# prompt-engineer

Designs structured system prompts, few-shot examples, and reasoning chains for LLM apps. Helpful when prompts need rigorous instructions and strict output formats.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code · 591 installs
- Author: davila7
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/prompt-engineer
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/prompt-engineer

## What it does

This skill treats prompts like code. It arranges system instructions into separate blocks: persona, background context, direct instructions, negative constraints, output schema, and demonstrations. This setup keeps models from guessing schemas.

It applies few-shot patterns using 2 to 5 diverse test cases, including edge cases and negative samples. For difficult logic, it configures chain-of-thought prompts to extract intermediate thinking before the answer. Basic programming concepts and tokenization knowledge are required.

Uncurated context degrades prompt performance fast. The skill focuses on removing irrelevant details, setting task-specific temperature, and guarding inputs against prompt injection. Measuring output quality matters.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **claude-code-templates**
```bash
npx claude-code-templates@latest --skill ai-research/prompt-engineer
```

2. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill prompt-engineer -a claude-code
```

3. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/prompt-engineer/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/prompt-engineer/

### Codex

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/prompt-engineer/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/prompt-engineer/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates prompt-engineer
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/prompt-engineer/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --path cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/prompt-engineer
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/prompt-engineer/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates/tree/HEAD/cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/prompt-engineer

## When to use it
- Structure complex system prompts with negative constraints and clear schemas
- Select 2 to 5 balanced few-shot examples covering edge cases
- Implement chain-of-thought logic to inspect intermediate reasoning steps
- Protect user inputs against prompt injection attacks

## Example prompts
- Write a structured system prompt for an API log parser with negative constraints
- Build few-shot examples for a classifier handling ambiguous inputs
- Add chain-of-thought reasoning to debug our reasoning prompt failures

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## Other versions with the same name
- [prompt-engineer · jeffallan](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/httpsgithubcomjeffallan-prompt-engineer.md) — 5600 installs
- [prompt-engineer · sickn33](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/sickn33-prompt-engineer.md) — 1600 installs

From the same set: [davila7/claude-code-templates](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/davila7/claude-code-templates.md) — 495 cards

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