apply-prompt-feedback

name	apply-prompt-feedback
description	Applies user feedback to prompts with precision - incorporates feedback intent without over-fitting, maintains information density, prevents regressions. Use when asked to apply feedback, incorporate suggestions, or update a prompt based on user input.

Apply Prompt Feedback

Apply user feedback to prompts with calibrated precision—addressing feedback intent fully while avoiding over-fitting, maintaining information density, and preventing regressions.

Overview

This skill applies feedback through:

1. Initial Application - Apply feedback to prompt using Application Techniques
2. Verification - prompt-feedback-verifier checks for issues (over-fitting, regression, density loss)
3. Refinement - Fix issues based on verifier findings, iterate if needed (max 5 iterations)
4. Output - Atomic replacement only after verification passes

Loop: Gather inputs → Copy → Apply feedback → Verify → (Iterate if issues) → Output

Key principles:

• Just-right application: Address ALL of feedback, ONLY feedback, nothing more
• Information density: Use minimal text to achieve the change
• Regression prevention: Preserve everything feedback didn't mention
• Verifier validates: Verifier catches over-fitting, under-fitting, and regressions

Required tools: This skill requires Task tool to launch the verifier agent. If Task is unavailable, report error: "Task tool required for verification loop." This skill uses TodoWrite to track progress. If TodoWrite is unavailable, track progress internally.

Workflow

Phase 0: Create Todo List (TodoWrite immediately)

Create todos tracking workflow phases:

- [ ] Input validation; done when prompt + feedback files read successfully
- [ ] Initial application→verify; done when verifier returns VERIFIED or issues fixed
- [ ] (Expand: refinement iterations on ISSUES_FOUND)
- [ ] Output updated prompt; done when updated prompt displayed + optionally saved

Phase 1: Input Validation

Mark "Input validation" todo in_progress.

Step 1.1: Parse arguments

Extract from $ARGUMENTS:

• Prompt (file path or inline)
• Feedback (may be in arguments or need to ask)

Step 1.2: Determine prompt source

Input Type	Detection	Action
File path	Contains / or \, OR ends with .md, .txt, .yaml, .yml	Read file content
Inline prompt	Does not match file path criteria	Write to /tmp/prompt-{timestamp}.md

Priority: If ambiguous, treat as file path first; if not found, treat as inline.

Step 1.3: Gather feedback

If feedback not in arguments, use AskUserQuestion:

questions: [
  {
    question: "What feedback do you want to apply to this prompt?",
    header: "Feedback",
    options: [
      { label: "I'll type it", description: "Enter feedback in the text field" }
    ],
    multiSelect: false
  }
]

Step 1.4: Validate inputs

• If prompt file exists and has content: Use file content
• If prompt file empty: Error: "Cannot apply feedback to empty prompt: {path}"
• If file not found: Re-classify as inline, write to temp file
• If no prompt: Error: "Usage: /apply-prompt-feedback [feedback] OR provide feedback when prompted"
• If no feedback after asking: Error: "Feedback required to proceed"

Step 1.5: Store metadata

• source_path: Source file path (or temp path for inline)
• is_inline: Boolean
• original_content: Full prompt text
• feedback: User's feedback text
• original_path: /tmp/feedback-original-{YYYYMMDDHHMMSS}-{4-lowercase-alphanumeric}.md (copy of original for verifier comparison)
• working_path: /tmp/feedback-modified-{YYYYMMDDHHMMSS}-{4-lowercase-alphanumeric}.md (modified version)

Mark "Input validation" todo completed.

Phase 2: Initial Application

Mark "Initial application" todo in_progress.

Step 2.1: Create working copies

Using Write tool:

1. Copy original content to original_path (untouched reference for verifier)
2. Copy original content to working_path (will be modified)

Step 2.2: Apply feedback

Apply the feedback to the prompt using Application Techniques (see below). Write the updated prompt to working_path.

Key principle: Apply feedback with just-right calibration—address the full intent without over-fitting or adding unrelated changes.

Step 2.3: Verify application

Launch prompt-feedback-verifier agent via Task tool:

• subagent_type: "prompt-engineering:prompt-feedback-verifier"
• prompt: "Verify feedback application. Original: {original_path}. Modified: {working_path}. Feedback: {feedback}. Check for: feedback not addressed, partial incorporation, over-fitting, over-specification, regression, information density loss. Report VERIFIED or ISSUES_FOUND with specific details."

Step 2.4: Handle verifier response

• If "VERIFIED": Mark todo completed, proceed to Phase 4
• If "ISSUES_FOUND": Mark todo completed, save issues, add "Refinement iteration 1" todo, proceed to Phase 3
• If verifier fails: Retry once. If retry fails, proceed to Phase 4 with warning: "Verification failed - manual review recommended."

Step 2.5: Display findings

If issues found:

Feedback Summary: {summary from verifier}
Verifier found {count} issues. Proceeding with refinement...

Mark "Initial application" todo completed.

Phase 3: Refinement Loop (Verifier-Driven)

Mark "Refinement iteration 1" todo in_progress.

Key principle: All refinements driven by verifier feedback. Only fix issues the verifier reported.

For each iteration from 1 to 5:

1. Apply fixes from verifier feedback: For each issue, apply the Suggested Fix using Application Techniques. Write to working_path.

   • Only address issues the verifier identified
   • If Write tool fails: display error, proceed to Phase 4 with most recent version

2. Re-verify: Launch prompt-feedback-verifier agent via Task tool:

   • subagent_type: "prompt-engineering:prompt-feedback-verifier"
   • prompt: "Verify feedback application. Original: {original_path}. Modified: {working_path}. Feedback: {feedback}. Check for: feedback not addressed, partial incorporation, over-fitting, over-specification, regression, information density loss. Report VERIFIED or ISSUES_FOUND with specific details."

3. Handle response:

   • If "VERIFIED": mark todo completed, exit loop, proceed to Phase 4
   • If "ISSUES_FOUND" and iteration < 5: mark todo completed, save issues, add "Refinement iteration {next}" todo, continue
   • If "ISSUES_FOUND" and iteration = 5: mark todo completed with note, proceed to Phase 4 with warning
   • If verifier fails: display error, retry once. If retry fails, proceed to Phase 4 with warning: "Verification incomplete - manual review recommended."

Application Techniques

Apply feedback using these calibrated techniques:

Incorporation Techniques

Issue Type	Technique	Example
Feedback Not Addressed	Add minimal instruction that addresses feedback intent	Feedback: "handle empty input" → Add: "If input is empty, return error message."
Partial Incorporation	Add missing aspects only, don't expand what's already there	Feedback: "handle A, B, C" (A done) → Add B and C handling only

Calibration Techniques

Issue Type	Technique	Example
Over-Fitting	Remove unrelated additions, keep only feedback-relevant changes	Remove new sections that feedback didn't request
Over-Specification	Condense verbose implementation to minimal form	"When timeout occurs after 30 seconds of no response from the server, the system should log the error, notify the user, and retry up to 3 times" → "Timeout after 30s; retry up to 3x"

Preservation Techniques

Issue Type	Technique	Example
Regression	Restore removed/changed behavior, integrate with new additions	Re-add removed instruction, resolve any conflict with new content
Information Density Loss	Consolidate redundant text, use concise phrasing	Merge repeated statements, remove verbose explanations

Information Density Rules

When applying feedback, maximize information density:

1. Minimal additions: Add only text necessary to address feedback
2. Concise phrasing: Use fewest words that convey meaning precisely
3. No duplication: Don't repeat what prompt already says
4. Consolidate: Merge related additions into existing sections when possible
5. Delete redundancy: If adding X makes existing text Y redundant, remove Y

Density checklist before writing:

• Can this be said in fewer words?
• Does existing text already partially cover this?
• Can this be merged with an existing section?
• Am I adding explanation where a rule suffices?

Resolution Strategy

For each issue:

Issue from verifier
    │
    ▼
Is the fix text provided in Suggested Fix?
    │
    ├─ YES → Apply exact fix text
    │
    └─ NO → Use Application Techniques
             │
             ▼
         Apply minimal change that:
         1. Addresses the issue
         2. Uses fewest possible words
         3. Preserves existing content
         4. Doesn't introduce new issues

Phase 4: Output

Mark "Output updated prompt" todo in_progress.

Step 4.1: Apply changes

After application complete:

• For file input: mv {working_path} {source_path} (atomic replacement)
• For inline input: Keep at working_path, report location

Step 4.2: Display results

If verification passed:

Updated: {path}
Iterations: {count}
Status: Feedback applied

Feedback: {original feedback}

Changes applied:
- {List each change as bullet, categorized: "Incorporation:", "Calibration:", or "Preservation:"}

If verification failed after 5 iterations:

Updated with warnings: {path}
Iterations: 5
Status: Some issues may remain

Feedback: {original feedback}

Unresolved issues:
- {list from last verification}

Review the changes manually.

Mark "Output updated prompt" todo completed. Mark all todos complete.

Key Principles

Principle	Rule
Apply then verify	Apply feedback first, verifier catches issues
Verifier-driven refinement	Refinements only fix issues verifier identifies
Just-right application	Address ALL feedback, ONLY feedback
Information density	Minimal text to achieve the change; no bloat
Regression prevention	Preserve everything feedback didn't mention
Track progress	TodoWrite for phases; expand on iteration
Atomic output	Original untouched until application complete

Edge Cases

Scenario	Handling
No prompt provided	Error: "Usage: /apply-prompt-feedback [feedback]"
No feedback provided	Use AskUserQuestion to gather feedback
File not found	Re-classify as inline prompt, write to temp file
Empty file	Error: "Cannot apply feedback to empty prompt: {path}"
Vague feedback	Apply reasonable interpretation; verifier will catch over/under-fitting
Conflicting feedback	Apply most recent/prominent request; note conflict in output
Verifier fails	Retry once; if fails, output with warning: "Verification failed - manual review recommended."
Task tool unavailable	Error: "Task tool required for verification loop."

Example Usage

# Apply feedback to a prompt file
/apply-prompt-feedback prompts/assistant.md "Make it handle empty input gracefully"

# Apply feedback to inline prompt (will be prompted for feedback)
/apply-prompt-feedback "You are a helpful assistant. Answer questions concisely."

# Apply multiple feedback points
/apply-prompt-feedback skills/reviewer/SKILL.md "Add timeout handling and clarify what 'significant' means"

Example Output

Updated: prompts/assistant.md
Iterations: 2
Status: Feedback applied

Feedback: Make it handle empty input gracefully

Changes applied:
- Incorporation: Added "If input is empty, respond with 'Please provide a question or topic.'"
- Preservation: Existing response format unchanged
- Calibration: Kept addition minimal (single sentence vs. elaborate error handling)