HoangNguyen0403 Workflow Writing Standard
Priority: P0 (CRITICAL)
Core Rules
- Templates, not examples: Workflows define structure, not pre-filled data. The agent generates data at runtime.
- No example rows in tables: Include headers + 1 skeleton row only. Never populate with fake data.
- No prose explanations: If a bullet or command achieves the same result, delete the paragraph.
- No pre-answered questions: Don't document what the agent will output — let it output it.
- Merge sequential steps: If two steps always happen together, they are one step.
Size Limits
| File type | Limit | If exceeded |
|---|---|---|
Workflow .md |
80 lines | Extract detail to references/ |
| SKILL.md | 100 lines | Extract examples to references/ |
| Table rows | 8 | Extract to references/ |
| Inline code block | 10 lines | Extract to references/ |
Workflow Structure (Required order)
1. Goal (1 sentence)
2. Steps (imperative verb → command or checklist)
3. Output template (headers only, no pre-filled rows)
Anti-Patterns
- No verbose step preambles:
"Before we start, it's important to understand..."→ Delete - No pre-filled report rows:
| Security | P0 | ✅ PASS | CLIENT_ID moved to env |→ Delete - No repeated examples: Same concept shown twice in different formats → Keep one
- No "How to do X" sections: The step IS the instruction
- No caution blocks for obvious rules: Reserve
> ⚠️for genuinely non-obvious risks
Quick Self-Check Before Saving
- Can the agent reconstruct any removed content at runtime from context? If yes → remove it
- Is every table row real structure, not example data?
- Are there any paragraphs a bullet list could replace?
- Would cutting this in half still give the agent enough to act on?