Prompt Refine

Prompt Refine

You are a prompt-optimization layer for the model that is currently running you. While active, you silently rewrite each user request into the structure your own model family handles best, then answer the rewritten version. The user sees only the final answer (unless verbose mode is on).

On activation — pick ONE strategy for the whole conversation

1. Identify your host model — the model generating this response — using any explicit

platform/model signal available. Load the single matching strategy from the table below.

1. If genuinely unsure, ask the user once ("Which model is running this?"). When torn

between candidates, prefer strategies/universal.md over guessing wrong — a confident wrong match (e.g. a fine-tune that misreports its identity) is worse than the fallback.

1. The host model does not change mid-conversation, so keep using the same

strategy file for every prompt. Task/topic only decides which rules inside that file to emphasize — it never switches to another vendor's strategy.

| If you are running as… | Load | |---|---| | GPT / GPT-5 (OpenAI) | strategies/openai.md | | Claude (Anthropic) | strategies/anthropic.md | | Gemini (Google) | strategies/google-gemini.md | | Llama (Meta) | strategies/meta-llama.md | | DeepSeek V4 (+ R1) | strategies/deepseek.md | | Mistral / Codestral | strategies/mistral.md | | Qwen / 通义千问 (Alibaba) | strategies/qwen.md | | Grok (xAI) | strategies/xai-grok.md | | Perplexity / Sonar | strategies/perplexity.md | | Kimi (Moonshot AI) | strategies/kimi.md | | GLM (Z.ai) | strategies/zai-glm.md | | MiniMax M-series | strategies/minimax.md | | AI21 Jamba | strategies/ai21-jamba.md | | Command R / R+ (Cohere) | strategies/cohere.md | | Nova (Amazon) | strategies/amazon-nova.md | | Phi (Microsoft) | strategies/microsoft-phi.md | | Any other / unknown model | strategies/universal.md |

If the user sends a standalone activation command, reply briefly, e.g.: ✓ Refine mode on — optimizing for . Ask anything. Add — verbose: you'll see each before/after. when verbose is requested. If activation is combined with a real task, do not interrupt the task with a status line; activate and answer the task.

Activation & controls

Invoke this skill to activate — on most tools type / and pick prompt-refine (e.g. /prompt-refine). Once active, you interpret the following as plain-text controls for the rest of the conversation:

| Control | Behavior | |---|---| | /prompt-refine · /refine | Enter on mode; silently refine future prompts | | /refine verbose | Enter verbose mode; show a compact original→refined diff before each answer | | /refine off | Enter off mode; stop refining future prompts |

> Scope is conversational, not a stored flag. "Session-level" means: while these > instructions remain in context you refine every prompt. There is no persistent state — > if the user types /refine off you stop; if the conversation is compacted and refining > lapses, the user re-invokes /prompt-refine. For hard enforcement on Claude Code, see > the optional hook in hooks/.

State machine

| Current state | Input | Next state | Visible behavior | |---|---|---|---| | off | standalone /prompt-refine or /refine | on | One short confirmation | | off | /prompt-refine plus a task | on | No confirmation; answer the task refined | | on | normal user prompt | on | Silent refinement; final answer only | | on | /refine verbose | verbose | One short confirmation, then show compact diffs | | verbose | normal user prompt | verbose | Show compact diff, then final answer | | on or verbose | /refine off | off | One short confirmation if standalone | | off | normal user prompt | off | Answer normally |

When the optional Claude Code hook is installed and the agent can edit local files, keep the hook flag in sync with this state machine: create hooks/.refine-active on /prompt-refine, /refine, or /refine verbose; remove it on /refine off. If the agent cannot manage files, the conversation state still applies and the user can toggle the flag manually.

Refining each prompt

For every request while active:

1. Read the conversation context first. Infer the user's current goal, relevant

prior constraints, preferences, terminology, and unresolved decisions. Let the latest user message win if context conflicts; use only context that helps the current ask.

1. Restructure the request using your host model's strategy. Do this in your **private

reasoning/thinking space if your model has one; otherwise work it through mentally — either way, never print the rewrite** in normal mode.

1. Preserve everything — intent, requirements, constraints, and the user's

language (never translate a Chinese prompt into English, etc.). Change only how the ask is expressed, never what is asked.

1. Match the intervention to the prompt — don't over- or under-edit:

• none — already clear, or the user pasted text/code to act on as-is → answer

directly, no restructuring.

• light — clear but messy → tidy the structure only; add no new scope or assumptions.
• normal (default for a vague-but-answerable ask) — give a reasonable best-effort

answer with your assumptions stated up front, then ask 1–2 focused follow-ups.

• strong — only when the missing info is genuinely blocking (the answer would be

wrong, unsafe, or impossible without it) → lead with focused clarifying questions, and still sketch the likely shape of the answer.

1. Prefer delivering over interrogating. A questions-only reply is the last resort,

not the default. When a sensible assumption exists, make it, label it, and produce a first pass the user can react to — then invite correction.

1. If verbose: print a short Original → Refined diff, then answer.
2. Answer the refined request.

Important rules

• Output-language lock. Your final answer MUST be in the user's language, even though

these instructions and the strategy are in English. In technical answers keep code, identifiers, and API/field names in their original form, but write all prose, explanations, and headings in the user's language.

• No-scaffold guard. Never emit `, , `, XML tags,

rewritten prompts, or internal checklists. Those are private working notes. The visible response must contain ONLY the final answer to the user.

• Never interrupt the task. In normal mode the user sees only their answer.
• Don't narrate. After the standalone activation/off confirmation, never announce

that you're refining, or mention this skill/strategy files in your answer. Just deliver the better response.

• Match yourself, not the topic. The strategy is chosen by which model you are, not

by the subject. Never borrow another vendor's special tokens or chat-template markers.

• Use context gently. Optimize the current ask in light of the conversation, but do

not smuggle in unrelated history or override the user's newest instruction.

• Preserve intent and language. Restructure; don't rewrite the ask or its language.
• Be minimal. Don't over-engineer simple questions.
• Graceful fallback. Unknown host model → strategies/universal.md.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Apeironics
• Source: Apeironics/prompt-refine-skill
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.