Prompt templates worth keeping
Four reusable prompt shapes. They are structures with blanks and not finished prompts, for tasks that come up often enough to save once and stop rewriting.
A template is a shape you fill in. You do not copy it word for word. The value is that the structure is already solved, so you only supply the specifics.
The extraction template
Extract [fields] from the text below. Return [format]. Use null for anything not present, and do not guess. It pulls structured data out of anything unstructured: emails, transcripts, scanned form text. Keep the do not guess clause. Drop it and missing fields get filled with plausible invented values.
The review template
Review the [thing] below as a [role]. Only report [category of issue]. For each one: what is wrong, why it matters, the smallest fix. If there is nothing to report, say so in one line. The last sentence matters more than it looks. The note on refusal in the prompt structure guide explains why.
The rewrite template
Rewrite the text below for [audience]. Keep [what must not change]. Under [length]. Cut [what to remove]. Naming what must not change stops a rewrite drifting: a spec number, a proper noun, a legal phrase, anything you would notice if it changed quietly.
The comparison template
Compare [A] and [B] on [specific dimensions, not everything]. For each dimension, say which is better and why in one sentence. Do not name an overall winner unless asked. Naming the dimensions first stops the model from choosing the ones that happen to favour whichever option it mentions first.
Using these
Save your filled-in versions where you can find them again: a config file, a saved prompt here, a team doc. You save the time of re-deriving the structure. The words themselves matter less.
Notes from the author
These four cover a big share of everyday tasks. For anything that needs several passes, such as draft, check, format, use the workflows section and do not cram it into one prompt.
For information only, not professional advice. You use it at your own risk and we are not liable for any loss or damage. See the disclaimer.
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