with {interaction.rating=} by {interaction.user=}."
             )
+            # check if rating in range
             # here we would store the rating in the database
             return protocol_schema.TaskDone(
                 reply_to_post_id=interaction.post_id,
diff --git a/backend/app/schemas/protocol.py b/backend/app/schemas/protocol.py
index 2a6609d4..6086bc4a 100644
--- a/backend/app/schemas/protocol.py
+++ b/backend/app/schemas/protocol.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ class TaskRequestType(str, enum.Enum):
     generic = "generic"
     summarize_story = "summarize_story"
     rate_summary = "rate_summary"
+    initial_prompt = "initial_prompt"
 
 
 class User(BaseModel):
@@ -81,6 +82,15 @@ class RateSummaryTask(Task):
     scale: RatingScale = RatingScale(min=1, max=5)
 
 
+class InitialPromptTask(Task):
+    """A task to prompt the user to submit an initial prompt to the assistant."""
+
+    type: Literal["initial_prompt"] = "initial_prompt"
+    hint: str | None = (
+        None  # provide a hint to the user to guide them a bit (i.e. "Ask the assistant to summarize something.")
+    )
+
+
 class TaskDone(Task):
     """Signals to the frontend that the task is done."""
 
@@ -91,6 +101,7 @@ class TaskDone(Task):
 AnyTask = Union[
     SummarizeStoryTask,
     RateSummaryTask,
+    InitialPromptTask,
     TaskDone,
 ]
 
diff --git a/text-frontend/__main__.py b/text-frontend/__main__.py
index 0029031f..d912fd60 100644
--- a/text-frontend/__main__.py
+++ b/text-frontend/__main__.py
@@ -64,6 +64,26 @@ def main(backend_url: str, api_key: str):
                     },
                 )
                 tasks.append(new_task)
+            case "initial_prompt":
+                typer.echo("Please provide an initial prompt to the assistant.")
+                if task["hint"]:
+                    typer.echo(f"Hint: {task['hint']}")
+                # acknowledge task
+                _post(f"/api/v1/tasks/{task['id']}/ack", {"type": "post_created", "post_id": "1234"})
+                prompt = typer.prompt("Enter your prompt")
+                # send interaction
+                new_task = _post(
+                    "/api/v1/tasks/interaction",
+                    {
+                        "type": "text_reply_to_post",
+                        "post_id": "1234",
+                        "user_post_id": "5678",
+                        "text": prompt,
+                        "user": {"id": "1234", "name": "John Doe"},
+                    },
+                )
+                tasks.append(new_task)
+
             case "task_done":
                 typer.echo("Task done!")
             case _: