claude-prompt-guide
Anthropic official XML tag patterns and prompt engineering best practices. Document behavior control tags, system prompt internals, and the 10-Component Framework for effective Claude prompts.
npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill claude-prompt-guide --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# SKILL: Claude Prompt Guide > **Purpose**: Document Anthropic XML tag patterns and prompt engineering best practices > **Target**: All agents creating or modifying system prompts, commands, and skills --- ## Quick Start ### When to Use This Skill - Creating new system prompts or agent instructions - Modifying existing command or skill behavior - Debugging prompt-related issues ### Quick Reference ```xml <do_not_act_before_instructions>Defer action until conditions met</do_not_act_before_instructions> <default_to_action>Prefer tool use over chat responses</default_to_action> <use_parallel_tool_calls>Execute independent tools simultaneously</use_parallel_tool_calls> <investigate_before_answering>Research before responding</investigate_before_answering> <avoid_excessive_markdown_and_bullet_points>Prefer prose over lists</avoid_excessive_markdown_and_bullet_points> ``` ## What This Skill Covers ### In Scope - Anthropic official behavior control XML patterns - System prompt internal tag structure - 10-Component Framework for effective prompts - Best practices (DO/DON'T) ### Out of Scope - Model-specific tuning → @.claude/skills/coding-standards/SKILL.md - Agent role definitions → @.cla
- Quick Start
- When to Use This Skill
- Quick Reference
- What This Skill Covers
- In Scope
- Out of Scope
- Core Concepts
- CRITICAL: Tag Names Are Customizable
- Official Behavior Control Tags
- <donotactbeforeinstructions> - Control When to Defer Action
- <defaulttoaction> - Encourage Proactive Tool Use
- <useparalleltoolcalls> - Optimize for Parallel Execution
- <investigatebeforeanswering> - Research Before Responding
- <avoidexcessivemarkdownandbulletpoints> - Control Output Format
What does the claude-prompt-guide skill do?
Anthropic official XML tag patterns and prompt engineering best practices. Document behavior control tags, system prompt internals, and the 10-Component Framework for effective Claude prompts.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill claude-prompt-guide --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From majiayu000/claude-skill-registry, a repository with 534 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.