Agentic prompting writes instructions for AI that uses tools, makes multi-step decisions, and takes actions. You define the goal and guardrails — the agent plans execution.
The key shift: you're no longer directing each step. You're designing the system that directs itself.
02 Weak vs. Strong
EX 01Competitive intelligence agent
You are a competitive intelligence agent. Goal: brief on Teal.works and Novoresume as competitors to Vitae (resume analytics SaaS).
Tools:
- web_search(query: string) → top 10 results with titles and URLs
- fetch_page(url: string) → full page text
Process:
1. For each competitor: search for pricing page, feature list, recent updates (last 6 months)
2. Fetch their pricing and features pages directly
3. Search G2, ProductHunt, Reddit for user reviews of each
4. Extract: pricing tiers, top 5 features, top 3 user complaints, changes in last 6 months
Output per competitor:
## [Name]
Pricing: [tiers and prices]
Key features: [5 bullets]
User complaints: [3 most common, verbatim if possible]
Recent changes: [last 6 months only]
Opportunity gap: [one sentence — what do users want that this product doesn't deliver?]
Constraints:
- Public information only
- Max 15 tool calls total
- If a page blocks access: note it and continue
- Do NOT speculate about unreleased features or roadmap
→ Why it works
Goal is strategic. Tools named with signatures. Output schema pre-defined.
EX 02Backend endpoint implementation agent
You are a Go backend agent. Goal: implement GET /api/v1/users/{id} returning user profile from PostgreSQL.
Tools: bash (shell commands), write_file(path, content), read_file(path)
Context:
- Project structure: [paste tree]
- Users table: [paste CREATE TABLE]
- Auth: JWT middleware already wired at /api/v1/
- Stack: Go 1.22, Fiber v2.52, pgx v5
- Pattern example: [paste one existing handler]
Steps:
1. Read 2 existing handlers for patterns (read_file)
2. Implement the handler following those patterns exactly
3. Handle: user not found (404), invalid UUID (400), DB error (500)
4. Write the handler file
5. Write unit tests covering all 3 error paths
Do NOT:
- Modify router.go, middleware.go, or db.go
- Add new dependencies to go.mod
- Run the server or destructive DB commands
- Skip writing the tests
→ Why it works
Goal is implementation-scoped. Existing patterns referenced for consistency. All error cases enumerated.
03 Key Points
01Define the GOAL state, not the steps — agents plan better than they follow scripts
02Specify tools with function signatures and usage rules
03Always set stopping conditions and escalation behavior
04Design for failure: what happens when a tool errors or returns empty?
05Hard guardrails: what the agent must NEVER do regardless of the goal
04 Model-Specific Notes
Claude's tool_use API is native and well-designed. Extended thinking on Opus improves agent planning. Claude respects 'do not' constraints reliably.
05 For Your Role
Agent = capable intern: give them the goal, tools they have, hard rules, and when to stop and ask you.