6.6 KiB
6.6 KiB
Prompt Engineering Reference
Complete reference materials for the 26 prompt engineering principles and advanced techniques.
Quick Navigation
| Resource | Purpose | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Prompt Principles Guide | All 26 principles with examples | Complete reference |
| Principle Combinations | How to combine principles effectively | Advanced users |
| Anti-Patterns | Common mistakes to avoid | Troubleshooting |
The 26 Prompt Engineering Principles
Content & Clarity (Principles 1-2, 9-10, 21, 25)
What to say and how clearly
- Principle 1: No need to be polite - Be concise and direct
- Principle 2: Integrate audience specification
- Principle 9: Be clear about requirements (directness)
- Principle 10: Use affirmative directives (Do X, not Don't do X)
- Principle 21: Add detailed and descriptive information
- Principle 25: Clearly state requirements
Structure & Organization (Principles 3, 8, 17)
How to organize information
- Principle 3: Break down complex tasks into simpler steps
- Principle 8: Use delimiters to clearly indicate distinct sections
- Principle 17: Specify desired format for structured input/output
Reasoning & Thinking (Principles 12, 19, 20)
How to guide model's thought process
- Principle 12: Use "do step-by-step" or "think step-by-step"
- Principle 19: Use "chain-of-thought" prompting
- Principle 20: Provide examples (few-shot learning)
Style & Tone (Principles 5, 11, 22, 24, 26)
How to express requests
- Principle 5: Adjust language complexity to audience
- Principle 11: Employ role-playing or persona
- Principle 22: Use natural, conversational language
- Principle 24: Specify preferred answer format (bullets, paragraphs, etc.)
- Principle 26: Use leading words (e.g., "Write a detailed...")
Advanced Techniques (Principles 4, 6-7, 13-16, 18, 23)
Specialized approaches
- Principle 4: Ask model to explain itself (for complex topics)
- Principle 6: Use incentives or penalties (when appropriate)
- Principle 7: Implement example-driven prompting (few-shot)
- Principle 13: Elicit unbiased answers for sensitive topics
- Principle 14: Ask clarifying questions to understand user needs
- Principle 15: Test understanding with quizzes or problems
- Principle 16: Use affirmative language
- Principle 18: Clearly define learning objectives
- Principle 23: Use multi-turn conversations for complex tasks
Quick Selection Guide
By Task Type
Technical/Code (Use Principles: 3, 7, 8, 12, 17, 19, 21)
✓ Break down (3)
✓ Examples (7)
✓ Delimiters (8)
✓ Step-by-step (12)
✓ Format (17)
✓ Chain-of-thought (19)
✓ Detail (21)
Creative/Writing (Use Principles: 2, 5, 11, 22, 24, 26)
✓ Audience (2)
✓ Complexity (5)
✓ Role-play (11)
✓ Natural language (22)
✓ Format preference (24)
✓ Leading words (26)
Learning/Education (Use Principles: 5, 14, 15, 18, 20)
✓ Complexity level (5)
✓ Elicit questions (14)
✓ Test understanding (15)
✓ Learning objectives (18)
✓ Examples (20)
Research/Analysis (Use Principles: 3, 8, 12, 13, 19, 21, 25)
✓ Break down (3)
✓ Structure (8)
✓ Step-by-step (12)
✓ Unbiased (13)
✓ Reasoning (19)
✓ Detail (21)
✓ Requirements (25)
Principle Effectiveness Matrix
| Principle | Frequency of Use | Impact Level | Complexity | Combine With |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Concise) | High | Medium | Low | All |
| 2 (Audience) | High | High | Low | 5, 18 |
| 3 (Breakdown) | Very High | Very High | Low | 8, 12 |
| 7 (Few-shot) | High | Very High | Medium | 17, 20 |
| 8 (Delimiters) | Very High | High | Low | 3, 17 |
| 12 (Step-by-step) | High | High | Low | 3, 19 |
| 19 (Chain-of-thought) | Medium | Very High | Medium | 12, 21 |
| 21 (Detail) | Very High | High | Low | All |
Impact Levels:
- Very High: Transforms weak prompts to strong (3, 7, 8, 19)
- High: Significant improvement (2, 12, 21, 25)
- Medium: Situational benefit (1, 5, 11, 17, 24)
Common Combinations
The "Technical Stack" (for code/technical tasks):
3 (Breakdown) + 8 (Delimiters) + 17 (Format) + 21 (Detail)
The "Learning Stack" (for educational content):
2 (Audience) + 5 (Complexity) + 18 (Objectives) + 20 (Examples)
The "Reasoning Stack" (for analysis/problem-solving):
3 (Breakdown) + 12 (Step-by-step) + 19 (Chain-of-thought) + 21 (Detail)
The "Creative Stack" (for writing/ideation):
2 (Audience) + 11 (Role-play) + 22 (Natural) + 26 (Leading words)
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Don't Do:
- ❌ Vague requests without context
- ❌ Multiple unrelated questions in one prompt
- ❌ Negative instructions ("don't do X" instead of "do Y")
- ❌ Missing output format specification
- ❌ No audience or complexity level
Do Instead:
- ✅ Specific requests with full context (Principle 21)
- ✅ One focused topic per prompt (Principle 3)
- ✅ Affirmative directives (Principle 10, 16)
- ✅ Explicit format requirements (Principle 17)
- ✅ Target audience specified (Principle 2)
Progressive Mastery Path
Level 1: Beginner (Start Here)
- Master: 1, 2, 3, 8, 21
- Focus: Clarity, structure, specificity
- Time: 1-2 weeks practice
Level 2: Intermediate
- Add: 7, 12, 17, 25
- Focus: Examples, steps, format, requirements
- Time: 2-4 weeks practice
Level 3: Advanced
- Add: 5, 11, 19, 20, 24
- Focus: Complexity control, reasoning, style
- Time: 4-8 weeks practice
Level 4: Expert
- Master all 26 principles
- Create custom combinations
- Teach others
Resource Roadmap
- Start: Read Prompt Principles Guide
- Practice: Try Common Fixes
- Deepen: Study Principle Combinations
- Avoid: Learn Anti-Patterns
- Apply: Use Templates for common tasks
Success Metrics
Track your improvement:
- Week 1: Can apply 5 basic principles
- Month 1: Consistently use 10-12 principles
- Month 3: Master all 26 principles
- Month 6: Create optimal combinations instinctively
Measurement:
- Compare before/after prompt quality scores
- Track reduction in follow-up clarifications needed
- Measure improvement in first-response quality
- Monitor task completion rates
Principles Covered: All 26 Difficulty Levels: Beginner → Expert Practice Time: 1-6 months to mastery