@vodailoc/kilo-kit-mcp 1.1.0 → 1.2.0

package/skills/engineering/openai-docs/references/gpt-5p4-prompting-guide.md

@@ -1,433 +1,433 @@
-# GPT-5.4 prompting upgrade guide
-
-Use this guide when prompts written for older models need to be adapted for GPT-5.4 during an upgrade. Start lean: keep the model-string change narrow, preserve the original task intent, and add only the smallest prompt changes needed to recover behavior.
-
-## Default upgrade posture
-
-- Start with `model string only` whenever the old prompt is already short, explicit, and task-bounded.
-- Move to `model string + light prompt rewrite` only when regressions appear in completeness, persistence, citation quality, verification, or verbosity.
-- Prefer one or two targeted prompt additions over a broad rewrite.
-- Treat reasoning effort as a last-mile knob. Start lower, then increase only after prompt-level fixes and evals.
-- Before increasing reasoning effort, first add a completeness contract, a verification loop, and tool persistence rules - depending on the usage case.
-- If the workflow clearly depends on implementation changes rather than prompt changes, treat it as blocked for prompt-only upgrade guidance.
-- Do not classify a case as blocked just because the workflow uses tools; block only if the upgrade requires changing tool definitions, wiring, or other implementation details.
-
-## Behavioral differences to account for
-
-Current GPT-5.4 upgrade guidance suggests these strengths:
-
-- stronger personality and tone adherence, with less drift over long answers
-- better long-horizon and agentic workflow stamina
-- stronger spreadsheet, finance, and formatting tasks
-- more efficient tool selection and fewer unnecessary calls by default
-- stronger structured generation and classification reliability
-
-The main places where prompt guidance still helps are:
-
-- retrieval-heavy workflows that need persistent tool use and explicit completeness
-- research and citation discipline
-- verification before irreversible or high-impact actions
-- terminal and tool workflow hygiene
-- defaults and implied follow-through
-- verbosity control for compact, information-dense answers
-
-Start with the smallest set of instructions that preserves correctness. Add the prompt blocks below only for workflows that actually need them.
-
-## Prompt rewrite patterns
-
-| Older prompt pattern | GPT-5.4 adjustment | Why | Example addition |
-| --- | --- | --- | --- |
-| Long, repetitive instructions that compensate for weaker instruction following | Remove duplicate scaffolding and keep only the constraints that materially change behavior | GPT-5.4 usually needs less repeated steering | Replace repeated reminders with one concise rule plus a verification block |
-| Fast assistant prompt with no verbosity control | Keep the prompt as-is first; add a verbosity clamp only if outputs become too long | Many GPT-4o or GPT-4.1 upgrades work with just a model-string swap | Add `output_verbosity_spec` only after a verbosity regression |
-| Tool-heavy agent prompt that assumes the model will keep searching until complete | Add persistence and verification rules | GPT-5.4 may use fewer tool calls by default for efficiency | Add `tool_persistence_rules` and `verification_loop` |
-| Tool-heavy workflow where later actions depend on earlier lookup or retrieval | Add prerequisite and missing-context rules before action steps | GPT-5.4 benefits from explicit dependency-aware routing when context is still thin | Add `dependency_checks` and `missing_context_gating` |
-| Retrieval workflow with several independent lookups | Add selective parallelism guidance | GPT-5.4 is strong at parallel tool use, but should not parallelize dependent steps | Add `parallel_tool_calling` |
-| Batch workflow prompt that often misses items | Add an explicit completeness contract | Item accounting benefits from direct instruction | Add `completeness_contract` |
-| Research prompt that needs grounding and citation discipline | Add research, citation, and empty-result recovery blocks | Multi-pass retrieval is stronger when the model is told how to react to weak or empty search results | Add `research_mode`, `citation_rules`, and `empty_result_handling`; add `tool_persistence_rules` when retrieval tools are already in use |
-| Coding or terminal prompt with shell misuse or early stop failures | Keep the same tool surface and add terminal hygiene and verification instructions | Tool-using coding workflows are not blocked just because tools exist; they usually need better prompt steering, not host rewiring | Add `terminal_tool_hygiene` and `verification_loop`, optionally `tool_persistence_rules` |
-| Multi-agent or support-triage workflow with escalation or completeness requirements | Add one lightweight control block for persistence, completeness, or verification | GPT-5.4 can be more efficient by default, so multi-step support flows benefit from an explicit completion or verification contract | Add at least one of `tool_persistence_rules`, `completeness_contract`, or `verification_loop` |
-
-## Prompt blocks
-
-Use these selectively. Do not add all of them by default.
-
-### `output_verbosity_spec`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the upgraded model gets too wordy
-- the host needs compact, information-dense answers
-- the workflow benefits from a short overview plus a checklist
-
-```text
-<output_verbosity_spec>
-- Default: 3-6 sentences or up to 6 bullets.
-- If the user asked for a doc or report, use headings with short bullets.
-- For multi-step tasks:
-  - Start with 1 short overview paragraph.
-  - Then provide a checklist with statuses: [done], [todo], or [blocked].
-- Avoid repeating the user's request.
-- Prefer compact, information-dense writing.
-</output_verbosity_spec>
-```
-
-### `default_follow_through_policy`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the host expects the model to proceed on reversible, low-risk steps
-- the upgraded model becomes too conservative or asks for confirmation too often
-
-```text
-<default_follow_through_policy>
-- If the user's intent is clear and the next step is reversible and low-risk, proceed without asking permission.
-- Only ask permission if the next step is:
-  (a) irreversible,
-  (b) has external side effects, or
-  (c) requires missing sensitive information or a choice that materially changes outcomes.
-- If proceeding, state what you did and what remains optional.
-</default_follow_through_policy>
-```
-
-### `instruction_priority`
-
-Use when:
-
-- users often change task shape, format, or tone mid-conversation
-- the host needs an explicit override policy instead of relying on defaults
-
-```text
-<instruction_priority>
-- User instructions override default style, tone, formatting, and initiative preferences.
-- Safety, honesty, privacy, and permission constraints do not yield.
-- If a newer user instruction conflicts with an earlier one, follow the newer instruction.
-- Preserve earlier instructions that do not conflict.
-</instruction_priority>
-```
-
-### `tool_persistence_rules`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow needs multiple retrieval or verification steps
-- the model starts stopping too early because it is trying to save tool calls
-
-```text
-<tool_persistence_rules>
-- Use tools whenever they materially improve correctness, completeness, or grounding.
-- Do not stop early just to save tool calls.
-- Keep calling tools until:
-  (1) the task is complete, and
-  (2) verification passes.
-- If a tool returns empty or partial results, retry with a different strategy.
-</tool_persistence_rules>
-```
-
-### `dig_deeper_nudge`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the model is too literal or stops at the first plausible answer
-- the task is safety- or accuracy-sensitive and needs a small initiative nudge before raising reasoning effort
-
-```text
-<dig_deeper_nudge>
-- Do not stop at the first plausible answer.
-- Look for second-order issues, edge cases, and missing constraints.
-- If the task is safety- or accuracy-critical, perform at least one verification step.
-</dig_deeper_nudge>
-```
-
-### `dependency_checks`
-
-Use when:
-
-- later actions depend on prerequisite lookup, memory retrieval, or discovery steps
-- the model may be tempted to skip prerequisite work because the intended end state seems obvious
-
-```text
-<dependency_checks>
-- Before taking an action, check whether prerequisite discovery, lookup, or memory retrieval is required.
-- Do not skip prerequisite steps just because the intended final action seems obvious.
-- If a later step depends on the output of an earlier one, resolve that dependency first.
-</dependency_checks>
-```
-
-### `parallel_tool_calling`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow has multiple independent retrieval steps
-- wall-clock time matters but some steps still need sequencing
-
-```text
-<parallel_tool_calling>
-- When multiple retrieval or lookup steps are independent, prefer parallel tool calls to reduce wall-clock time.
-- Do not parallelize steps with prerequisite dependencies or where one result determines the next action.
-- After parallel retrieval, pause to synthesize before making more calls.
-- Prefer selective parallelism: parallelize independent evidence gathering, not speculative or redundant tool use.
-</parallel_tool_calling>
-```
-
-### `completeness_contract`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the task involves batches, lists, enumerations, or multiple deliverables
-- missing items are a common failure mode
-
-```text
-<completeness_contract>
-- Deliver all requested items.
-- Maintain an itemized checklist of deliverables.
-- For lists or batches:
-  - state the expected count,
-  - enumerate items 1..N,
-  - confirm that none are missing before finalizing.
-- If any item is blocked by missing data, mark it [blocked] and state exactly what is missing.
-</completeness_contract>
-```
-
-### `empty_result_handling`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow frequently performs search, CRM, logs, or retrieval steps
-- no-results failures are often false negatives
-
-```text
-<empty_result_handling>
-If a lookup returns empty or suspiciously small results:
-- Do not conclude that no results exist immediately.
-- Try at least 2 fallback strategies, such as a broader query, alternate filters, or another source.
-- Only then report that no results were found, along with what you tried.
-</empty_result_handling>
-```
-
-### `verification_loop`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow has downstream impact
-- accuracy, formatting, or completeness regressions matter
-
-```text
-<verification_loop>
-Before finalizing:
-- Check correctness: does the output satisfy every requirement?
-- Check grounding: are factual claims backed by retrieved sources or tool output?
-- Check formatting: does the output match the requested schema or style?
-- Check safety and irreversibility: if the next step has external side effects, ask permission first.
-</verification_loop>
-```
-
-### `missing_context_gating`
-
-Use when:
-
-- required context is sometimes missing early in the workflow
-- the model should prefer retrieval over guessing
-
-```text
-<missing_context_gating>
-- If required context is missing, do not guess.
-- Prefer the appropriate lookup tool when the context is retrievable; ask a minimal clarifying question only when it is not.
-- If you must proceed, label assumptions explicitly and choose a reversible action.
-</missing_context_gating>
-```
-
-### `action_safety`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the agent will actively take actions through tools
-- the host benefits from a short pre-flight and post-flight execution frame
-
-```text
-<action_safety>
-- Pre-flight: summarize the intended action and parameters in 1-2 lines.
-- Execute via tool.
-- Post-flight: confirm the outcome and any validation that was performed.
-</action_safety>
-```
-
-### `citation_rules`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow produces cited answers
-- fabricated citations or wrong citation formats are costly
-
-```text
-<citation_rules>
-- Only cite sources that were actually retrieved in this session.
-- Never fabricate citations, URLs, IDs, or quote spans.
-- If you cannot find a source for a claim, say so and either:
-  - soften the claim, or
-  - explain how to verify it with tools.
-- Use exactly the citation format required by the host application.
-</citation_rules>
-```
-
-### `research_mode`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow is research-heavy
-- the host uses web search or retrieval tools
-
-```text
-<research_mode>
-- Do research in 3 passes:
-  1) Plan: list 3-6 sub-questions to answer.
-  2) Retrieve: search each sub-question and follow 1-2 second-order leads.
-  3) Synthesize: resolve contradictions and write the final answer with citations.
-- Stop only when more searching is unlikely to change the conclusion.
-</research_mode>
-```
-
-If your host environment uses a specific research tool or requires a submit step, combine this with the host's finalization contract.
-
-### `structured_output_contract`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the host depends on strict JSON, SQL, or other structured output
-
-```text
-<structured_output_contract>
-- Output only the requested format.
-- Do not add prose or markdown fences unless they were requested.
-- Validate that parentheses and brackets are balanced.
-- Do not invent tables or fields.
-- If required schema information is missing, ask for it or return an explicit error object.
-</structured_output_contract>
-```
-
-### `bbox_extraction_spec`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow extracts OCR boxes, document regions, or other coordinates
-- layout drift or missed dense regions are common failure modes
-
-```text
-<bbox_extraction_spec>
-- Use the specified coordinate format exactly, such as [x1,y1,x2,y2] normalized to 0..1.
-- For each box, include page, label, text snippet, and confidence.
-- Add a vertical-drift sanity check so boxes stay aligned with the correct line of text.
-- If the layout is dense, process page by page and do a second pass for missed items.
-</bbox_extraction_spec>
-```
-
-### `terminal_tool_hygiene`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the prompt belongs to a terminal-based or coding-agent workflow
-- tool misuse or shell misuse has been observed
-
-```text
-<terminal_tool_hygiene>
-- Only run shell commands through the terminal tool.
-- Never try to "run" tool names as shell commands.
-- If a patch or edit tool exists, use it directly instead of emulating it in bash.
-- After changes, run a lightweight verification step such as ls, tests, or a build before declaring the task done.
-</terminal_tool_hygiene>
-```
-
-### `user_updates_spec`
-
-Use when:
-
-- the workflow is long-running and user updates matter
-
-```text
-<user_updates_spec>
-- Only update the user when starting a new major phase or when the plan changes.
-- Each update should contain:
-  - 1 sentence on what changed,
-  - 1 sentence on the next step.
-- Do not narrate routine tool calls.
-- Keep the user-facing update short, even when the actual work is exhaustive.
-</user_updates_spec>
-```
-
-If you are using [Compaction](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/compaction) in the Responses API, compact after major milestones, treat compacted items as opaque state, and keep prompts functionally identical after compaction.
-
-## Responses `phase` guidance
-
-For long-running Responses workflows, preambles, or tool-heavy agents that replay assistant items, review whether `phase` is already preserved.
-
-- If the host already round-trips `phase`, keep it intact during the upgrade.
-- If the host uses `previous_response_id` and does not manually replay assistant items, note that this may reduce manual `phase` handling needs.
-- If reliable GPT-5.4 behavior would require adding or preserving `phase` and that would need code edits, treat the case as blocked for prompt-only or model-string-only migration guidance.
-
-## Example upgrade profiles
-
-### GPT-5.2
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Match the current reasoning effort first
-- Preserve the existing latency and quality profile before tuning prompt blocks
-- If the repo does not expose the exact setting, emit `same` as the starting recommendation
-
-### GPT-5.3-Codex
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Match the current reasoning effort first
-- If you need Codex-style speed and efficiency, add verification blocks before increasing reasoning effort
-- If the repo does not expose the exact setting, emit `same` as the starting recommendation
-
-### GPT-4o or GPT-4.1 assistant
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Start with `none` reasoning effort
-- Add `output_verbosity_spec` only if output becomes too verbose
-
-### Long-horizon agent
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Start with `medium` reasoning effort
-- Add `tool_persistence_rules`
-- Add `completeness_contract`
-- Add `verification_loop`
-
-### Research workflow
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Start with `medium` reasoning effort
-- Add `research_mode`
-- Add `citation_rules`
-- Add `empty_result_handling`
-- Add `tool_persistence_rules` when the host already uses web or retrieval tools
-- Add `parallel_tool_calling` when the retrieval steps are independent
-
-### Support triage or multi-agent workflow
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Prefer `model string + light prompt rewrite` over `model string only`
-- Add at least one of `tool_persistence_rules`, `completeness_contract`, or `verification_loop`
-- Add more only if evals show a real regression
-
-### Coding or terminal workflow
-
-- Use `gpt-5.4`
-- Keep the model-string change narrow
-- Match the current reasoning effort first if you are upgrading from GPT-5.3-Codex
-- Add `terminal_tool_hygiene`
-- Add `verification_loop`
-- Add `dependency_checks` when actions depend on prerequisite lookup or discovery
-- Add `tool_persistence_rules` if the agent stops too early
-- Review whether `phase` is already preserved for long-running Responses flows or assistant preambles
-- Do not classify this as blocked just because the workflow uses tools; block only if the upgrade requires changing tool definitions or wiring
-- If the repo already uses Responses plus tools and no required host-side change is shown, prefer `model_string_plus_light_prompt_rewrite` over `blocked`
-
-## Prompt regression checklist
-
-- Check whether the upgraded prompt still preserves the original task intent.
-- Check whether the new prompt is leaner, not just longer.
-- Check completeness, citation quality, dependency handling, verification behavior, and verbosity.
-- For long-running Responses agents, check whether `phase` handling is already in place or needs implementation work.
-- Confirm that each added prompt block addresses an observed regression.
-- Remove prompt blocks that are not earning their keep.
+# GPT-5.4 prompting upgrade guide
+
+Use this guide when prompts written for older models need to be adapted for GPT-5.4 during an upgrade. Start lean: keep the model-string change narrow, preserve the original task intent, and add only the smallest prompt changes needed to recover behavior.
+
+## Default upgrade posture
+
+- Start with `model string only` whenever the old prompt is already short, explicit, and task-bounded.
+- Move to `model string + light prompt rewrite` only when regressions appear in completeness, persistence, citation quality, verification, or verbosity.
+- Prefer one or two targeted prompt additions over a broad rewrite.
+- Treat reasoning effort as a last-mile knob. Start lower, then increase only after prompt-level fixes and evals.
+- Before increasing reasoning effort, first add a completeness contract, a verification loop, and tool persistence rules - depending on the usage case.
+- If the workflow clearly depends on implementation changes rather than prompt changes, treat it as blocked for prompt-only upgrade guidance.
+- Do not classify a case as blocked just because the workflow uses tools; block only if the upgrade requires changing tool definitions, wiring, or other implementation details.
+
+## Behavioral differences to account for
+
+Current GPT-5.4 upgrade guidance suggests these strengths:
+
+- stronger personality and tone adherence, with less drift over long answers
+- better long-horizon and agentic workflow stamina
+- stronger spreadsheet, finance, and formatting tasks
+- more efficient tool selection and fewer unnecessary calls by default
+- stronger structured generation and classification reliability
+
+The main places where prompt guidance still helps are:
+
+- retrieval-heavy workflows that need persistent tool use and explicit completeness
+- research and citation discipline
+- verification before irreversible or high-impact actions
+- terminal and tool workflow hygiene
+- defaults and implied follow-through
+- verbosity control for compact, information-dense answers
+
+Start with the smallest set of instructions that preserves correctness. Add the prompt blocks below only for workflows that actually need them.
+
+## Prompt rewrite patterns
+
+| Older prompt pattern | GPT-5.4 adjustment | Why | Example addition |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| Long, repetitive instructions that compensate for weaker instruction following | Remove duplicate scaffolding and keep only the constraints that materially change behavior | GPT-5.4 usually needs less repeated steering | Replace repeated reminders with one concise rule plus a verification block |
+| Fast assistant prompt with no verbosity control | Keep the prompt as-is first; add a verbosity clamp only if outputs become too long | Many GPT-4o or GPT-4.1 upgrades work with just a model-string swap | Add `output_verbosity_spec` only after a verbosity regression |
+| Tool-heavy agent prompt that assumes the model will keep searching until complete | Add persistence and verification rules | GPT-5.4 may use fewer tool calls by default for efficiency | Add `tool_persistence_rules` and `verification_loop` |
+| Tool-heavy workflow where later actions depend on earlier lookup or retrieval | Add prerequisite and missing-context rules before action steps | GPT-5.4 benefits from explicit dependency-aware routing when context is still thin | Add `dependency_checks` and `missing_context_gating` |
+| Retrieval workflow with several independent lookups | Add selective parallelism guidance | GPT-5.4 is strong at parallel tool use, but should not parallelize dependent steps | Add `parallel_tool_calling` |
+| Batch workflow prompt that often misses items | Add an explicit completeness contract | Item accounting benefits from direct instruction | Add `completeness_contract` |
+| Research prompt that needs grounding and citation discipline | Add research, citation, and empty-result recovery blocks | Multi-pass retrieval is stronger when the model is told how to react to weak or empty search results | Add `research_mode`, `citation_rules`, and `empty_result_handling`; add `tool_persistence_rules` when retrieval tools are already in use |
+| Coding or terminal prompt with shell misuse or early stop failures | Keep the same tool surface and add terminal hygiene and verification instructions | Tool-using coding workflows are not blocked just because tools exist; they usually need better prompt steering, not host rewiring | Add `terminal_tool_hygiene` and `verification_loop`, optionally `tool_persistence_rules` |
+| Multi-agent or support-triage workflow with escalation or completeness requirements | Add one lightweight control block for persistence, completeness, or verification | GPT-5.4 can be more efficient by default, so multi-step support flows benefit from an explicit completion or verification contract | Add at least one of `tool_persistence_rules`, `completeness_contract`, or `verification_loop` |
+
+## Prompt blocks
+
+Use these selectively. Do not add all of them by default.
+
+### `output_verbosity_spec`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the upgraded model gets too wordy
+- the host needs compact, information-dense answers
+- the workflow benefits from a short overview plus a checklist
+
+```text
+<output_verbosity_spec>
+- Default: 3-6 sentences or up to 6 bullets.
+- If the user asked for a doc or report, use headings with short bullets.
+- For multi-step tasks:
+  - Start with 1 short overview paragraph.
+  - Then provide a checklist with statuses: [done], [todo], or [blocked].
+- Avoid repeating the user's request.
+- Prefer compact, information-dense writing.
+</output_verbosity_spec>
+```
+
+### `default_follow_through_policy`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the host expects the model to proceed on reversible, low-risk steps
+- the upgraded model becomes too conservative or asks for confirmation too often
+
+```text
+<default_follow_through_policy>
+- If the user's intent is clear and the next step is reversible and low-risk, proceed without asking permission.
+- Only ask permission if the next step is:
+  (a) irreversible,
+  (b) has external side effects, or
+  (c) requires missing sensitive information or a choice that materially changes outcomes.
+- If proceeding, state what you did and what remains optional.
+</default_follow_through_policy>
+```
+
+### `instruction_priority`
+
+Use when:
+
+- users often change task shape, format, or tone mid-conversation
+- the host needs an explicit override policy instead of relying on defaults
+
+```text
+<instruction_priority>
+- User instructions override default style, tone, formatting, and initiative preferences.
+- Safety, honesty, privacy, and permission constraints do not yield.
+- If a newer user instruction conflicts with an earlier one, follow the newer instruction.
+- Preserve earlier instructions that do not conflict.
+</instruction_priority>
+```
+
+### `tool_persistence_rules`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow needs multiple retrieval or verification steps
+- the model starts stopping too early because it is trying to save tool calls
+
+```text
+<tool_persistence_rules>
+- Use tools whenever they materially improve correctness, completeness, or grounding.
+- Do not stop early just to save tool calls.
+- Keep calling tools until:
+  (1) the task is complete, and
+  (2) verification passes.
+- If a tool returns empty or partial results, retry with a different strategy.
+</tool_persistence_rules>
+```
+
+### `dig_deeper_nudge`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the model is too literal or stops at the first plausible answer
+- the task is safety- or accuracy-sensitive and needs a small initiative nudge before raising reasoning effort
+
+```text
+<dig_deeper_nudge>
+- Do not stop at the first plausible answer.
+- Look for second-order issues, edge cases, and missing constraints.
+- If the task is safety- or accuracy-critical, perform at least one verification step.
+</dig_deeper_nudge>
+```
+
+### `dependency_checks`
+
+Use when:
+
+- later actions depend on prerequisite lookup, memory retrieval, or discovery steps
+- the model may be tempted to skip prerequisite work because the intended end state seems obvious
+
+```text
+<dependency_checks>
+- Before taking an action, check whether prerequisite discovery, lookup, or memory retrieval is required.
+- Do not skip prerequisite steps just because the intended final action seems obvious.
+- If a later step depends on the output of an earlier one, resolve that dependency first.
+</dependency_checks>
+```
+
+### `parallel_tool_calling`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow has multiple independent retrieval steps
+- wall-clock time matters but some steps still need sequencing
+
+```text
+<parallel_tool_calling>
+- When multiple retrieval or lookup steps are independent, prefer parallel tool calls to reduce wall-clock time.
+- Do not parallelize steps with prerequisite dependencies or where one result determines the next action.
+- After parallel retrieval, pause to synthesize before making more calls.
+- Prefer selective parallelism: parallelize independent evidence gathering, not speculative or redundant tool use.
+</parallel_tool_calling>
+```
+
+### `completeness_contract`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the task involves batches, lists, enumerations, or multiple deliverables
+- missing items are a common failure mode
+
+```text
+<completeness_contract>
+- Deliver all requested items.
+- Maintain an itemized checklist of deliverables.
+- For lists or batches:
+  - state the expected count,
+  - enumerate items 1..N,
+  - confirm that none are missing before finalizing.
+- If any item is blocked by missing data, mark it [blocked] and state exactly what is missing.
+</completeness_contract>
+```
+
+### `empty_result_handling`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow frequently performs search, CRM, logs, or retrieval steps
+- no-results failures are often false negatives
+
+```text
+<empty_result_handling>
+If a lookup returns empty or suspiciously small results:
+- Do not conclude that no results exist immediately.
+- Try at least 2 fallback strategies, such as a broader query, alternate filters, or another source.
+- Only then report that no results were found, along with what you tried.
+</empty_result_handling>
+```
+
+### `verification_loop`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow has downstream impact
+- accuracy, formatting, or completeness regressions matter
+
+```text
+<verification_loop>
+Before finalizing:
+- Check correctness: does the output satisfy every requirement?
+- Check grounding: are factual claims backed by retrieved sources or tool output?
+- Check formatting: does the output match the requested schema or style?
+- Check safety and irreversibility: if the next step has external side effects, ask permission first.
+</verification_loop>
+```
+
+### `missing_context_gating`
+
+Use when:
+
+- required context is sometimes missing early in the workflow
+- the model should prefer retrieval over guessing
+
+```text
+<missing_context_gating>
+- If required context is missing, do not guess.
+- Prefer the appropriate lookup tool when the context is retrievable; ask a minimal clarifying question only when it is not.
+- If you must proceed, label assumptions explicitly and choose a reversible action.
+</missing_context_gating>
+```
+
+### `action_safety`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the agent will actively take actions through tools
+- the host benefits from a short pre-flight and post-flight execution frame
+
+```text
+<action_safety>
+- Pre-flight: summarize the intended action and parameters in 1-2 lines.
+- Execute via tool.
+- Post-flight: confirm the outcome and any validation that was performed.
+</action_safety>
+```
+
+### `citation_rules`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow produces cited answers
+- fabricated citations or wrong citation formats are costly
+
+```text
+<citation_rules>
+- Only cite sources that were actually retrieved in this session.
+- Never fabricate citations, URLs, IDs, or quote spans.
+- If you cannot find a source for a claim, say so and either:
+  - soften the claim, or
+  - explain how to verify it with tools.
+- Use exactly the citation format required by the host application.
+</citation_rules>
+```
+
+### `research_mode`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow is research-heavy
+- the host uses web search or retrieval tools
+
+```text
+<research_mode>
+- Do research in 3 passes:
+  1) Plan: list 3-6 sub-questions to answer.
+  2) Retrieve: search each sub-question and follow 1-2 second-order leads.
+  3) Synthesize: resolve contradictions and write the final answer with citations.
+- Stop only when more searching is unlikely to change the conclusion.
+</research_mode>
+```
+
+If your host environment uses a specific research tool or requires a submit step, combine this with the host's finalization contract.
+
+### `structured_output_contract`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the host depends on strict JSON, SQL, or other structured output
+
+```text
+<structured_output_contract>
+- Output only the requested format.
+- Do not add prose or markdown fences unless they were requested.
+- Validate that parentheses and brackets are balanced.
+- Do not invent tables or fields.
+- If required schema information is missing, ask for it or return an explicit error object.
+</structured_output_contract>
+```
+
+### `bbox_extraction_spec`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow extracts OCR boxes, document regions, or other coordinates
+- layout drift or missed dense regions are common failure modes
+
+```text
+<bbox_extraction_spec>
+- Use the specified coordinate format exactly, such as [x1,y1,x2,y2] normalized to 0..1.
+- For each box, include page, label, text snippet, and confidence.
+- Add a vertical-drift sanity check so boxes stay aligned with the correct line of text.
+- If the layout is dense, process page by page and do a second pass for missed items.
+</bbox_extraction_spec>
+```
+
+### `terminal_tool_hygiene`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the prompt belongs to a terminal-based or coding-agent workflow
+- tool misuse or shell misuse has been observed
+
+```text
+<terminal_tool_hygiene>
+- Only run shell commands through the terminal tool.
+- Never try to "run" tool names as shell commands.
+- If a patch or edit tool exists, use it directly instead of emulating it in bash.
+- After changes, run a lightweight verification step such as ls, tests, or a build before declaring the task done.
+</terminal_tool_hygiene>
+```
+
+### `user_updates_spec`
+
+Use when:
+
+- the workflow is long-running and user updates matter
+
+```text
+<user_updates_spec>
+- Only update the user when starting a new major phase or when the plan changes.
+- Each update should contain:
+  - 1 sentence on what changed,
+  - 1 sentence on the next step.
+- Do not narrate routine tool calls.
+- Keep the user-facing update short, even when the actual work is exhaustive.
+</user_updates_spec>
+```
+
+If you are using [Compaction](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/compaction) in the Responses API, compact after major milestones, treat compacted items as opaque state, and keep prompts functionally identical after compaction.
+
+## Responses `phase` guidance
+
+For long-running Responses workflows, preambles, or tool-heavy agents that replay assistant items, review whether `phase` is already preserved.
+
+- If the host already round-trips `phase`, keep it intact during the upgrade.
+- If the host uses `previous_response_id` and does not manually replay assistant items, note that this may reduce manual `phase` handling needs.
+- If reliable GPT-5.4 behavior would require adding or preserving `phase` and that would need code edits, treat the case as blocked for prompt-only or model-string-only migration guidance.
+
+## Example upgrade profiles
+
+### GPT-5.2
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Match the current reasoning effort first
+- Preserve the existing latency and quality profile before tuning prompt blocks
+- If the repo does not expose the exact setting, emit `same` as the starting recommendation
+
+### GPT-5.3-Codex
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Match the current reasoning effort first
+- If you need Codex-style speed and efficiency, add verification blocks before increasing reasoning effort
+- If the repo does not expose the exact setting, emit `same` as the starting recommendation
+
+### GPT-4o or GPT-4.1 assistant
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Start with `none` reasoning effort
+- Add `output_verbosity_spec` only if output becomes too verbose
+
+### Long-horizon agent
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Start with `medium` reasoning effort
+- Add `tool_persistence_rules`
+- Add `completeness_contract`
+- Add `verification_loop`
+
+### Research workflow
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Start with `medium` reasoning effort
+- Add `research_mode`
+- Add `citation_rules`
+- Add `empty_result_handling`
+- Add `tool_persistence_rules` when the host already uses web or retrieval tools
+- Add `parallel_tool_calling` when the retrieval steps are independent
+
+### Support triage or multi-agent workflow
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Prefer `model string + light prompt rewrite` over `model string only`
+- Add at least one of `tool_persistence_rules`, `completeness_contract`, or `verification_loop`
+- Add more only if evals show a real regression
+
+### Coding or terminal workflow
+
+- Use `gpt-5.4`
+- Keep the model-string change narrow
+- Match the current reasoning effort first if you are upgrading from GPT-5.3-Codex
+- Add `terminal_tool_hygiene`
+- Add `verification_loop`
+- Add `dependency_checks` when actions depend on prerequisite lookup or discovery
+- Add `tool_persistence_rules` if the agent stops too early
+- Review whether `phase` is already preserved for long-running Responses flows or assistant preambles
+- Do not classify this as blocked just because the workflow uses tools; block only if the upgrade requires changing tool definitions or wiring
+- If the repo already uses Responses plus tools and no required host-side change is shown, prefer `model_string_plus_light_prompt_rewrite` over `blocked`
+
+## Prompt regression checklist
+
+- Check whether the upgraded prompt still preserves the original task intent.
+- Check whether the new prompt is leaner, not just longer.
+- Check completeness, citation quality, dependency handling, verification behavior, and verbosity.
+- For long-running Responses agents, check whether `phase` handling is already in place or needs implementation work.
+- Confirm that each added prompt block addresses an observed regression.
+- Remove prompt blocks that are not earning their keep.