> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vlyai-1c28d863.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Structuring prompts

> When and how to structure longer prompts with headers, bullets, and examples.

Three lines? Plain prose. More than five? Structure helps.

## When to structure

* The prompt has multiple parts (goal + constraints + examples).
* The change touches multiple areas (schema + UI + integration).
* You want to reuse the prompt as a template.

## Useful structure patterns

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Five-layer">
    See [The five-layer method](/prompting/the-five-layer-method).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Bullet checklist">
    For "do all of these" prompts:

    ```
    Add a settings page with:
    - Profile section (name, avatar)
    - Email section (with verification)
    - Password section
    - Danger zone (delete account)
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Before / after">
    For changes to existing behavior:

    ```
    Before: Tasks are sorted by creation date.
    After: Tasks are sorted by due date ascending, with overdue at the top in red.
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Example-driven">
    For tricky prompts:

    ```
    Pluralize the unit label based on count:
    "1 task" / "2 tasks" / "0 tasks"
    Use the helper from i18n/plural.ts.
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Tips

<Tip>
  **Headers help the agent parse.** `**Goal**:`, `**Constraints**:`, etc. read more reliably than long paragraphs.
</Tip>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Five-layer method" icon="layers" href="/prompting/the-five-layer-method">
    The framework.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Fundamentals" icon="message-square" href="/prompting/fundamentals">
    The basics.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Prompt library" icon="library" href="/prompting/prompt-library">
    Templates.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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