Follow an Existing Pattern

Point at something already done right and ask Claude to match it and reuse it.

If your project already has something done the way you like, point Claude at it and ask it to match. One real example carries naming, layout, and error handling better than a paragraph of rules, and it keeps Claude from rebuilding what already exists. Vague: "Add a page for invoices." Specific: "Add an invoices page that works like the orders page: same layout, same loading state, same way of showing errors. Reuse its table instead of making a new one."

Where you'll practice this

One Promptles scenario teaches this principle directly.

Follow the Posts Pattern
A small community-forum API is built in three parts per feature: a route in `routes/`, a check on incoming data in `middleware/`, and a data model in `models/`. Posts already work that way. Now readers need to leave comments. A comment has a body of at most 500 characters, plus…

Other principles in Context

Declare the Tools You Need
Name the connected source and what to do if it's unreachable. Access itself comes from the connection, not the prompt.
Describe Before You Prescribe
Say what happens now and what should happen instead, so Claude changes only the gap.
Describe Relationships
Say how your data connects and what happens on delete. Those are business decisions only you can make.
Explain the Integration Point
Describe the handoff: what starts it, what crosses, and what happens on a failure or a duplicate.
Map to Real Components
Ask Claude to reuse the components you already ship, not build look-alike copies.
Name Your Stack
Name the tools and versions you're committed to when the project doesn't already show them.

Where you'll practice this

Follow the Posts Pattern

Other principles in Context

Declare the Tools You Need

Describe Before You Prescribe

Describe Relationships

Explain the Integration Point

Map to Real Components

Name Your Stack