version: "1.0.0" name: brief-the-delegate description: 'Use WHEN writing the instruction/prompt for a stateless dispatch. Triggered by the need to disambiguate task boundaries, ordering, or output format. Do NOT use for verifying output, guarding runtime, or composing payloads.'

brief-the-delegate — spell out every ambiguity

A stateless dispatch inherits no context. If you do not specify it, the delegate will guess — and guess wrong.

Disambiguate the task

1. Ordering: Specify if order matters (e.g., "process files in alphabetical order").
2. Boundaries: Define what is in scope and what is out.
3. Locale/Format: Specify date formats, number formats, or language.
4. First-vs-last-write-wins: If multiple sources conflict, specify which takes precedence.

Use placeholders for bulk content

If the delegate needs to generate large amounts of text (e.g., boilerplate, lists):

1. Use `{{FILLER}}`: Ask the delegate to output a marker instead of the full content. The marker is a

convention, not something the model knows — define it explicitly in the prompt ("emit the literal token {{FILLER}} where the body would go"), or it will either ignore it or write the bulk anyway.

1. Fill later: Replace the markers with actual content in a subsequent step.

Name assertions that must be ground-truthed

1. Identify risky claims: Mark any assertion that requires verification (e.g., "this file exists", "this function is called").
2. Require evidence: Ask the delegate to provide the source or proof for these claims.

Example

{
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": "Extract all function names from the file. Output as a JSON array. If a function is defined in multiple files, use the definition in the file with the most recent modification date. Mark any function that calls 'exit()' with a 'critical' flag."
    }
  ]
}

Fold in standing rules (if available)

If a standing-rules index for delegated work exists (e.g., from a separate plugin), fold the relevant lines into the prompt. This skill does not maintain the index; it only uses it.