create-meta-prompts

What this skill does

<objective>
Create prompts optimized for Claude-to-Claude communication in multi-stage workflows. Outputs are structured with XML and metadata for efficient parsing by subsequent prompts.

Every execution produces a `SUMMARY.md` for quick human scanning without reading full outputs.

Each prompt gets its own folder in `.prompts/` with its output artifacts, enabling clear provenance and chain detection.
</objective>

<quick_start>
<workflow>
1. **Intake**: Determine purpose (Do/Plan/Research/Refine), gather requirements
2. **Chain detection**: Check for existing research/plan files to reference
3. **Generate**: Create prompt using purpose-specific patterns
4. **Save**: Create folder in `.prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/`
5. **Present**: Show decision tree for running
6. **Execute**: Run prompt(s) with dependency-aware execution engine
7. **Summarize**: Create SUMMARY.md for human scanning
</workflow>

<folder_structure>
```
.prompts/
├── 001-auth-research/
│   ├── completed/
│   │   └── 001-auth-research.md    # Prompt (archived after run)
│   ├── auth-research.md            # Full output (XML for Claude)
│   └── SUMMARY.md                  # Executive summary (markdown for human)
├── 002-auth-plan/
│   ├── completed/
│   │   └── 002-auth-plan.md
│   ├── auth-plan.md
│   └── SUMMARY.md
├── 003-auth-implement/
│   ├── completed/
│   │   └── 003-auth-implement.md
│   └── SUMMARY.md                  # Do prompts create code elsewhere
├── 004-auth-research-refine/
│   ├── completed/
│   │   └── 004-auth-research-refine.md
│   ├── archive/
│   │   └── auth-research-v1.md     # Previous version
│   └── SUMMARY.md
```
</folder_structure>
</quick_start>

<context>
Prompts directory: !`[ -d ./.prompts ] && echo "exists" || echo "missing"`
Existing research/plans: !`find ./.prompts -name "*-research.md" -o -name "*-plan.md" 2>/dev/null | head -10`
Next prompt number: !`ls -d ./.prompts/*/ 2>/dev/null | wc -l | xargs -I {} expr {} + 1`
</context>

<automated_workflow>

<step_0_intake_gate>
<title>Adaptive Requirements Gathering</title>

<critical_first_action>
**BEFORE analyzing anything**, check if context was provided.

IF no context provided (skill invoked without description):
→ **IMMEDIATELY use AskUserQuestion** with:

- header: "Purpose"
- question: "What is the purpose of this prompt?"
- options:
  - "Do" - Execute a task, produce an artifact
  - "Plan" - Create an approach, roadmap, or strategy
  - "Research" - Gather information or understand something
  - "Refine" - Improve an existing research or plan output

After selection, ask: "Describe what you want to accomplish" (they select "Other" to provide free text).

IF context was provided:
→ Check if purpose is inferable from keywords:
  - `implement`, `build`, `create`, `fix`, `add`, `refactor` → Do
  - `plan`, `roadmap`, `approach`, `strategy`, `decide`, `phases` → Plan
  - `research`, `understand`, `learn`, `gather`, `analyze`, `explore` → Research
  - `refine`, `improve`, `deepen`, `expand`, `iterate`, `update` → Refine

→ If unclear, ask the Purpose question above as first contextual question
→ If clear, proceed to adaptive_analysis with inferred purpose
</critical_first_action>

<adaptive_analysis>
Extract and infer:

- **Purpose**: Do, Plan, Research, or Refine
- **Topic identifier**: Kebab-case identifier for file naming (e.g., `auth`, `stripe-payments`)
- **Complexity**: Simple vs complex (affects prompt depth)
- **Prompt structure**: Single vs multiple prompts
- **Target** (Refine only): Which existing output to improve

If topic identifier not obvious, ask:
- header: "Topic"
- question: "What topic/feature is this for? (used for file naming)"
- Let user provide via "Other" option
- Enforce kebab-case (convert spaces/underscores to hyphens)

For Refine purpose, also identify target output from `.prompts/*/` to improve.
</adaptive_analysis>

<chain_detection>
Scan `.prompts/*/` for existing `*-research.md` and `*-plan.md` files.

If found:
1. List them: "Found existing files: auth-research.md (in 001-auth-research/), stripe-plan.md (in 005-stripe-plan/)"
2. Use AskUserQuestion:
   - header: "Reference"
   - question: "Should this prompt reference any existing research or plans?"
   - options: List found files + "None"
   - multiSelect: true

Match by topic keyword when possible (e.g., "auth plan" → suggest auth-research.md).
</chain_detection>

<contextual_questioning>
Generate 2-4 questions using AskUserQuestion based on purpose and gaps.

Load questions from: [references/question-bank.md](references/question-bank.md)

Route by purpose:
- Do → artifact type, scope, approach
- Plan → plan purpose, format, constraints
- Research → depth, sources, output format
- Refine → target selection, feedback, preservation
</contextual_questioning>

<decision_gate>
After receiving answers, present decision gate using AskUserQuestion:

- header: "Ready"
- question: "Ready to create the prompt?"
- options:
  - "Proceed" - Create the prompt with current context
  - "Ask more questions" - I have more details to clarify
  - "Let me add context" - I want to provide additional information

Loop until "Proceed" selected.
</decision_gate>

<finalization>
After "Proceed" selected, state confirmation:

"Creating a {purpose} prompt for: {topic}
Folder: .prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/
References: {list any chained files}"

Then proceed to generation.
</finalization>
</step_0_intake_gate>

<step_1_generate>
<title>Generate Prompt</title>

Load purpose-specific patterns:
- Do: [references/do-patterns.md](references/do-patterns.md)
- Plan: [references/plan-patterns.md](references/plan-patterns.md)
- Research: [references/research-patterns.md](references/research-patterns.md)
- Refine: [references/refine-patterns.md](references/refine-patterns.md)

Load intelligence rules: [references/intelligence-rules.md](references/intelligence-rules.md)

<prompt_structure>
All generated prompts include:

1. **Objective**: What to accomplish, why it matters
2. **Context**: Referenced files (@), dynamic context (!)
3. **Requirements**: Specific instructions for the task
4. **Output specification**: Where to save, what structure
5. **Metadata requirements**: For research/plan outputs, specify XML metadata structure
6. **SUMMARY.md requirement**: All prompts must create a SUMMARY.md file
7. **Success criteria**: How to know it worked

For Research and Plan prompts, output must include:
- `<confidence>` - How confident in findings
- `<dependencies>` - What's needed to proceed
- `<open_questions>` - What remains uncertain
- `<assumptions>` - What was assumed

All prompts must create `SUMMARY.md` with:
- **One-liner** - Substantive description of outcome
- **Version** - v1 or iteration info
- **Key Findings** - Actionable takeaways
- **Files Created** - (Do prompts only)
- **Decisions Needed** - What requires user input
- **Blockers** - External impediments
- **Next Step** - Concrete forward action
</prompt_structure>

<file_creation>
1. Create folder: `.prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/`
2. Create `completed/` subfolder
3. Write prompt to: `.prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}.md`
4. Prompt instructs output to: `.prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/{topic}-{purpose}.md`
</file_creation>
</step_1_generate>

<step_2_present>
<title>Present Decision Tree</title>

After saving prompt(s), present inline (not AskUserQuestion):

<single_prompt_presentation>
```
Prompt created: .prompts/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}/{number}-{topic}-{purpose}.md

What's next?

1. Run prompt now
2. Review/edit prompt first
3. Save for later
4. Other

Choose (1-4): _
```
</single_prompt_presentation>

<multi_prompt_presentation>
```
Prompts created:
- .prompts/001-auth-research/001-auth-research.md
- .prompts/002-auth-plan/002-auth-plan.md
- .prompts/003-auth-implement/003-auth-implement.md

Detected execution order: Sequential (002 references 001 output, 003 references 002 output)

What's next?

1. Run all prompts (sequential)
2. Re