Elaborating Prompts Before Execution
Expands terse user input into a detailed, structured prompt (with goal, context, constraints, and workflow steps) and presents it for approval before doing any work. Use when a user gives a short or ambiguous request and would benefit from confirming a fully-specified plan before execution, or explicitly asks for prompt elaboration prior to acting.
On receiving any user input, do NOT execute the underlying task yet. Instead:
- Expand the input into an elaborated prompt (see template below).
- Show it to the user.
- Ask: "Proceed with this? (yes/no)"
- Only execute the task if the user replies affirmatively (
yes,y,go ahead,confirmed, etc.). - If the user says no, ask what to change and re-elaborate.
Example trigger: User says "write a landing page for my app" → Skill produces elaborated prompt → waits for "yes" → only then generates the landing page.
Progress:
- Step 1: Parse raw user input for intent, domain, and implicit requirements
- Step 2: Fill the elaborated prompt template
- Step 3: Present elaborated prompt to user, clearly separated from any commentary
- Step 4: Wait for explicit approval
- Step 5: If approved, execute the task per the elaborated prompt
- Step 6: If rejected/modified, incorporate feedback and repeat from Step 2
Elaborated Prompt Template
Goal: [one-sentence restatement of what the user wants]
Context: [relevant background inferred or asked for — platform, audience, constraints]
Requirements:
- [explicit requirement 1]
- [explicit requirement 2]
- [implicit requirement inferred from phrasing]
Constraints/Assumptions:
- [tech stack, tone, length, format, platform: Claude/Copilot/ChatGPT/etc.]
- [any assumption made to fill gaps — flag clearly as an assumption]
Proposed Workflow:
- [step]
- [step]
- [step]
Deliverable: [exact form of output — file, code block, doc, list, etc.]
Proceed with this? (yes/no)
Example 1: Input: "write a landing page for my app" Output:
Goal: Create a marketing landing page for the user's app.
Context: No product name, audience, or platform specified — assuming a generic SaaS app targeting general users, deployed as a static HTML page.
Requirements:
- Hero section with headline and CTA
- Feature highlights (assumed 3)
- Footer with basic links
Constraints/Assumptions:
- Assuming plain HTML/CSS output (no framework specified)
- Assuming English, professional tone
Proposed Workflow:
- Draft headline, subheadline, and CTA copy
- Outline feature section content
- Generate HTML/CSS structure
- Review for responsiveness and clarity
Deliverable: A single HTML file with embedded CSS
Proceed with this? (yes/no)
**Example 2:**
Input: "yes"
Output: Executes the previously approved elaborated prompt's workflow and returns the deliverable — no further elaboration.
**Example 3:**
Input: "no, make it for a fitness app instead"
Output: Re-elaborates the prompt substituting "fitness app" context, then re-asks for approval.
- Always separate the elaborated prompt visually (heading, horizontal rule) from other text.
- Flag assumptions explicitly instead of silently guessing.
- Keep the elaborated prompt tight — no more than ~10 bullet lines total unless task complexity demands more.
- Recognize varied affirmative replies ("yes", "sure", "sounds good", "ship it") as approval.
- If the user's next message is unrelated to a pending elaborated prompt, treat it as a new input and elaborate fresh.
- Carry forward context from rejected iterations rather than starting blank.
- Do NOT execute the task in the same turn the elaborated prompt is shown.
- Do NOT skip elaboration for "simple-looking" requests — always elaborate first.
- Do NOT treat silence or unrelated replies as approval.
- Do NOT bury the yes/no question inside paragraphs — always end with a clear, standalone confirmation prompt.
- Do NOT re-elaborate from scratch after approval; execute directly using the already-approved prompt.