Prompting Strategies
2 min read
Master the art of communicating with Claude for better, more accurate results
title: Prompting Strategies description: Master the art of communicating with Claude for better, more accurate results
Effective prompting is the key to getting great results from Claude. This guide covers proven strategies for structuring your requests to get exactly what you need.
The Anatomy of a Good Prompt
A well-structured prompt typically includes:
- Context - What Claude needs to know
- Task - What you want done
- Constraints - Limitations or requirements
- Format - How you want the output
Example: Complete Prompt
Text
Context: I'm working on a Next.js e-commerce app with TypeScript.
The cart functionality is in src/hooks/useCart.ts.
Task: Add a function to calculate shipping costs based on
the cart total and destination country.
Constraints:
- Free shipping for orders over $100
- Use the existing CartItem type
- Don't add external dependencies
Format: Include the TypeScript types and JSDoc comments.
Prompting Patterns
1. The Specific Request
Be precise about what you want:
Vague:
Text
Make the code better
Specific:
Text
Refactor the fetchUsers function in src/api/users.ts to:
- Use async/await instead of .then() chains
- Add proper error handling with typed errors
- Include retry logic for network failures (max 3 retries)
2. The Contextual Request
Provide relevant background:
Text
Our app uses a custom authentication system where:
- JWT tokens are stored in httpOnly cookies
- Refresh tokens are rotated on each use
- Sessions expire after 24 hours of inactivity
Given this context, implement a middleware that validates
the session and refreshes tokens when needed.
3. The Constrained Request
Set clear boundaries:
Text
Create a date formatting utility that:
- Works without any external libraries
- Supports ISO 8601, US, and European formats
- Is tree-shakeable (separate named exports)
- Has full TypeScript types
- Is under 50 lines of code
4. The Iterative Request
Build on previous work:
Text
That implementation looks good. Now:
1. Add unit tests for the edge cases we discussed
2. Handle the timezone conversion issue
3. Add a caching layer to avoid repeated calculations
5. The Comparative Request
When you want options:
Text
Show me 3 different ways to implement state management
for this form. Compare:
1. React useState
2. React useReducer
3. A form library like React Hook Form
Include pros/cons for each approach given our requirements.
Advanced Techniques
Chain of Thought
Ask Claude to think through the problem:
Text
Before implementing, walk me through:
1. What are the potential edge cases?
2. What existing code might be affected?
3. What's the simplest solution that works?
Then implement based on your analysis.
Role Assignment
Set expectations with a role:
Text
Act as a senior security engineer reviewing this authentication code.
Focus on:
- OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
- Token handling best practices
- Input validation gaps
Few-Shot Examples
Show what you want through examples:
Text
Convert these function names to our naming convention:
Input: getUserData → Output: fetchUserById
Input: saveSettings → Output: updateUserSettings
Input: removeItem → Output: deleteCartItem
Now convert these:
- loadProducts
- createOrder
- updateProfile
Structured Output
Request specific formats:
Text
Analyze this code and return your findings as:
## Summary
[One paragraph overview]
## Issues Found
| Severity | Location | Description | Fix |
|----------|----------|-------------|-----|
## Recommendations
1. [First recommendation]
2. [Second recommendation]
Domain-Specific Prompting
For Bug Fixes
Text
Bug: Users report that the search doesn't work for queries with spaces.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Go to /search
2. Enter "blue shirt"
3. Click search
4. No results appear (should show 15 items)
Relevant files:
- src/pages/search.tsx
- src/api/search.ts
- src/utils/query.ts
Find and fix the bug.
For New Features
Text
Feature: Add dark mode support
Requirements:
- Toggle in the header
- Persist preference in localStorage
- Respect system preference by default
- Smooth transition animation
Current setup:
- Using Tailwind CSS
- Theme colors defined in tailwind.config.js
- Layout component in src/components/Layout.tsx
For Refactoring
Text
The OrderProcessor class (src/services/orders.ts) violates
Single Responsibility Principle. It currently handles:
- Order validation
- Payment processing
- Inventory updates
- Email notifications
Refactor into separate services while:
- Maintaining the same external API
- Keeping all existing tests passing
- Using dependency injection for testability
For Code Review
Text
Review this PR for a payment integration:
[paste diff or describe changes]
Focus on:
1. Security (handling sensitive data)
2. Error handling (payment failures)
3. Idempotency (duplicate requests)
4. Logging (audit trail)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Too Vague
❌ "Fix the performance" ✅ "The /api/products endpoint takes 3s to respond. Profile and optimize the database queries in src/api/products.ts"
2. Missing Context
❌ "Add validation" ✅ "Add Zod validation to the user registration form in src/components/RegisterForm.tsx. Validate email format, password strength (8+ chars, 1 number), and matching password confirmation."
3. Overloading
❌ "Build a complete authentication system with login, registration, password reset, 2FA, social login, session management, and admin user management" ✅ Start with one feature: "Implement email/password login. We'll add other features incrementally."
4. Assuming Knowledge
❌ "Use our standard pattern" ✅ "Follow the repository pattern we use in src/repositories/UserRepository.ts"
Prompt Templates
Bug Report Template
Text
## Bug Description
[What's happening vs. what should happen]
## Steps to Reproduce
1. [First step]
2. [Second step]
3. [Result]
## Relevant Files
- [file path]
- [file path]
## Error Messages
[Any console errors or logs]
## Environment
- Node version:
- Browser:
- OS:
Feature Request Template
Text
## Feature
[Name and brief description]
## User Story
As a [user type], I want to [action] so that [benefit].
## Requirements
- [ ] [Requirement 1]
- [ ] [Requirement 2]
## Technical Considerations
- [Existing code to consider]
- [Constraints]
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] [Criterion 1]
- [ ] [Criterion 2]