start hereThe actual thing you want done. The more specific you are, the better the result.
Optional, add what helps
Who you want Claude to act as. One line, like 'a strict examiner', sets the tone before you ask anything.
The why: who it's for and what matters most. Claude uses it to make smarter choices.
What the answer should look like: length, style, language, prose or bullets.
Something for Claude to check its own answer against before it finishes.
Output type — what should Claude make?Claude can produce all of these. Pick one and the right wording is added to your prompt for you.
Claude can make all of these. In Claude Code it writes the real file straight into your folder; in the Claude app it appears as a document you can download.
Wraps each part in tags like <task>...</task> so Claude can tell your instructions apart from your data.
Tells Claude to go past the minimum and give a fuller, more complete result.
Show Claude 2 or 3 worked examples of what you want. This often beats describing it in words.
Pasting a long article or document? It goes at the top, above your question, for a better answer.
Asks Claude to reason step by step before answering. Better for genuinely hard problems.
Fill in the fields and a structured prompt will assemble here.
Order follows the long-material rule: documents first, your question last.