prompting
PROACTIVE: This skill SHOULD BE USED AUTOMATICALLY when writing prompts, system prompts, crafting instructions for LLMs, or optimizing AI interactions. Triggers on: write prompt, system prompt, prompt engineering, optimize prompt, better prompt, prompt template, instruction design, context engineering, SKILL.md description, agent instructions. Use for CRAFTING LLM PROMPTS. Model-agnostic best practices for coding agents.
npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill prompting-hongbietcode-synthetic-claude --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.
# Prompting - Model-Agnostic Best Practices (Late 2025) Optimal prompt standards for coding agents. Applies to all models (Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok). **Paradigm**: Context Engineering > Prompt Engineering. Focus on designing information systems, not "perfect wording". API-level configs (effort, reasoning_effort, thinking_level) are separate from prompt text. ## Quick Reference (Use First) Before writing/reviewing any prompt, verify: ``` [ ] Structure: Clear XML/Markdown sections (context → task → constraints → output) [ ] Order: Long context BEFORE query (+30% quality) [ ] Task: ONE atomic, explicit action [ ] Output: Format defined (JSON schema, structure) [ ] Positive: "Do X" instead of "Don't Y" [ ] Reasoning: Zero-shot for reasoning models (no manual CoT) [ ] Examples: Few-shot ONLY for format, not logic [ ] Caching: Static content first, dynamic last [ ] Simplicity: Start simple, add complexity only if needed (Stanford 8-word) ``` ## Decision Flow ``` Task Type? │ ├─ Simple (1 step) ────────────► Direct instruction, no CoT │ ├─ Complex reasoning │ ├─ Reasoning model (o3/o4/GPT-5/Claude thinking) │ │ └─► Zero-shot + explicit goal only │ └─ Standard model │ └─► Structured promp
- Quick Reference (Use First)
- Decision Flow
- Core Structure Template
- Key Principles
- Technique Selection
- Context Stack (Priority Order)
- Security
- References
What does the prompting skill do?
PROACTIVE: This skill SHOULD BE USED AUTOMATICALLY when writing prompts, system prompts, crafting instructions for LLMs, or optimizing AI interactions. Triggers on: write prompt, system prompt, prompt engineering, optimize prompt, better prompt, prompt template, instruction design, context engineering, SKILL.md description, agent instructions. Use for CRAFTING LLM PROMPTS. Model-agnostic best practices for coding agents.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add majiayu000/claude-skill-registry --skill prompting-hongbietcode-synthetic-claude --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.