# Prompt Engineering Expert - Examples ## Example 1: Refining a Vague Prompt ### Before (Ineffective) ``` Help me write a better prompt for analyzing customer feedback. ``` ### After (Effective) ``` You are an expert prompt engineer. I need to create a prompt that: - Analyzes customer feedback for sentiment (positive/negative/neutral) - Extracts key themes and pain points - Identifies actionable recommendations - Outputs structured JSON with: sentiment, themes (array), pain_points (array), recommendations (array) The prompt should handle feedback of 50-500 words and be consistent across different customer segments. Please review this prompt and suggest improvements: [ORIGINAL PROMPT HERE] ``` ## Example 2: Custom Instructions for a Data Analysis Agent ```yaml --- name: data-analysis-agent description: Specialized agent for financial data analysis and reporting --- # Data Analysis Agent Instructions ## Role You are an expert financial data analyst with deep knowledge of: - Financial statement analysis - Trend identification and forecasting - Risk assessment - Comparative analysis ## Core Behaviors ### Do's - Always verify data sources before analysis - Provide confidence levels for predictions - Highlight assumptions and limitations - Use clear visualizations and tables - Explain methodology before results ### Don'ts - Don't make predictions beyond 12 months without caveats - Don't ignore outliers without investigation - Don't present correlation as causation - Don't use jargon without explanation - Don't skip uncertainty quantification ## Output Format Always structure analysis as: 1. Executive Summary (2-3 sentences) 2. Key Findings (bullet points) 3. Detailed Analysis (with supporting data) 4. Limitations and Caveats 5. Recommendations (if applicable) ## Scope - Financial data analysis only - Historical and current data (not speculation) - Quantitative analysis preferred - Escalate to human analyst for strategic decisions ``` ## Example 3: Few-Shot Prompt for Classification ``` You are a customer support ticket classifier. Classify each ticket into one of these categories: - billing: Payment, invoice, or subscription issues - technical: Software bugs, crashes, or technical problems - feature_request: Requests for new functionality - general: General inquiries or feedback Examples: Ticket: "I was charged twice for my subscription this month" Category: billing Ticket: "The app crashes when I try to upload files larger than 100MB" Category: technical Ticket: "Would love to see dark mode in the mobile app" Category: feature_request Now classify this ticket: Ticket: "How do I reset my password?" Category: ``` ## Example 4: Chain-of-Thought Prompt for Complex Analysis ``` Analyze this business scenario step by step: Step 1: Identify the core problem - What is the main issue? - What are the symptoms? - What's the root cause? Step 2: Analyze contributing factors - What external factors are involved? - What internal factors are involved? - How do they interact? Step 3: Evaluate potential solutions - What are 3-5 viable solutions? - What are the pros and cons of each? - What are the implementation challenges? Step 4: Recommend and justify - Which solution is best? - Why is it superior to alternatives? - What are the risks and mitigation strategies? Scenario: [YOUR SCENARIO HERE] ``` ## Example 5: XML-Structured Prompt for Consistency ```xml 1.0 Generate marketing copy for SaaS products B2B decision makers Create compelling marketing copy that emphasizes ROI and efficiency gains 150 words Professional but approachable Jargon, hyperbole, false claims Compelling, benefit-focused (max 10 words) 2-3 paragraphs highlighting key benefits Clear call-to-action Project management tool Headline: "Cut Project Delays by 40%" Body: "Teams waste 8 hours weekly on status updates. Our tool automates coordination..." ``` ## Example 6: Prompt for Iterative Refinement ``` I'm working on a prompt for [TASK]. Here's my current version: [CURRENT PROMPT] I've noticed these issues: - [ISSUE 1] - [ISSUE 2] - [ISSUE 3] As a prompt engineering expert, please: 1. Identify any additional issues I missed 2. Suggest specific improvements with reasoning 3. Provide a refined version of the prompt 4. Explain what changed and why 5. Suggest test cases to validate the improvements ``` ## Example 7: Anti-Pattern Recognition ### ❌ Ineffective Prompt ``` "Analyze this data and tell me what you think about it. Make it good." ``` **Issues:** - Vague objective ("analyze" and "what you think") - No format specification - No success criteria - Ambiguous quality standard ("make it good") ### ✅ Improved Prompt ``` "Analyze this sales data to identify: 1. Top 3 performing products (by revenue) 2. Seasonal trends (month-over-month changes) 3. Customer segments with highest lifetime value Format as a structured report with: - Executive summary (2-3 sentences) - Key metrics table - Trend analysis with supporting data - Actionable recommendations Focus on insights that could improve Q4 revenue." ``` ## Example 8: Testing Framework for Prompts ``` # Prompt Evaluation Framework ## Test Case 1: Happy Path Input: [Standard, well-formed input] Expected Output: [Specific, detailed output] Success Criteria: [Measurable criteria] ## Test Case 2: Edge Case - Ambiguous Input Input: [Ambiguous or unclear input] Expected Output: [Request for clarification] Success Criteria: [Asks clarifying questions] ## Test Case 3: Edge Case - Complex Scenario Input: [Complex, multi-faceted input] Expected Output: [Structured, comprehensive analysis] Success Criteria: [Addresses all aspects] ## Test Case 4: Error Handling Input: [Invalid or malformed input] Expected Output: [Clear error message with guidance] Success Criteria: [Helpful, actionable error message] ## Regression Test Input: [Previous failing case] Expected Output: [Now handles correctly] Success Criteria: [Issue is resolved] ``` ## Example 9: Skill Metadata Template ```yaml --- name: analyzing-financial-statements description: Expert guidance on analyzing financial statements, identifying trends, and extracting actionable insights for business decision-making --- # Financial Statement Analysis Skill ## Overview This skill provides expert guidance on analyzing financial statements... ## Key Capabilities - Balance sheet analysis - Income statement interpretation - Cash flow analysis - Ratio analysis and benchmarking - Trend identification - Risk assessment ## Use Cases - Evaluating company financial health - Comparing competitors - Identifying investment opportunities - Assessing business performance - Forecasting financial trends ## Limitations - Historical data only (not predictive) - Requires accurate financial data - Industry context important - Professional judgment recommended ``` ## Example 10: Prompt Optimization Checklist ``` # Prompt Optimization Checklist ## Clarity - [ ] Objective is crystal clear - [ ] No ambiguous terms - [ ] Examples provided - [ ] Format specified ## Conciseness - [ ] No unnecessary words - [ ] Focused on essentials - [ ] Efficient structure - [ ] Respects context window ## Completeness - [ ] All necessary context provided - [ ] Edge cases addressed - [ ] Success criteria defined - [ ] Constraints specified ## Testability - [ ] Can measure success - [ ] Has clear pass/fail criteria - [ ] Repeatable results - [ ] Handles edge cases ## Robustness - [ ] Handles variations in input - [ ] Graceful error handling - [ ] Consistent output format - [ ] Resistant to jailbreaks ```