---
title: "Example Prompts"
description: "Collection of effective prompts for AI agents working with TaskMaster's TDD workflow system"
---

Collection of effective prompts for AI agents working with TaskMaster's TDD workflow system.

## Getting Started Prompts

### Start a Task

```
I want to implement Task 7 using TDD workflow. Please:
1. Start the autopilot workflow
2. Show me the first subtask to implement
3. Begin the RED-GREEN-COMMIT cycle
```

### Resume Work

```
I have an in-progress workflow. Please:
1. Resume the autopilot workflow
2. Show current status and progress
3. Continue from where we left off
```

### Understanding Current State

```
What's the current state of the workflow? Please show:
- Which subtask we're on
- Current TDD phase (RED/GREEN/COMMIT)
- Progress percentage
- Next action required
```

## Test Generation Prompts

### Basic Test Generation

```
We're in RED phase for subtask "{SUBTASK_TITLE}". Please:
1. Read the subtask requirements
2. Write a comprehensive test that validates the behavior
3. The test MUST fail because the feature doesn't exist yet
4. Use the project's testing framework (vitest/jest/etc)
5. Follow the project's test file conventions
```

### Test for Specific Feature

```
For subtask: "Implement user authentication endpoint"

Write a failing test that:
1. Tests POST /api/auth/login
2. Validates request body (email, password)
3. Checks response format and status codes
4. Uses proper mocking for database calls
5. Follows security best practices
```

### Edge Case Testing

```
The basic happy path test is passing. Now write additional tests for:
1. Error cases (invalid input, missing fields)
2. Edge cases (empty strings, null values, etc.)
3. Security concerns (SQL injection, XSS)
4. Performance expectations (timeout, rate limits)

Each test should initially fail.
```

### Test Refactoring

```
Our tests are passing but could be improved. Please:
1. Review existing tests for duplication
2. Extract common setup into beforeEach/fixtures
3. Improve test descriptions for clarity
4. Add missing edge cases
5. Ensure all new tests fail first (RED phase)
```

## Implementation Prompts

### Basic Implementation

```
We're in GREEN phase. The test is failing with: {ERROR_MESSAGE}

Please:
1. Implement the minimal code to make this test pass
2. Don't over-engineer or add features not tested
3. Follow the project's code style and patterns
4. Ensure the implementation is clean and readable
```

### Implementation with Constraints

```
Implement the feature to pass the test, but:
- Use TypeScript with strict type checking
- Follow SOLID principles
- Keep functions under 20 lines
- Use dependency injection where appropriate
- Add JSDoc comments for public APIs
```

### Fix Failing Tests

```
GREEN phase validation failed - {N} tests still failing.

Please:
1. Review the failing test output
2. Identify what's not working
3. Fix the implementation to pass all tests
4. Don't modify tests to make them pass
5. Explain what was wrong
```

### Refactor Implementation

```
Tests are passing but code quality needs improvement:
1. Extract repeated logic into functions
2. Improve variable names
3. Add error handling
4. Optimize performance if needed
5. Ensure tests still pass after refactoring
```

## Debugging Prompts

### Test Output Parsing

```
Here's the test output:
{PASTE_TEST_OUTPUT}

Please parse this into the required JSON format:
{
  "total": N,
  "passed": N,
  "failed": N,
  "skipped": N
}

Then complete the current phase.
```

### Workflow Stuck

```
The workflow seems stuck. Please:
1. Check the current workflow status
2. Identify the issue
3. If corrupted, abort and restart
4. Explain what went wrong and how to prevent it
```

### Phase Validation Failing

```
I'm getting: "RED phase validation failed: no test failures"

Please:
1. Review the test I just wrote
2. Identify why it's not actually testing new behavior
3. Rewrite the test to properly fail
4. Explain what makes a good failing test
```

### Git Issues

```
Getting git errors when trying to start workflow:
{PASTE_ERROR}

Please:
1. Diagnose the git issue
2. Provide commands to fix it
3. Restart the workflow once fixed
```

## Advanced Patterns

### Parallel Test Generation

```
We have 3 subtasks to implement. For efficiency:
1. Read all 3 subtask descriptions
2. Plan the test structure for each
3. Identify shared test utilities needed
4. Generate tests for subtask 1 (they should fail)
5. Once we complete 1, move to 2, then 3
```

### Integration Test Strategy

```
This subtask requires integration testing. Please:
1. Set up test database/environment
2. Write integration tests that exercise the full stack
3. Use proper cleanup in afterEach
4. Mock external services (APIs, third-party)
5. Ensure tests are deterministic and fast
```

### Test-Driven Refactoring

```
We need to refactor {MODULE_NAME} but keep behavior unchanged:
1. First, write comprehensive tests for current behavior
2. Ensure all tests pass (document current state)
3. Refactor the implementation
4. Verify all tests still pass
5. Commit the refactoring
```

### Complex Feature Implementation

```
Subtask: "{COMPLEX_SUBTASK}"

This is complex. Let's break it down:
1. Identify the core functionality to test
2. Write tests for the simplest version
3. Implement minimal working code
4. Commit that cycle
5. Then iteratively add more tests for additional features
6. Each iteration is a RED-GREEN-COMMIT cycle
```

### Performance Testing

```
Write performance tests for {FEATURE}:
1. Measure baseline performance (current state)
2. Write test that fails if operation takes > {N}ms
3. Implement optimizations to pass the test
4. Document performance improvements
5. Consider edge cases (large inputs, concurrent requests)
```

### Security Testing

```
Write security-focused tests for {FEATURE}:
1. Test input validation (injection attacks)
2. Test authentication/authorization
3. Test data sanitization
4. Test rate limiting
5. Document security assumptions

Each test should initially fail and demonstrate the vulnerability.
```

## Workflow Automation Patterns

### Full Autonomous Mode

```
Implement Task {TASK_ID} completely autonomously:
1. Start the workflow
2. For each subtask:
   a. Read requirements
   b. Write failing tests
   c. Implement to pass tests
   d. Commit changes
3. Continue until all subtasks complete
4. Report final status

Rules:
- Never skip the RED phase
- Always verify tests fail first
- Implement minimal working code
- Commit after each subtask
- Handle errors gracefully with retries
```

### Supervised Mode

```
Work on Task {TASK_ID} with human oversight:
1. Start workflow and show plan
2. For each subtask:
   a. Show test plan, wait for approval
   b. Write and run tests, show results
   c. Show implementation plan, wait for approval
   d. Implement and verify
   e. Show commit message, wait for approval
3. Request feedback between subtasks
```

### Review Mode

```
Review the current workflow state:
1. Show all completed subtasks and their commits
2. Identify remaining subtasks
3. Check test coverage
4. Verify git history is clean
5. Recommend next steps
```

## Error Recovery Patterns

### Retry with Learning

```
The {PHASE} phase failed {N} times. Please:
1. Review all previous attempts
2. Identify the pattern of failures
3. Propose a different approach
4. Explain why this approach should work
5. Implement with the new approach
```

### Escalate to Human

```
After {MAX_ATTEMPTS} attempts, unable to complete {SUBTASK}.

Please:
1. Document what was tried
2. Explain what's not working
3. Provide relevant code and test output
4. Suggest where human expertise is needed
5. Save current state for manual intervention
```

### Reset and Restart

```
Workflow is in an inconsistent state. Please:
1. Save any valuable work
2. Abort the current workflow
3. Explain what went wrong
4. Propose a better approach
5. Restart with improved strategy
```

## Example Complete Session

```
I need to implement Task 7 which has 5 subtasks. Please work autonomously with these preferences:

1. Testing Framework: vitest
2. Code Style: TypeScript strict mode, functional style preferred
3. Commit Style: Conventional commits with detailed messages
4. Review: Show me status after each subtask completion

Workflow:
1. Start autopilot for task 7
2. For each subtask (7.1 through 7.5):
   - RED: Write comprehensive failing tests
   - GREEN: Implement minimal code to pass
   - COMMIT: Auto-generate commit and advance
3. Final: Show summary of all commits and changes

Error Handling:
- If phase validation fails, explain why and retry
- If tests are flaky, identify and fix
- If stuck after 3 attempts, ask for help

Let's begin!
```

## Tips for Effective Prompts

### 1. Be Specific About Context

**Good:**
```
For the UserAuthenticationService in src/services/auth.ts,
write tests for the login method using vitest.
```

**Bad:**
```
Write tests for authentication.
```

### 2. Specify Success Criteria

**Good:**
```
Tests should cover:
1. Successful login with valid credentials
2. Failed login with invalid password
3. Account lockout after 5 failures
4. Rate limiting (max 10 attempts/minute)
```

**Bad:**
```
Test login functionality.
```

### 3. Request Explanations

**Good:**
```
Implement the feature and explain:
1. Why this approach was chosen
2. What edge cases are handled
3. What assumptions were made
```

**Bad:**
```
Just implement it.
```

### 4. Include Project Context

**Good:**
```
Following the existing pattern in src/models/,
create a User model that:
- Extends BaseModel
- Uses Zod for validation
- Includes proper TypeScript types
```

**Bad:**
```
Create a user model.
```

## Troubleshooting Prompts

### When Tests Won't Fail

```
My test is passing when it should fail. Please:
1. Review the test code
2. Identify why it's passing
3. Check if implementation already exists
4. Rewrite test to actually test new behavior
5. Verify it fails this time
```

### When Implementation is Incomplete

```
Tests are still failing after implementation. Please:
1. Show me the failing test output
2. Review the implementation
3. Identify what's missing
4. Fix the implementation
5. Verify all tests pass
```

### When Workflow Won't Advance

```
Can't complete the phase. Getting error: {ERROR}

Please:
1. Check workflow status
2. Verify test results format is correct
3. Check if phase validation requirements are met
4. If needed, show me how to manually fix state
```

---

## Additional Resources

- [AI Agent Integration Guide](../ai-agent-integration.mdx)
- [CLAUDE.md Template](./CLAUDE.md.template)
- [Command Reference](../command-reference.mdx)
- [Testing Best Practices](./testing-best-practices.mdx)
