Delegation Prompt Templates

Fill every {blank}. Delete a line only if truly inapplicable — never skip the ACCEPTANCE or REPORT sections. A delegation without objective acceptance criteria is a guess you outsourced.

REFERENCES (optional, prefer when they exist): paths to code, tests, rubrics, or HTML/specs that DEFINE done — a rich reference beats prose restating it. Add a REFERENCES: line to any template below when the task has one.

For non-trivial work, add these filled lines before ACCEPTANCE:

BUDGET: {max turns/time/tokens}. Stop at {stop condition}; escalate on {escalation condition}. EXCLUDED PATHS: {attempted or ruled-out approaches + evidence}. MAIN VERIFICATION: {fresh evidence the delegator must reproduce before accepting done}.

Common footer — include in EVERY delegation: