prompt-engineering

name	prompt-engineering
description	Turn a simple profile idea into a mature, production-quality Hermes profile prompt and generation brief.
version	0.1.0
author	Hermes profile template
license	MIT
metadata	{"hermes":{"tags":["prompt-engineering","hermes","profiles","agent-design","profile-generation"]}}

Prompt Engineering for Hermes Profiles

Use this skill when a user gives a short idea such as "make me a database migration reviewer" and wants a high-quality Hermes profile distribution.

The goal is not to make a longer prompt for its own sake. The goal is to turn a simple sentence into a mature profile specification that can generate an installable, safe, useful Hermes profile repo.

Inputs

Minimum input:

• A one-sentence profile idea.

Useful optional input:

• Target user or team.
• Domain and workflow.
• Expected artifacts.
• Tools or integrations.
• Risk level and data sensitivity.
• Desired tone and output format.
• Repository output path.

Workflow

1. Extract intent

From the user's simple sentence, infer:

• job to be done
• target user
• trigger situations
• expected outputs
• likely tools
• likely risks
• what must be refused

Ask at most three clarifying questions only if missing information would materially change the generated profile. Otherwise proceed with explicit assumptions.

2. Write a mature profile prompt

Create a Mature Profile Prompt with these sections:

1. Profile name and slug.
2. Mission.
3. Target users.
4. Primary workflows.
5. Trigger patterns.
6. Inputs the profile expects.
7. Outputs the profile must produce.
8. Tool-use policy.
9. Safety boundaries and refusals.
10. Required skills.
11. Environment variables, if any.
12. Verification and smoke-test expectations.
13. Repository output requirements.

Keep it specific enough that another agent could generate the profile repo without more context.

3. Convert mature prompt to params YAML

Map the mature prompt into templates/profile.params.yaml fields:

• name
• display_name
• description
• toolsets
• env_requires
• principles
• scope
• refusals
• output_contract
• github_topics

Add a profile_prompt field containing the mature prompt so the generated repo can preserve the design rationale in docs/profile-prompt.md when supported by the generator.

4. Generate the repository

Run:

python3 scripts/generate_profile.py --params <params.yaml> --output <target-dir>

Then add any profile-specific bundled skill that materially improves the profile. Keep skills narrow, procedural, and domain-specific.

5. Verify installability

Run:

python3 <target-dir>/scripts/validate_profile.py <target-dir>

When Hermes is available, also run:

hermes profile install <target-dir> --name <smoke-name> --yes --force

Quality checklist

• The mature prompt is concrete, not generic.
• The generated profile has one clear job.
• The generated profile includes safety boundaries.
• The profile does not claim fake integrations, credentials, audits, or community links.
• Required env vars are documented in .env.EXAMPLE only.
• At least one domain-specific bundled skill is added when the workflow benefits from reusable procedure.
• Validation passes.
• Smoke install passes when Hermes is available.

Output format

When finishing, report:

• Simple sentence received.
• Mature profile prompt path, if written.
• Params YAML path.
• Generated repository path.
• Validation command and exact result.
• Smoke-install command and exact result, or why skipped.
• Next publish command.