prompt-engineering
Best practices for prompt engineering and context engineering for Coding Agent prompts
Resources
1Install
npx skillscat add d-kimuson/dotfiles/prompt-engineering Install via the SkillsCat registry.
Guidelines for creating and editing Coding Agent prompts, including commands, agents, skills, and context files. It provides best practices for prompt engineering and context engineering, such as maintaining single responsibility, ensuring caller independence, and avoiding unnecessary noise. Use this skill when designing, reviewing, or refactoring agent prompts to ensure clarity, conciseness, and proper structure.
Guidelines for creating and editing Coding Agent prompts (commands, agents, skills, context files).
Important: Always Read the detailed reference for the corresponding prompt type before starting work.
Prompt Type Quick Reference
| Type | Location | Invocation | Purpose | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Command | .claude/commands/<name>.md |
/command-name |
Reusable tasks for users | references/command.md |
| Agent | .{.super-agent,.claude}/agents/<name>.md |
@agent-name / Task tool |
Specialized subagents | references/agent.md |
| Skill | `{.super-agent | .claude | .codex | .github}/skills//SKILL.md` |
| Context File | .claude/CLAUDE.md etc. |
Auto-loaded | Always-needed project context | references/context-file.md |
| Document | Any | Manual reference | Standalone prompts | - |
Other references:
references/orchestration.md- Orchestrator design for calling subagentsreferences/permission-syntax.md- Permission syntax for allowed-toolsreferences/hooks.md- Lifecycle hook configuration
Core Principles
1. Single Responsibility
Each prompt has one clear purpose.
- ✅ Environment setup only / Code implementation only
2. Independence from Caller
Avoid references to "orchestrator" or "parent task"; focus on input/output contracts.
- ✅ "Analyze the provided code and identify issues..."
3. Conciseness
Only information necessary for execution. Remove verbose examples, hypothetical paths, and generic patterns.
4. Noise Avoidance
- Avoid examples in multiple languages (choose the primary language)
- Avoid hypothetical file paths (CONTRIBUTING.md, etc.)
- Omit detailed steps that the LLM can infer
Formatting Rules
- No h1 headings: Do not start with
# - Language:
descriptionin the project's primary language; body can also be in primary language - XML tags: Use for structuring when there are multiple sections
Orchestration
When calling subagents:
- Invocation template required: Include complete Task tool usage example
- Responsibility separation: Subagents should be generic; task-specific details go in templates
Special Rules for Context Files
Be especially careful since they are always loaded:
- 80% rule: Only information needed by 80% of tasks
- Index-first: Reference details via pointers
- Scrutinize commands: Only commands the LLM will autonomously execute
- Target under 200 lines
Install
npx skillscat add d-kimuson/dotfiles/prompt-engineering Install via the SkillsCat registry.