Prompt Optimizer

Prompt Optimizer

Optimize prompts with evals. Keep every instruction, example, and external context reference causal.

Load Only What You Need

Step 1: Capture Contract

Record before editing:

• task type: new, refine, port, or debug

• target model family and snapshot, if known

• prompt surface: system, developer, user, tool descriptions, examples, schemas

• layer owners: platform, deployer/persona, retrieved context, user payload

• objective and non-goals

• inputs, tools, and external files available

• required output shape

• success criteria and failure cases

• hard constraints: latency, verbosity, safety, budget, tool use, style

If success criteria or examples are missing, create a small eval set first. If the bottleneck is model choice, retrieval, tool schema, or missing evals, say so before rewriting.

Step 2: Inventory External Context

For repo or agent prompts, list stable context by exact path:

Rules:

• Reference stable files by repo-relative path instead of copying them.

• Paste only excerpts needed for the prompt or eval case.

• Mark whether a file is loaded, referenced, or out of scope.

• Avoid vague context pointers such as "read the docs".

Step 3: Choose Model Strategy

Read references/model-family-notes.md.

• Known family: optimize for that family.

• Unknown family: write a portable base plus short adapter notes.

• Snapshot changes: rerun evals.

• Cross-family divergence: specialize only the failing layer.

Step 4: Shape Prompt

Read references/core-patterns.md.

• Put stable policy in system or developer.

• Put task-local facts, retrieved context, and variables in user-facing sections.

• Keep one owner per behavior rule.

• Use headings or tags only to separate content types.

• Put tool policy in prompt text; keep schemas in provider-native tools.

• Keep persona light unless it changes behavior.

• Use the shortest wording that preserves the constraint.

• Cut filler, repeated reminders, dead examples, and rationale that does not affect evals.

Step 5: Optimize

Read references/meta-optimization-loop.md for refinements.

1. Baseline the current prompt on the same eval slice.

2. Cluster failures by root cause.

3. Write concrete edit criticisms.

4. Generate two to four candidates:

   • minimal-diff repair

   • structure-first rewrite

   • examples-first or tool-rule variant

   • provider adapter when needed

5. Compare candidates on the same cases.

6. Keep a short optimization log.

7. Validate the winner on holdout cases.

8. Stop on plateau, oscillation, overfit, excessive cost, or non-prompt bottleneck.

Step 6: Return Package

Return:

1. Target

2. Success Criteria

3. External Context

4. Optimized Prompt

5. Adapter Notes

6. Eval Set

7. Optimization Log

8. Residual Risks

For existing prompts, include a concise diff-style note of the main behavioral changes.

Failure Modes

• editing before defining the eval target

• mixing policy, examples, and raw context without boundaries

• duplicating rules across layers

• putting durable policy in user payloads

• asking for chain-of-thought

• keeping contradictory legacy instructions

• overfitting to one or two examples

• retaining examples that no longer improve evals

• fixing tool-use failures only in prompt text when tool descriptions or schemas are weak

• adding markup that does not reduce ambiguity

• using persona as a substitute for behavior rules