prompt-authoring

name	prompt-authoring
description	Guidance for creating effective prompts, chains, and gates using CAGEERF methodology
version	1.0.0

Prompt Authoring Guide

This skill provides patterns for creating prompts in the agents-prompts-mcp system.

CAGEERF Methodology

Prompts follow the C.A.G.E.E.R.F framework:

Phase	Purpose	Output
Context	Gather domain knowledge	Situational understanding
Analysis	Break down the problem	Structured insights
Goals	Define success criteria	Measurable objectives
Execution	Implement the solution	Concrete deliverables
Evaluation	Validate against goals	Quality assessment
Refinement	Iterate based on feedback	Improved output
Finalization	Complete and document	Final deliverable

Prompt Structure

---
id: my-prompt
name: My Prompt
description: What this prompt accomplishes
category: development
execution_hint: single  # or 'chain'
arguments:
  - name: input
    type: string
    description: Primary input
---
system_message: |
  You are an expert at [domain].

user_message_template: |
  Task: {input}

  Requirements:
  - Requirement 1
  - Requirement 2

Chain Definition

Chains connect prompts with -->:

>>analyze --> >>design --> >>implement --> >>test

Chain features:

• Sequential execution with context passing
• Gate validation between steps
• Resume capability with chain_id

Quality Gates

Gates validate output quality:

id: code-quality
name: Code Quality Gate
severity: high
criteria:
  - "Code follows established patterns"
  - "Error handling is comprehensive"
pass_criteria:
  - "All criteria met with evidence"

Severity levels: critical | high | medium | low

Creating New Prompts

Use the resource_manager tool:

resource_manager({
  resource_type: "prompt",
  action: "create",
  id: "new-prompt",
  name: "New Prompt",
  description: "Purpose",
  category: "development",
  system_message: "...",
  user_message_template: "..."
})

Best Practices

1. Clear objectives: Define what success looks like
2. Structured output: Specify expected format
3. Validation criteria: Include checkable requirements
4. Composability: Design prompts that chain well
5. Gate integration: Add quality checks for critical outputs