Our review
This guide provides principles and a structure for crafting effective system prompts for AI agents and assistants.
Strengths
- Clear, actionable principles (e.g., say what to do, not what not to do).
- Recommended prompt structure (role, responsibilities, constraints, format).
- Concrete examples illustrating each principle.
- Table of common pitfalls with solutions.
Limitations
- Does not cover advanced techniques like few-shot learning or chain-of-thought.
- Examples are generic and may need adaptation for very specific use cases.
- Assumes the user already has a good understanding of the AI domain.
When you need to write or improve a system prompt for an AI agent to get consistent, high-quality responses.
If you are looking for advanced prompt engineering techniques (e.g., few-shot, CoT) or if the desired behavior is very simple and doesn't require formal structure.
Security analysis
SafeThis skill provides writing guidance only; no executable commands, code execution, or risky actions are involved. It is a purely instructional document.
No concerns found
Examples
Help me create a system prompt for an AI assistant that reviews pull requests. It should focus on security, performance, and best practices, and output comments in a specific format.I have this system prompt: 'Be helpful and concise.' How can I improve it using the principles from prompt-creator? Rewrite it with explicit instructions and constraints.I need to write a system prompt for a customer support bot. Use the recommended structure (role, responsibilities, constraints, output format) and include an example.name: prompt-creator description: Guide for creating effective system prompts for AI agents and assistants. Use when writing, reviewing, or improving system prompts, agent instructions, or assistant configurations.
Prompt Creator
Guidelines for designing effective system prompts for AI agents and assistants.
Core Principles
Start Simple, Iterate
Begin with minimal instructions and add complexity only as needed. Prompt design is iterative—test with real inputs and refine based on results.
For complex agent behaviors, break the task into simpler subtasks first. Build up gradually rather than front-loading complexity.
Use Clear Instructions
Structure prompts with explicit commands: "Write", "Classify", "Summarize", "Translate", "Extract", "Analyze".
Place instructions at the beginning. Use separators to distinguish sections:
### Instructions ###
[Core behavior and responsibilities]
### Context ###
[Domain knowledge and constraints]
### Output Format ###
[Expected response structure]
Be Specific and Direct
Vague:
Keep responses short and helpful.
Specific:
Respond in 2-3 sentences. Include one actionable recommendation.
The more descriptive and detailed the prompt, the better the results. Include:
- Exact output formats
- Specific constraints
- Concrete examples of desired behavior
Say What To Do, Not What Not To Do
Weak (focuses on prohibitions):
DO NOT ask for personal information.
DO NOT make assumptions.
DO NOT provide medical advice.
Strong (focuses on actions):
Recommend from the top 10 trending items.
Ask clarifying questions before proceeding.
Direct health questions to qualified professionals.
Positive instructions are more effective than negative constraints.
Provide Examples for Desired Formats
When a specific output structure is needed, show it:
Extract entities from the input text.
Desired format:
- People: <comma_separated_list>
- Places: <comma_separated_list>
- Organizations: <comma_separated_list>
Example input: "Dr. Sarah Chen presented findings at MIT yesterday."
Example output:
- People: Dr. Sarah Chen
- Places: MIT
- Organizations: MIT
Balance Detail with Relevance
Include only details that contribute to the task. Unnecessary context dilutes the signal.
Ask: "Does this information change how the agent should behave?" If not, remove it.
System Prompt Structure
Effective system prompts typically follow this order:
- Role/Identity - Who the agent is
- Core Responsibilities - Primary tasks and behaviors
- Constraints - Boundaries and limitations
- Output Format - How to structure responses
- Examples - Concrete demonstrations (if needed)
You are a [role] that [primary function].
## Responsibilities
- [Responsibility 1]
- [Responsibility 2]
## Constraints
- [Constraint 1]
- [Constraint 2]
## Response Format
[Structure specification]
Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Problem | Solution | |---------|---------|----------| | Vague quantities | "a few", "short", "brief" | Use exact numbers: "2-3 sentences" | | Double negatives | "don't avoid" | Use positive framing | | Contradictory rules | "be concise" + "be thorough" | Prioritize or scope each rule | | Missing edge cases | Undefined behavior | Add fallback instructions | | Excessive length | Context dilution | Remove non-essential content |
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