system-prompts

# System Prompts Project house style. Dense, imperative, RFC-keyed. Targeting small models (≤2B, tiny/on-device like LFM2)? You MUST read [small-models.md](small-models.md) — the rules below assume frontier-class instruction following; several invert at that scale. ## Tags Tags are structural markers — the agent treats them as authoritative and literal. Each tag means exactly what its name says. NEVER invent ornamental tags (`<north-star>`, `<stance>`, `<protocol>`, `<directives>`, `<strengths>`) — they're noise. The vocabulary actually in use: | Tag | Purpose | | --- | --- | | `<system-conventions>` | How to interpret tags + RFC keywords themselves. Defines the contract. | | `<stakes>` | Why correctness matters here. Domain framing. | | `<communication>` | Voice, tone, response shape. | | `<critical>` | Inviolable rules. Place at START and END. | | `<completeness>` | What "done" means. Anti-shrink rules. | | `<yielding>` | Pre-yield checklist. Block conditions. | | `<workflow>` | Numbered phases (scope → edit → decompose → work → verify). | ## Normative Language RFC 2119 in full caps, no bold. The all-caps form IS the marker. | Keyword | Meaning | Replaces | | --- | --- | --- | | MUST / REQUIRED | Absolute requirement | "always", "make sure", "ensure" | | NEVER (= MUST NOT) | Absolute prohibition | "do not", "don't" | | SHOULD / RECOMMENDED | Strong preference; deviation allowed with known tradeoffs | "prefer", "it's best to" | | AVOID (= SHOULD NOT) | Strong discour...