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Universal Prompt Structure (UPS)

The Universal Prompt Structure (UPS) is a concrete instantiation of the metapattern.

It standardizes how work is structured, not what the work contains. The same structure applies to AI prompts, project plans, analyses, designs, and reviews.

Copy it. Fill it. Reuse it.

The Structure

Each section corresponds to one or more phases of the metapattern (Φ₁–Φ₅).

## STATE

## INTENTION

## CONSTRAINTS

## DECOMPOSITION

## DEPENDENCIES

## TRANSFORMATION

## OUTPUT

## VALIDATION

Φ₁ — INTAKE

STATE

Describe the current situation.

Include:

  • relevant context
  • available inputs or materials
  • known assumptions

Avoid interpretation or solutioning.

INTENTION

State the desired outcome.

The intention should be:

  • explicit
  • testable
  • direction-setting, not solution-specific

If the intention cannot be validated, it is underspecified.

CONSTRAINTS

Define the boundaries of acceptable output.

Constraints may include:

  • domain limits
  • required formats
  • exclusions or prohibitions
  • quality thresholds

Constraints determine what will be rejected during validation.

Φ₂ — DECOMPOSE

DECOMPOSITION

Break the task into atomic parts.

Each part should:

  • be independently understandable
  • have a clear purpose
  • not depend on hidden assumptions

Good decomposition reduces cognitive load and enables parallel work.

Φ₃ — UNTANGLE

DEPENDENCIES

Identify relationships between parts.

Include:

  • ordering constraints
  • prerequisite relationships
  • feedback loops

Resolve circular dependencies where possible. If not, make them explicit.

Φ₄ — TRANSFORM

TRANSFORMATION

Execute the work according to the established plan.

During execution:

  • follow the resolved order
  • respect constraints continuously
  • validate intermediate results when possible

Transformation without validation accumulates drift.

Φ₅ — OUTPUT

OUTPUT

Assemble the results.

The output should:

  • directly address the intention
  • respect all constraints
  • be complete enough to validate

VALIDATION

Evaluate the output against Φ₁.

Ask explicitly:

  • Does it work?
  • Does it match the intention?
  • Does it respect the constraints?

If validation fails, return to the appropriate phase and iterate.

Successful validation increments the version (V++).

Notes on Use

  • The structure is invariant; the content is not.
  • Sections may be brief or extensive depending on task complexity.
  • The same structure can be nested recursively.

If a section feels unnecessary, leave it empty—but do not remove it.

Empty sections are signals. Missing sections are blind spots.