Prompts and Skills
Design prompts, repository instructions, and reusable skills for repeatable Codex work.
Key takeaways
- Treat prompts as workflow design: a good prompt states goal, context, constraints, ownership boundary, verification path, and expected output.
- Structure the brief into Goal, Context, Constraints, Scope, Verification, and Handoff so acceptance criteria and out-of-scope items are explicit.
- Reserve repository-level instructions for stable expectations like package manager, commands, architecture, and safety rules, never temporary project plans.
- Turn repeated work into skills: setup and migration tasks, review checklists, SDK upgrade workflows, release and incident procedures, and documentation patterns.
Prompts are workflow design. A good prompt tells Codex the goal, context, constraints, ownership boundary, verification path, and expected output.
Prompt Brief
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Goal | User outcome and acceptance criteria |
| Context | Relevant files, systems, prior decisions |
| Constraints | Style, security, compatibility, performance |
| Scope | What may be changed and what is out of scope |
| Verification | Commands, tests, manual checks |
| Handoff | Summary format and known risks |
Repository Instructions
Use repository-level instructions for stable expectations: package manager, commands, architecture, code style, safety rules, and review norms. Do not use them for temporary project plans.
Skill Candidates
- Common setup and migration tasks.
- Repeated code review checklists.
- SDK installation or upgrade workflows.
- Release and incident procedures.
- Documentation authoring patterns.