144 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
144 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
# Prompt Optimization Guide
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Reference guide for writing high-quality, effective prompts for Claude CoWork and Claude Chat.
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---
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## The Ideal Prompt Structure
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Well-constructed prompts follow a consistent ordering of information. Claude performs best when instructions flow from broad context to specific detail.
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**Recommended order:**
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1. **Context / Role setup** — What situation is this? What role should Claude take?
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2. **Core task** — What specifically should Claude do? (the action verb matters)
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3. **Audience & purpose** — Who is this for? What's it going to be used for?
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4. **Constraints** — Tone, length, style, what to avoid, deadline
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5. **Output specification** — Exact format, file type, structure
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6. **Skill invocations** — Trigger phrases for relevant skills (woven in naturally)
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Not every prompt needs all six sections, but they should appear in this order when present.
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---
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## Language Patterns That Work Well
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### Be specific about the action verb
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Vague: "Help me with a report"
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Strong: "Write a two-page executive summary"
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### State the audience explicitly
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Vague: "Make this professional"
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Strong: "This is for a prospective client who hasn't worked with us before"
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### Specify format before content
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Vague: "Give me some ideas"
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Strong: "Give me five bullet points, each one sentence, suitable for a slide header"
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### Use constraints to prevent unwanted output
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- "Keep it under 300 words"
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- "Do not include technical jargon"
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- "Use MPM's brand voice — confident, direct, human"
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- "Avoid bullet points — write in flowing paragraphs"
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### Name the output artifact
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Vague: "Create something I can share"
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Strong: "Create a Word document (.docx) I can send directly to the client"
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## Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid
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| Anti-pattern | Problem | Fix |
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|---|---|---|
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| "Write me something about X" | No format, audience, or length specified | Add: format, who it's for, word count |
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| "Make it better" | No criteria for "better" | Define: more concise? Warmer tone? Add examples? |
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| "Be creative" | Claude doesn't know creative in what direction | Specify: unexpected angle, unexpected format, surprising structure |
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| "Like a professional would" | Too vague | Name the professional: "like a McKinsey consultant", "like a skilled copywriter" |
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| Over-long preamble | Buries the actual ask | Lead with the task, add context after |
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| Burying format at the end | Claude plans the response before seeing it | Put output format specification early |
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---
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## Before & After Examples
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### Example 1 — Content Creation
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**Before:**
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> Write something about our new product for LinkedIn
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**After:**
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> Write a LinkedIn post announcing MessagePoint Media's new [product name]. The audience is marketing directors at mid-size B2B companies. Tone should be confident and human — not salesy. Keep it under 150 words. End with a low-pressure call to action (link in comments style). Use MPM's brand voice.
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---
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### Example 2 — Document Creation
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**Before:**
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> Can you make a report on our Q1 results
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**After:**
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> Create a Word document summarizing MPM's Q1 performance. Include sections for: revenue vs. target, top three wins, top three lessons learned, and key priorities for Q2. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Tone: direct and honest. Length: 1-2 pages. Use clear headers and keep the language tight — no filler.
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### Example 3 — Research / Summary
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**Before:**
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> Tell me about AI trends
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**After:**
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> Summarize the five most relevant AI trends for a content marketing agency in 2025. Focus on practical implications for workflow, client service, and competitive positioning — not hype. Audience is the MPM leadership team. Format: short paragraphs per trend, each with a "so what for MPM" implication at the end. Total length: under 600 words.
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---
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### Example 4 — Presentation
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**Before:**
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> Make a deck about our services
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**After:**
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> Create a PowerPoint presentation introducing MPM's core services to a prospective client. The client is a marketing leader at a regional financial services company. Include: who we are (1 slide), what we do (3-4 slides with one service per slide), why MPM (1 slide), and next steps (1 slide). Tone: professional but warm. Keep copy minimal — this is a leave-behind, not a reading document.
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---
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## Tone Calibration
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When specifying tone, use concrete reference points rather than vague adjectives:
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| Instead of... | Say... |
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| "Professional" | "Formal but not stiff — think well-written business email" |
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| "Friendly" | "Warm and direct, like a trusted colleague" |
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| "Engaging" | "Conversational, with a clear point of view" |
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| "Simple" | "Eighth-grade reading level, no jargon" |
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| "On-brand" | "Use MPM brand voice — confident, direct, and human" |
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---
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## Output Format Specification
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Always tell Claude exactly what format the output should take. Common formats and how to specify them:
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| Output type | How to specify |
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| Word document | "Create a Word document (.docx)" |
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| PowerPoint | "Create a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx)" |
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| Spreadsheet | "Create an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx)" |
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| PDF | "Create a PDF" |
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| Email | "Write an email I can copy directly into Gmail" |
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| Bullet list | "Give me a bulleted list, 5-7 items, one sentence each" |
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| Prose | "Write in flowing paragraphs, no bullet points" |
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| Executive summary | "Two-page executive summary with clear headers" |
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---
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## Skill Invocation
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For CoWork users, certain output types are best handled by specialized skills. See `skill-awareness.md` for the complete map of triggers to skills. The key principle: **include the trigger phrase naturally in the prompt** rather than calling the skill by its technical name.
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Good: "Create a Word document..."
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Unnecessary: "Use the docx skill to create..."
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The skill will activate automatically from natural language — the user doesn't need to know the skill names.
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