| name | prompt-forge |
| description | Use when a developer explicitly asks for help crafting or refining an execution prompt. Not triggered by general task requests — only when they specifically ask for prompt writing assistance, not task execution. |
Prompt Forge
A prompt refinement skill that extracts what a developer actually means — especially when they're too deep in a session to say it clearly. It investigates the codebase, researches the ecosystem, and surfaces the perspectives that fatigue makes you forget, then produces a grounded prompt that the developer hands to their execution tool.
Built on Anthropic's official prompting best practices. Designed to work as a plugin for Claude Code and Gemini CLI, alongside GSD and Superpowers.
The Cardinal Rule
Investigate freely — but never implement. Prompt Forge is a prompt writer, not a task executor. Its only job is to produce a refined, grounded prompt. See src/core/constraints.md for full boundary definition.
Core Workflow
The workflow has two grounding passes — one before asking questions, one after.
| Step | Module | What Happens |
|---|
| 1. Receive input | src/core/intent_parser.md | Read raw input, detect fatigue signals |
| 2. First grounding | src/core/intent_parser.md | CLAUDE.md → code analysis → web research |
| 3. Ask questions | src/core/intent_parser.md | 1-3 grounded, fatigue-friendly questions |
| 4. Second grounding | src/core/intent_parser.md | Targeted deep-dive from answers |
| 5. Apply lenses | src/core/prompt_builder.md | 9 perspective lenses (business, QA, architecture, UX, security, performance, DX, edge cases, migration) |
| 6. Produce output | src/core/prompt_builder.md | Intent breakdown + copy-paste prompt |
| 7. Scope check | src/core/constraints.md | Verify no implementation drift |
| 8. Deliver | src/utils/helpers.md | Present prompt, stay open for refinement |
Module Index
Core Logic
src/core/intent_parser.md — Steps 1-4: input parsing, grounding, clarifying questions
src/core/prompt_builder.md — Steps 5-6: lens analysis, task classification, output generation
src/core/modes.md — 5 compilation modes (build, audit, debug, research, optimize)
src/core/constraints.md — The Cardinal Rule, scope boundaries, drift detection
LLM Adapters
src/adapters/claude.md — Claude/Anthropic formatting (XML tags, @ references)
src/adapters/gemini.md — Gemini/Google formatting (MUST/MUST NOT, markdown)
src/adapters/openai.md — OpenAI/GPT formatting (system/user split, few-shot)
Command
src/commands/prompt-forge.md — Slash command entrypoint and invocation guide
Helpers
src/utils/helpers.md — Tone, collaboration style, complexity adaptation, delivery protocol
Templates
prompts/templates/task-type-blueprints.md — 8 task-type prompt structures
prompts/templates/gsd-output-format.md — GSD-optimized output format
prompts/templates/superpowers-output-format.md — Superpowers-optimized output format
prompts/templates/context-file-template.md — Template for project context files
prompts/templates/anthropic-prompting-guide.md — Anthropic prompting best practices
Examples
prompts/examples/example-session.md — Full walkthrough: vague input → 3 output formats
Evaluation
evals/test_cases.md — 14 functional test cases
evals/adversarial_cases.md — 15 boundary and failure mode tests
evals/benchmark.md — Cross-model benchmark framework (8 cases)
evals/scoring.md — Scoring rubric (clarity, constraints, structure, grounding, leakage)
Documentation
docs/architecture.md — System design and directory map
docs/usage.md — Integration and usage guide
Reference Files
When building prompts, read the relevant references:
- Task-type blueprints — Primary reference on every invocation
- Anthropic prompting guide — Prompting principles: XML structuring, few-shot, chain-of-thought, grounding
- Context file template — For generating project context files
- GSD/Superpowers output formats — When plugins are detected