5 prompt patterns that beat prompt 'tricks'

"Prompt tricks" — secret phrases that supposedly unlock the model — are mostly folklore. What actually moves quality is structure. Here are five patterns that work across every model and every task.

1. Role + Goal + Constraints

The workhorse. State who Claude is, what success looks like, and what's off-limits.

You are a technical editor. Tighten this draft for clarity.
Keep my voice. Don't add new claims. Flag anything unclear
rather than guessing.

2. Show, don't tell (one-shot example)

A single example anchors tone and format better than any adjective.

3. Decompose, then execute

For anything complex, ask for a plan first, approve it, then run. You catch bad assumptions before they cost you a full draft.

Before writing, list the sections you'll include and one line
on each. Wait for my OK, then write.

4. The rubric pass

Give Claude the standard you'll judge by — it will hold itself to it.

Score your own draft 1–5 on: clarity, specificity, and
actionability. If anything is below 4, revise before showing me.

5. Constraints as a feature

Tight boundaries produce better work, not worse. "Under 120 words, exactly one CTA, no jargon" outperforms "write a good email" every time.

Putting it together

The best prompts stack these: a role, an example, a plan step, and a rubric. That's not a trick — it's just good delegation, which is the whole game.