The 4-Part Prompt Structure
Every template below follows the same four-part structure. Keep these four elements in every prompt you write:
Role — Who the AI is acting as (include experience level).
Context — What information it needs (the raw input).
Task — What it should produce (specific deliverables).
Format — How the output should look (word count, structure, sections).
Quick Tips
Model selection: For quick, repeatable tasks, use Sonnet with effort set to low. No extended thinking needed. It's faster and just as accurate.
Experience level: Set years of experience to match the quality level you need. "5 years" for mid-level work, "20 years" for architectural decisions.
Audience awareness: Always think about who reads the output. A VP of engineering needs different output than a junior developer. Specify the audience in the prompt.
The Five Templates
Pick the roles that match your work. Swap the input, keep the template.
Code Review Summary
[feature name]
Refactor type: [what changed]
Here is a simplified diff of the changes:
[paste your diff here]
Produce:
1. Summary of changes (3 sentences max)
2. Potential issues or bugs
3. Suggested tests to add
Keep it under 200 words. Format as a structured review.Weekly Stakeholder Update
[project name]
Audience: [who reads this — e.g., VP of Engineering, CTO, client]
This week's raw updates:
[paste your updates here]
Produce a concise update covering:
1. What shipped this week
2. Current blockers or risks
3. Velocity and milestone progress
4. Next week's focus
Keep it under 160 words. The reader is time-poor and needs to grasp the state of the project in under a minute.Meeting Notes
[meeting title]
Attendees: [who was present]
Raw notes:
[paste your rough notes here]
Produce:
1. A structured summary with numbered sections
2. Key decisions made (who decided what)
3. Action items with owners and deadlines
4. Open questions that need follow-up
Format as a clean document anyone on the team can read.Email Triage
[paste your email subjects and first lines here]
For each email, categorize as:
- Action required (reply today)
- FYI (read when you can)
- Archive (not relevant)
For "Action required" emails, draft a short reply.
For "FYI" emails, write a one-line summary.
For "Archive" emails, note why it can be skipped.Sprint Planning Prep
[completed story points / planned story points]
Team capacity: [number of team members / available hours]
Backlog items to consider:
[paste your top backlog items here]
Produce:
1. A priority matrix (what to include this sprint, what to defer)
2. Capacity assessment (what the team can realistically complete)
3. Risk items or dependencies
4. Suggested sprint goal
Format: Bullet points. Under 300 words.Building Your Own
These five templates are starting points. Your work might need different roles or different output formats. To build your own:
1. Identify a repeating task in your work.
2. Write the four-part prompt (Role, Context, Task, Format).
3. Test it with real input. Refine the output.
4. Save it where you can reuse it. A notes app, a docs folder, or a templates repo.
Start with the template closest to your role. Modify it for your specific context. Test with your real work input. The template gets better every time you use it.