Write a task spec with clear checks for an AI agent
Turn a vague task into a precise spec, a way to verify the output, and the standing context an AI agent needs, before you hand it off.
The prompt
Help me write a task specification for an AI agent or assistant, including how I'll verify its work.
The task: [WHAT I want done, in my own rough words]
Why it matters / who uses the result: [CONTEXT]
Tools or access the agent has: [e.g. codebase, files, browser, spreadsheet]
What I already know about doing this well: [preferences, past mistakes, standards]
Deadline or size limits: [DETAILS]
First, ask me up to 5 questions about anything that would change the result. Then produce three parts:
1. Spec - goal in one sentence; scope (in and out); inputs; constraints; required output format; decisions the agent may make alone vs. must ask me about.
2. Verifier - how we will know the output is right: concrete acceptance checks (tests to run, numbers that must reconcile, examples that must pass), known failure modes to look for, and what evidence the agent must show (not just a claim that it's done). Mark which checks the agent can run itself and which need my judgment.
3. Environment - standing context worth saving for next time: glossary, conventions, source files to read first, guardrails (things never to do).
Keep the spec tight - only what changes the result. Point out any part of my request that is still ambiguous and where the agent would be guessing.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Working with AI prompts
What to fill in
- WHAT I want done, in my own rough words
- CONTEXT
- e.g. codebase, files, browser, spreadsheet
- preferences, past mistakes, standards
- DETAILS
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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