Prompt Engineering Patterns
Quick Templates
Analysis Task
xml
<role>Expert {domain} analyst</role>
<context>{background}</context>
<objective>{specific goal}</objective>
<constraints>{limitations}</constraints>
<output>Structured findings with evidence</output>
Creative Task
xml
<role>Creative {specialty}</role>
<context>{inspiration/requirements}</context>
<instructions>Don't hold back. Give it your all.</instructions>
<output>{format}</output>
Technical Task
xml
<role>Senior {technology} engineer</role>
<context>{codebase/architecture}</context>
<task>{specific implementation}</task>
<constraints>
- Minimal changes
- Preserve existing patterns
- Include error handling
</constraints>
<verification>Test cases or validation steps</verification>
Enhancement Checklist
- • Role clearly defined?
- • Context sufficient?
- • Output format explicit?
- • Constraints stated?
- • Examples provided (if complex)?
- • Verification criteria included?
Model-Specific Optimizations
Claude
- •Use XML tags for structure
- •
<thinking>for complex reasoning - •"Think step by step" effective
- •Specific output formats work well
GPT
- •Markdown structure works well
- •System vs user message separation
- •Chain-of-thought in user message
- •JSON mode for structured output
Gemini
- •Explicit output format critical
- •Examples highly effective
- •Multimodal: describe images explicitly
- •Grounding with Google Search
Common Patterns
Multi-Step Workflow
xml
<role>Workflow orchestrator</role> <task> 1. [Step 1 description] 2. [Step 2 description] 3. [Step 3 description] </task> <checkpoints> - Verify [X] after step 1 - Confirm [Y] before step 3 </checkpoints>
Code Review
xml
<role>Senior code reviewer</role> <context> Codebase: [language/framework] Recent changes: [description] </context> <review_criteria> - Correctness and edge cases - Security vulnerabilities - Performance implications - Maintainability </review_criteria> <output> Findings with severity levels + specific line references </output>
Research Task
xml
<role>Research analyst</role> <objective>Answer: [question]</objective> <sources> - [Source 1] - [Source 2] </sources> <instructions> 1. Search relevant sources 2. Cross-reference findings 3. Cite specific evidence </instructions> <output> Summary with citations </output>
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
- •Vague roles ("helpful assistant")
- •Missing output format
- •Assuming model knows context
- •Too many instructions (>10 main points)
- •Mixing multiple unrelated tasks
- •No verification criteria
Progressive Refinement
- •Start simple - Basic role + task
- •Add constraints - If output too broad
- •Add examples - If format unclear
- •Add verification - If accuracy matters
- •Add thinking - If reasoning needed