prompt-section-design

Prompt Section Design Skill

Design composable prompt sections that work like LEGO blocks for building prompts at any level.

Purpose

Create well-structured prompt sections that are reusable, consistent, and effective for the stakeholder trifecta.

When to Use

• Creating a new prompt
• Restructuring existing prompt
• Adding sections to prompt
• Standardizing team prompts

Section Tier List

Tier	Sections	Priority
S	Workflow	Always include (Level 2+)
A	Variables, Examples, Control Flow, Delegation, Template	High value
B	Purpose, High-Level, Higher Order, Instructions	Supporting
C	Metadata, Codebase Structure, Relevant Files, Report	As needed

Design Process

Step 1: Identify Prompt Purpose

Ask:

• What does this prompt accomplish?
• Who will use it? (you, team, agents)
• What level is it? (1-7)
• What inputs/outputs are needed?

Step 2: Select Required Sections

Based on level:

Level	Required	Recommended
1	Title, Prompt	-
2	Title, Workflow	Variables, Report
3	Title, Workflow	Variables, Control Flow
4	Title, Workflow	Variables, Delegation
5	Title, Workflow	Variables
6	Title, Workflow, Template	Variables
7	Title, Workflow, Expertise	Variables

Step 3: Design Each Section

Metadata (Frontmatter)

---
description: Clear, searchable description
argument-hint: [arg1] [arg2]
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit
model: sonnet
---

Guidelines:

• description: What does it do? When to use?
• argument-hint: What parameters expected?
• allowed-tools: Minimal set needed
• model: Match to task complexity

Title

# Action-Oriented Title

Guidelines:

• Use imperative verb: Create, Build, Generate, Analyze
• Be specific: "Create Implementation Plan" not "Plan"
• Keep concise: 2-5 words

Purpose

## Purpose
[1-2 sentences describing what the prompt accomplishes]

Guidelines:

• Direct language to agent
• Reference key sections
• Explain the "what" and "why"

Variables

## Variables

# Dynamic (from user)
USER_PROMPT: $ARGUMENTS
FILE_PATH: $1
COUNT: $2 or 3 if not provided

# Static (fixed)
OUTPUT_DIR: specs/
MODEL: sonnet

Guidelines:

• SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE
• Dynamic first, static second
• Include defaults where appropriate
• Clear descriptions

Workflow (S-Tier)

## Workflow

1. Validate inputs
   - Check USER_PROMPT is provided
   - If not, STOP and ask user
2. Process task
   - Sub-step detail
3. Generate output
4. Report results

Guidelines:

• Numbered steps for sequence
• Sub-bullets for details
• STOP conditions explicit
• Clear progression

Instructions

## Instructions

- IMPORTANT: Always validate before processing
- Handle edge cases gracefully
- Never modify files outside project

Guidelines:

• Bullet points for rules
• IMPORTANT markers for critical
• Edge cases explicit

Report

## Report

## Task Complete

**Files:** [count]
**Status:** [status]

### Changes
- [change 1]
- [change 2]

Guidelines:

• Template for output
• Consistent format
• Easy to parse

Template (Level 6)

## Specified Format

```text
---

allowed-tools: <tools>
description: <description>
---

# <name>

## Variables

<VAR>: $1

## Workflow

<steps>

Guidelines:

• Complete template
• Placeholders marked clearly
• Follows prompt conventions

Expertise (Level 7)

## Expertise

### Domain Knowledge
- Pattern 1 learned
- Pattern 2 discovered

### Discovered Patterns
- Implementation insight 1
- Best practice 2

Guidelines:

• Organized by category
• Grows over time
• Never modify Workflow

Step 4: Validate Structure

Checklist:

• Title is action-oriented
• Workflow has numbered steps
• Variables use SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE
• STOP conditions are explicit
• Frontmatter has description
• Sections in logical order

Section Order Convention

---

[frontmatter]
---

# [Title]

## Purpose

[purpose]

## Variables

[variables]

## Instructions

[instructions]

## Workflow

[workflow]

## Report

[report format]

Output Format

When designing sections:

## Section Design

**Prompt:** [name]
**Level:** [1-7]

### Recommended Sections

1. **Title**: [suggested title]

2. **Frontmatter**:

```yaml
description: ...
argument-hint: ...
allowed-tools: ...
model: ...
```

1. **Variables**:
   - Dynamic: [list]
   - Static: [list]

2. **Workflow**: [step count] steps
   - Step 1: [overview]
   - Step 2: [overview]
   ...

3. **Report**: [format type]

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Solution
No Workflow section	Agent lacks direction	Always add for Level 2+
Inconsistent variable names	Confusion	SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE
Missing STOP conditions	Runaway execution	Explicit early exits
Over-detailed workflow	Reduces agent autonomy	High-level steps
No frontmatter	Hard to discover	Add description

Key Quote

"Build libraries of reusable battle-tested agentic prompts with composable sections that work like LEGO blocks."

Cross-References

• @prompt-sections-reference.md - Section definitions
• @seven-levels.md - Sections by level
• @variable-patterns.md - Variable conventions

Version History

• v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release

---

Last Updated

Date: 2025-12-26 Model: claude-opus-4-5-20251101