# Prompt Decorators Usage > Use when a user's prompt would clearly benefit from a reasoning, structure, tone, or verification decorator - or when they ask "what decorators should I use?". Teaches when and how to suggest inline `::Name(params)` sigils instead of repeating verbose prompt-engineering instructions manually. - Skill: `tomevault-io/prompt-decorators-usage` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/prompt-decorators-usage` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/prompt-decorators-usage/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/prompt-decorators-usage --- # Prompt Decorators Usage This skill teaches when to suggest prompt decorators to the user and how to apply them - either as inline sigils, always-on config, or by switching on auto-decorate mode. ## Prerequisites - The `prompt-decorators` plugin is installed (the user installed it from the Synapti marketplace). - The `UserPromptSubmit` hook is wired and active. - The decorator catalogue is available - browse with `/decorate list` or `/decorate search `. Counts below reflect the catalogue at the time this skill was written; run `/decorate list` for the current set. ## Workflow Use TodoWrite to track these steps when invoked from another workflow: 1. Identify the decoration intent (reasoning / structure / tone / verification / minimal / meta) 2. Pick 1-3 decorators from the catalogue that match the intent 3. Decide the delivery method (inline, always-on, or auto mode) 4. Communicate the suggestion to the user with exact syntax ### Step 1: Identify the decoration intent Match the user's prompt to one of the catalogue's core categories. All decorator names below are verified against the vendored registry at `claude-code-plugin/vendor/prompt_decorators/registry/core/` **at the time this skill was written**. The catalogue grows and names can change; if any suggestion below doesn't appear in `/decorate list`, trust the CLI over this table and use `/decorate search ` or `/decorate list ` to find the current equivalent. | Category | Trigger phrases in the prompt | Real decorators (verified) | |---|---|---| | **reasoning** | "why", "explain", "analyze", "compare", "pros/cons", "trade-offs" | `TreeOfThought`, `FirstPrinciples`, `RedTeam`, `Socratic`, `RootCause`, `Debate`, `Contrarian`, `Abductive`, `Deductive`, `Inductive`, `BlindSpots` | | **structure** | "list", "outline", "summarize", "table", "bullet", "organize" | `Outline`, `Summary`, `TableFormat`, `Comparison`, `Bullet`, `Layered`, `Nested`, `DecisionMatrix`, `Prioritize`, `Timeline` | | **tone** | "concise", "brief", "detailed", "academic", "formal", "simple" | `Concise`, `Detailed`, `Academic`, `ELI5`, `Professional`, `AsExpert`, `Audience`, `Persona`, `Creative`, `Narrative` | | **verification** | "verify", "fact-check", "cite", "sources", "evidence", "risks" | `CiteSources`, `FactCheck`, `Confidence`, `Uncertainty`, `Limitations`, `Balanced`, `Steelman`, `FindGaps`, `PeerReview` | | **minimal** (base layer) | "standard output format", "baseline reasoning shape" | `OutputFormat`, `Reasoning`, `StepByStep`, `Tone`, `Version` | | **meta** | composing decorators or controlling their interaction | `Override`, `Chain`, `Conditional`, `Refine`, `Priority`, `BuildOn`, `Extension` | Note: the `minimal` category is NOT a "brevity" bucket - it's the required base layer of foundational decorators (`OutputFormat`, `Reasoning`, `StepByStep`, `Tone`, `Version`). Those names are reasoning-shaped but they live under `minimal/` in the registry because they're the base layer every other decorator composes with. For terseness, use `Concise` or `ELI5` from `tone`. For stepwise output, either `::StepByStep` (minimal base-layer) or a reasoning pattern like `::TreeOfThought` works. **User prompt:** "Compare REST and GraphQL, including pros and cons in a table." **Intent:** reasoning + structure. **Suggestion:** `::Comparison` + `::TableFormat`. **User prompt:** "What's 2+2?" **Intent:** none. Don't suggest decorators for trivial prompts - the decoration overhead outweighs the benefit. ### Step 2: Pick 1-3 decorators Use `/decorate search ` to confirm the decorator exists and to read its one-line description. Use `/decorate preview ` to see the exact instruction text it expands into. Rules of thumb: - **Never more than 3** decorators stacked - they start to contradict each other. - **Never stack two from the same category** unless the category is explicitly combinable (e.g., `Concise` + `StepByStep` is fine; `Detailed` + `Concise` is not). - **Prefer concrete decorators over meta ones.** `+++StepByStep` usually beats `+++Chain(steps=5)`. ### Step 3: Decide the delivery method | Pattern | When to recommend | |---|---| | **Inline** (`::Name` at start of prompt) | One-off use, or when the user is already thinking about this specific prompt | | **Always-on** (`/decorate always add `) | User indicates a persistent preference ("always be concise", "always show me the reasoning") | | **Auto mode** (`/decorate auto on`) | User is exploring and wants the model to pick decorators for them | | **Auto one-shot** (`/decorate auto once`) | User wants the selector to try, just for the next prompt, without committing | ### Step 4: Communicate the suggestion Show the user the exact syntax they should type. Example output: ``` For this prompt, try: ::Comparison ::TableFormat Compare REST and GraphQL, including pros and cons. The hook will expand those sigils into precise instructions before the model sees the prompt. ``` If the user has never used decorators before, include a one-line pointer to `/decorate help` so they can discover the rest of the surface. ## User Interaction Use the **AskUserQuestion tool** when: ### The intent is ambiguous ``` Question: "Your prompt could benefit from different decorator families. Which flavour do you want?" Options: - "Concise + Structured (short, in a table)" - "Detailed reasoning (why this is the right answer)" - "Verification (cite sources, flag uncertainty)" - "Let me pick from the catalogue" ``` ### The user asks "what decorators exist?" Run `/decorate list` and relay the output. Do not try to memorise the catalogue - it's 100+ entries across more than a dozen categories and it changes over time; rely on `/decorate list` for accuracy. ### The user wants auto-decorate but is worried about cost/latency ``` Question: "Auto-decorate adds ~400ms per prompt (Haiku round-trip). You can pick per-prompt or session-wide." Options: - "Enable it for this one prompt only (/decorate auto once)" - "Enable it for the whole session (/decorate auto on)" - "Skip it - I'll pick decorators manually" ``` ## Failure Conditions The suggestion is unacceptable if any of these hold: - The decorator name doesn't exist in the registry (always verify with `/decorate list` first). - More than 3 decorators are suggested. - Two decorators from the same narrow subcategory are stacked (e.g., two tone decorators). - The suggestion ignores the user's stated preference in their always-on config (check `/decorate config` before suggesting additions). ## Output When suggesting decorators, use this format: ```markdown **Suggested decorators:** `::Concise` + `::StepByStep(numbered=true)` Rationale: your prompt asks for a short, structured walkthrough - those two compose cleanly without contradicting each other. Try: ::Concise ::StepByStep(numbered=true) ``` ## References - Full catalogue: `/decorate list` (run this for current counts; the registry grows) - Preview a decorator: `/decorate preview ` - Search by keyword: `/decorate search ` - Inline syntax reference: `claude-code-plugin/README.md` --- > Source: [synaptiai/prompt-decorators](https://github.com/synaptiai/prompt-decorators) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).