prompt

name	prompt
description	Use when a task would benefit from a structured thinking technique but you're not sure which — recommends the right prompt technique for the intent (debug, spec, refactor, decision, design) and applies it
user-invocable	true

Prompt — Find and Apply the Right Thinking Technique

Picks the best prompt-engineering technique for a problem, then applies it. The preview_prompt_technique tool with technique="auto" is the single source of truth for recommendations — don't maintain a parallel list here.

Usage

/prompt [query]                 — recommend a technique for the intent, then apply
/prompt [technique] [query]     — apply a specific technique
/prompt refine [query]          — opt-in: rewrite the raw query into a brief via refine_prompt
/prompt list                    — the ~9 core techniques (default)
/prompt all                     — all 31 techniques
/prompt [category]              — one category in full

Instructions

/prompt list, /prompt all, /prompt [category]

• list: list_prompt_techniques({}) — core techniques (the ones that still help 2026 reasoning models).
• all: list_prompt_techniques({ all: true }).
• category: list_prompt_techniques({ filter: "[category]" }) — categories: creative, research, research_advanced, analytical, reflective, reasoning, verification, meta, debate, judgment, engineering, structured_coding, decision.

/prompt [query] — recommend, then apply

1. Ask the tool, don't guess: preview_prompt_technique({ technique: "auto", query: "[query]" }). It returns the top techniques for the intent with a reason and a kind tag (contract = imposes output structure, safe on reasoning models; scaffold = mainly helps weaker/routed models).
2. Write a goal-first brief IN CONTEXT (free — you're already a frontier model; do NOT add a paid rewrite step). Turn the raw query into: goal, constraints, deliverable, and how you'll know it's right. Preserve the user's ambiguity — surface it as an open question rather than resolving it silently. If the query is long/messy or the user explicitly asks to improve their prompt, offer the opt-in tool instead: refine_prompt({ query, goal?, context? }) — relay its REFINED PROMPT + WHAT CHANGED + OPEN QUESTIONS and get approval before using the brief. Never call it automatically.
3. Preview the top recommended technique against a sensible tool (see mapping below): preview_prompt_technique({ technique: "[top pick]", tool: "[tool]", query: "[the brief]" }).
4. Show the user the original query vs the enhanced prompt, name the technique + why. Offer the choice through your option-choosing interface (in Claude Code: the multiple-choice UI) — the previewed technique first marked "(Recommended)", then the runner-ups from the auto step, each with its one-line why. In clients without that UI, list them inline.
5. On approval: execute_prompt_technique({ execution_token: "last" }) (re-preview first if they picked a runner-up).

/prompt [technique] [query] — apply a named technique

1. preview_prompt_technique({ technique: "[technique]", tool: "[tool]", query: "[query]" }) — show original vs enhanced.
2. Confirm with the user.
3. execute_prompt_technique({ execution_token: "last" }) (tokens expire after a few minutes — re-preview if stale).

/prompt refine [query] — opt-in prompt rewrite

1. Call refine_prompt({ query }) directly (add goal/context if the user gave them) and relay REFINED PROMPT and WHAT CHANGED verbatim. This is the explicit, user-requested path — unlike step 2 above, it always calls the tool since the user asked for it by name.
2. If OPEN QUESTIONS is not "none", DON'T just print them — present them through your option-choosing interface (in Claude Code: the multiple-choice question UI, one question per open question with the tool's listed options plus your best-guess default marked "(Recommended)"; batch up to 4 per round). In clients without that UI, ask them inline as a numbered list.
3. Merge the answers into the refined prompt and show the FINAL BRIEF. Offer the next step: feed it to preview_prompt_technique({ technique: "auto", query: "<final brief>" }) or straight to the tool/model of choice.

Tool selection for preview

Match the target tool to the technique's category:

Category	Best tool	Fallback
Creative	gemini_brainstorm	grok_brainstorm
Research	perplexity_ask	grok_search
Analytical	grok_reason	openai_reason
Reflective	gemini_analyze_text	kimi_thinking
Reasoning	kimi_thinking	openai_reason
Verification	openai_reason	grok_reason
Debate / Decision	grok_reason	openai_reason
Judgment	gemini_judge	jury
Engineering / Structured Coding	qwen_coder	minimax_code
Research Advanced	perplexity_reason	kimi_long_context

Examples

• /prompt there's a null-pointer crash on checkout — auto recommends rubber_duck / react
• /prompt should we use Redis or Postgres for the queue — auto recommends adversarial / pre_mortem
• /prompt refactor the payment module safely — auto recommends pre_post / scot / test_driven
• /prompt scot implement a rate limiter — applies structured-CoT directly
• /prompt bdd_spec user registration flow — Given/When/Then before code
• /prompt list — the core techniques · /prompt all — all 31