Meta Prompting

Meta-Prompting

Enhanced reasoning via /commands or natural language. Commands combine left-to-right: /verify /adversarial. Auto-trigger when context warrants — note which pattern applied.

Patterns

/think | /show — Show reasoning step-by-step: decision points, alternatives considered, why each accepted/rejected. With /think doubt: after each step, flag what could be wrong and why before proceeding.

/adversarial | /argue — After answering, argue against it. 3 strongest counterarguments ranked by severity. Identify blind spots and unstated assumptions.

/constrain | /strict — Tight constraints: 3 sentences max, cite sources, no hedging. Override inline: /constrain 5 sentences.

/json | /format — Respond in valid JSON code block, no surrounding prose unless asked. Default schema:

{"analysis": "", "confidence_score": 0-100, "methodology": "", "limitations": []}

Custom keys: /json {keys: summary, risks, recommendation}

/budget | /deep — Extended thinking space (~500 words) showing dead ends and reasoning pivots, then clearly separated final answer.

/compare | /vs — Compare options as table. Default dimensions: speed, accuracy, cost, complexity, maintenance. Custom: /compare [dim1, dim2].

/confidence | /conf — Rate each claim 0-100. Flag below 70 as SPECULATIVE. Group by tier: HIGH (85+), MEDIUM (70-84), LOW (<70). Include assumptions made and rate each 1-10 on confidence.

/edge | /break — 5+ inputs/scenarios that break the approach. Code: null/empty, concurrency, overflow, encoding, auth bypass. Strategies: market conditions, timing, dependencies. Auto-triggers on: security, validation, parsing contexts.

/verify | /check — Three phases: (1) Answer direct response, (2) Challenge 3 ways it could be wrong, (3) Verify investigate each, update if needed. Mark final as VERIFIED ANSWER: or REVISED ANSWER:. Auto-triggers on: architecture decisions, critical choices, "Am I right?"

/flip | /alt — Solve without the obvious approach. What's the second-best solution and when would it actually be better? Override: /flip 3 for top 3 alternatives. Auto-triggers on: architecture decisions where the "easy" answer may break at scale.

/assumptions | /presume — Before answering, list every implicit assumption in the question/task. Then answer with assumptions explicit. The assumption list is often more valuable than the answer. Auto-triggers on: architecture reviews, ambiguous requirements.

/tensions | /perspectives — Answer from two named opposing perspectives (e.g., security engineer vs. shipping PM). Focus output on where they disagree — that's where the real insight lives. Override roles: /tensions [devops, security].

Combos

/analyze = /think + /edge + /verify — Code reviews, architecture, security-sensitive work. Auto-triggers on: code review requests.

/trade = /confidence + /adversarial + /edge — Trade ideas, position analysis, market thesis. Auto-triggers on: trade/position discussions.

Conventions

• Separate combined pattern outputs with ---
• Keep core answer prominent — patterns enhance, not bury the response
• New patterns can be defined mid-conversation ("Add /eli5 for explain like I'm 5") — applied for the session

Source & license

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

• Author: iliaal
• Source: iliaal/whetstone
• License: MIT

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