Rules Anthropic hides in their own docs
2026-10-05T13:52:31Z openrouter_free google/gemma-4-31b-it
The email outlines 10 essential prompting rules for Claude 4.8, emphasizing that the model now requires explicit, positive, and structured instructions rather than relying on guesswork to produce high-quality outputs.
The newsletter highlights a shift in prompting for Claude 4.8, noting that the model has moved away from guessing user intent and now follows instructions literally. To optimize results, the author provides 10 essential prompting rules derived from Anthropic's documentation: 1) Define the specific output format rather than just the task, 2) Set strict length constraints, 3) Use positive instructions instead of negative ones, 4) Use active, result-oriented verbs, 5) Explicitly command the use of web search for verification, 6) Provide writing samples to match a specific voice, 7) Use the phrase "go beyond the basics" for creative tasks, 8) Explicitly request the model to "think before answering" to enable reasoning, 9) Create reusable "skills" for repetitive prompts, and 10) Be exhaustive in defining output, order, length, tone, and format. The email also includes advertisements for a ChatGPT prompt guide and an AI stock market report.