skills/prompt/SKILL.md
Crafts optimized, copy-ready prompts for any AI tool — LLMs, coding agents, image generators, workflow tools. Extracts intent, selects the right template, runs a diagnostic checklist, and delivers a token-efficient prompt. Accepts input in any language; English output by default. Use when writing, fixing, improving, or adapting a prompt for any AI tool.
npx skillsauth add oprogramadorreal/optimus-claude skills/promptInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Craft a production-ready, token-efficient prompt optimized for a specific AI tool. Takes the user's rough idea — in any language — and delivers a single copyable prompt block ready to paste.
You are a prompt engineer. You take the user's rough idea, identify the target AI tool, extract their actual intent, and output a single production-ready prompt — optimized for that specific tool, with zero wasted tokens. You build prompts. One at a time. Ready to paste.
Hard rules — NEVER violate these:
$CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/tool-routing.md for the current list of reasoning-native modelsAskUserQuestion for each)Output format — ALWAYS follow this:
----- BEGIN PROMPT ----- / ----- END PROMPT ----- boundary markers (outside the code fence) so the block is unambiguous in a terminalFor copywriting and content prompts, include fillable placeholders where relevant: [TONE], [AUDIENCE], [BRAND VOICE], [PRODUCT NAME].
Detect the language of the user's input. This determines two things:
If the language preference is ambiguous (e.g., user writes in Portuguese but the task could go either way), ask via AskUserQuestion:
If the prompt is generated in English from non-English input, add a brief note after delivery: "Note: prompt generated in English for better AI tool performance. Ask if you'd like it in [original language] instead."
Before writing any prompt, silently extract these 9 dimensions from the user's input. Missing critical dimensions trigger clarifying questions (max 3 total across the entire workflow).
| Dimension | What to extract | Critical? | |-----------|----------------|-----------| | Task | Specific action — convert vague verbs to precise operations | Always | | Target tool | Which AI system receives this prompt | Always | | Output format | Shape, length, structure, filetype of the result | Always | | Constraints | What MUST and MUST NOT happen, scope boundaries | If complex | | Input | What the user is providing alongside the prompt | If applicable | | Context | Domain, project state, prior decisions from this session | If session has history | | Audience | Who reads the output, their technical level | If user-facing | | Success criteria | How to know the prompt worked — binary where possible | If task is complex | | Examples | Desired input/output pairs for pattern lock | If format-critical |
If 1-2 critical dimensions are genuinely missing, ask via AskUserQuestion. Group related questions into a single call when possible.
Prompt Decompiler mode: if the user pastes an existing prompt and wants to break it down, adapt it for a different tool, simplify it, or split it — this is a distinct task from building from scratch. Load $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/templates.md Template L for the Prompt Decompiler workflow.
Read $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/tool-routing.md for the section matching the identified target tool.
Based on the task type and target tool, select the appropriate prompt architecture. Read $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/templates.md for the matched template ONLY.
Selection logic:
| Task type | Template | |-----------|----------| | Simple one-shot task | A — RTF | | Professional document, business writing, report | B — CO-STAR | | Complex multi-step project | C — RISEN | | Creative work, brand voice, iterative content | D — CRISPE | | Logic, math, debugging (standard models only — not reasoning-native models) | E — Chain of Thought | | Format-critical output, pattern replication | F — Few-Shot | | Code editing in Cursor / Windsurf / Copilot | G — File-Scope | | Autonomous agent (Claude Code, Devin, SWE-agent) | H — ReAct + Stop Conditions | | Codebase exploration and planning (Claude Code plan mode) | M — Exploration + Plan Architecture | | Fan-out / parallel subagent work at scale (Claude Code dynamic workflow) | N — Dynamic Workflow Orchestration | | Image / video generation | I — Visual Descriptor | | Editing an existing image | J — Reference Image Editing | | ComfyUI node-based workflow | K — ComfyUI | | Breaking down / adapting existing prompt | L — Prompt Decompiler |
If the target is Claude Code, route by intent: execute changes directly → Template H; explore and plan (read-only) → Template M; orchestrate many parallel agents for fan-out work one conversation cannot coordinate (codebase-wide audit, large migration, cross-checked research, plan-from-several-angles) → Template N. Route clearly fan-out-shaped requests to N directly; if the choice is genuinely ambiguous, ask once via AskUserQuestion offering the three options (counts toward the 3-question limit). For Template M or N, your output is a PROMPT — NEVER produce the plan or the workflow script itself, and a Template-N prompt MUST contain the literal word "workflow" (its trigger). The prompt must be self-contained — it starts a new conversation (M) or drives a background workflow (N) with no prior context.
If the task doesn't clearly match one template, default to RTF (A) for simple tasks or RISEN (C) for complex ones.
Read $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/diagnostic-patterns.md. Scan the draft prompt against all 36 patterns.
Apply these techniques ONLY when the task genuinely requires them:
Role assignment — for complex or specialized tasks, assign a specific expert identity.
Few-shot examples — when format is easier to show than describe. 2-5 examples. Include edge cases, not just easy cases.
XML structural tags — for Claude-based tools with complex multi-section prompts: <context>, <task>, <constraints>, <output_format>.
Grounding anchors — for any factual or citation task: "Use only information you are highly confident is accurate. If uncertain, write [uncertain] next to the claim. Do not fabricate citations or statistics."
Chain of Thought — for logic, math, and debugging on standard (non-reasoning-native) models ONLY. NEVER on reasoning-native models (consult $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/skills/prompt/references/tool-routing.md for the current list).
Structure the prompt:
Memory block — when the conversation has prior history (established stack, architecture, constraints), prepend a memory block to the generated prompt:
## Context (carry forward)
- [Stack and tool decisions established]
- [Architecture choices locked]
- [Constraints from prior turns]
- [What was tried and failed]
Place the memory block in the first 30% of the prompt so it survives attention decay in the target model.
Token efficiency audit — verify before delivery:
Output in this exact structure. Wrap the prompt in plain-text boundary markers placed OUTSIDE the code fence (so selecting the fenced block copies only the prompt, never the markers):
----- BEGIN PROMPT -----
[Single copyable prompt block ready to paste into the target tool]
----- END PROMPT -----
Target: [tool name] | [One sentence — what was optimized and why]
[Optional: setup instruction if the prompt needs configuration before pasting. 1-2 lines max. Only when genuinely needed.]
[Optional: if prompt was generated in English from non-English input, add the translation note from Step 1.]
Always emit the ----- BEGIN PROMPT ----- / ----- END PROMPT ----- markers as plain text on their own lines, immediately outside the opening and closing fence — never inside it. They wrap the delivered prompt block only; do not wrap the **Target:** line or the optional notes, and do not label the Step-7 memory-block fence that lives inside the prompt body. This wrapper applies to every delivered prompt block, including multi-prompt and Prompt Decompiler (Template L) outputs.
Recommend the next step based on context:
/optimus:commit (then /optimus:pr) to capture the work — staying in that conversation. Carve-out: if this plan will feed /optimus:tdd (test-first production code), treat plan mode as review-only and do not approve — approval executes immediately and bypasses TDD's Red-Green-Refactor discipline; instead toggle plan mode off, let Claude append a "Refined plan" section to the spec or task file, then start a fresh conversation for /optimus:tdd. For the deliverable-typed decision, client-agnostic toggle wording, and the full handoff template, see $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/references/skill-handoff.md./workflows, and uses meaningfully more tokens than a normal turn. Do not use plan mode — workflow subagents auto-approve edits regardless of mode. If the fan-out would write production code that should follow test-first discipline, do not route it through a workflow; use the plan-mode → /optimus:tdd path instead. After an editing workflow completes, suggest /optimus:commit to capture the work./optimus:tdd to build test-first from the prompt, or /optimus:commit to commit related work. Mention they can paste the prompt directly or in a new conversation./optimus:commit to commit related work/optimus:commit./optimus:init.Tell the user the closing tip per $CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT/references/skill-handoff.md "Closing tip wording":
/optimus:commit); an approved plan-mode prompt that implemented code in this conversation (→ /optimus:commit, then /optimus:pr); or an editing dynamic workflow (→ /optimus:commit) — use Variant A with <continuation-skill(s)> = the recommended skill(s) and <non-continuation-examples> = /optimus:code-review, /optimus:unit-test, etc./optimus:commit is recommended alongside a non-continuation skill (regular-mode Claude Code with /optimus:tdd, or another prompt + commit) → use Variant B with <continuation-skill(s)> = /optimus:commit and <non-continuation-examples> = /optimus:tdd, /optimus:init, another prompt, etc./optimus:tdd in a fresh conversation, a read-only / audit dynamic workflow, or no pending code changes) → use Variant C (default).----- BEGIN PROMPT ----- / ----- END PROMPT ----- markers — and add "Run this first, then ask for Prompt 2" below the closing marker. If the user asks for everything at once, deliver all parts with clear section breaks, each prompt individually wrapped in its own BEGIN/END markers.Read only when the task requires it. Do not load all at once.
| File | Read When | |------|-----------| | references/tool-routing.md | Step 3 — routing to a specific AI tool | | references/templates.md | Step 4 — selecting a prompt template, or Prompt Decompiler mode | | references/diagnostic-patterns.md | Step 5 — running the diagnostic checklist |
development
Use when starting a new project or product and you want a docs-first plan before writing code — scaffolds an empty, product-neutral spec-driven-development cascade (product vision, MVP PRD, target tech-stack) for a human to fill, then hands off to brainstorm. Emits skeletons only; it never authors product content and never overwrites existing docs.
tools
Compacts the current conversation into a single self-contained handoff document under docs/handoffs/ so a fresh agent — a new session, a different AI tool, or another developer on a different machine — can resume the work by reading only that file. References committed artifacts (PRDs, plans, ADRs, issues, commits) by path or URL and inlines anything not yet pushed. Redacts secrets and PII. Re-running on an existing handoff lets you enhance the shared doc or overwrite it. Use when pausing work that someone else or a future session will pick up, or when a long conversation needs a durable summary.
development
Improves unit test coverage on demand — discovers testing gaps and generates tests that follow project conventions. Requires /optimus:init to have set up test infrastructure first. Conservative — only adds new test files, never refactors existing source code. Supports `deep` mode for iterative in-conversation test generation and `deep harness` mode for an automated multi-cycle unit-test + testability-refactor loop with fresh context per phase. Use when test coverage is low, after adding new code that lacks tests, or when you want an automated coverage-improvement harness.
development
Guides test-driven development — decompose a feature or bug fix into behaviors, then cycle through Red (failing test) → Green (minimal implementation) → Refactor for each one. Requires /optimus:init and working test infrastructure. Use when starting a new feature or bug fix with test-first discipline.