Templates & Variables

Templates make prompts repeatable and safe. Treat a template like a filling-in-the-blanks sheet you reuse with different inputs.

Template basics (easy):

• Stable parts: things that usually stay the same (the role, the core instructions).
• Dynamic parts (variables): the pieces that change for each call (e.g., {product_name}, {length}, {audience}).
• Document each variable: type (string, number, list) and example values so callers don’t make mistakes.

Tiny example template (copy and reuse):

“You are a product copywriter. Write a {length}-word description for {product_name} for {audience}. Include 3 key features and a 1-line tagline.”

When you fill the template in code, always validate variables (is length a number? is product_name present?). This prevents broken prompts and weird outputs.

Where to store templates:

• Keep templates in one place (a repo folder or central service) with simple metadata: name, version, owner, and a short description.
• Add a small example response for each template so reviewers understand expected outputs.

Versioning hints:

• Use simple version labels (v1 → v2) and a changelog entry describing why a template changed.
• Run a quick test when you update a template to make sure it doesn’t break downstream users.