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What is Meta Prompting?

Meta prompting is a technique where an AI system itself creates, evaluates, or refines prompts that are then used to accomplish tasks. Instead of relying solely on human-designed prompts, meta prompting leverages AI’s capabilities to generate optimized instructions that can better guide subsequent AI responses. This approach involves “prompting about prompting,” creating a recursive framework that can lead to improved performance.

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Why Use Meta Prompting?

  • Prompt Optimization: Automatically generates more effective prompts than manual creation
  • Task Adaptation: Tailors prompts to specific tasks or domains without human expertise
  • Quality Improvement: Refines outputs through iterative prompt enhancement
  • Error Reduction: Identifies and fixes issues in prompts that lead to poor responses
  • Efficiency: Saves time by automating the prompt engineering process

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Basic Implementation in Latitude

Here’s a simple meta prompting example for content creation:

Basic Meta Prompting
---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.7
---

# Meta Prompt Generator

## Task Description
I need to generate content about: {{ topic }}
For audience: {{ audience }}
In tone: {{ tone }}
Content type: {{ content_type }}
Length: {{ length }} words

## Meta Prompt Process
1. Analyze the task requirements and target audience
2. Create an optimized prompt that would generate the best possible content for this specific task
3. Provide the optimized prompt in a clear, structured format

## Generated Prompt:
Generate a prompt that would help an AI create the best possible {{ content_type }} about {{ topic }} for {{ audience }}. The prompt should:

- Guide the AI to use a {{ tone }} tone
- Structure the content appropriately for a {{ content_type }}
- Ensure comprehensive coverage of important aspects of {{ topic }}
- Target the content specifically to {{ audience }} needs and knowledge level
- Result in approximately {{ length }} words of content

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Advanced Implementation with Self-Improvement

Let’s create a more sophisticated example that uses Latitude’s chain feature to implement an iterative prompt refinement process:

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.6
---

<step as="initial_prompt">
# Initial Meta Prompt Generation

I need to accomplish the following task:

{{ task_description }}

Generate a prompt that would help an AI complete this task effectively. Consider:
- The specific goal to be achieved
- The expected format of the output
- Any constraints that must be followed
- The target audience for the result
- The level of detail required

## Generated Prompt:
</step>

<step as="prompt_critique">
# Meta Prompt Critique

Analyze the following prompt that was created to accomplish this task:

## Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Generated Prompt:
{{ initial_prompt }}

Now critique this prompt based on the following criteria:
1. **Clarity**: Is the prompt clear and unambiguous?
2. **Specificity**: Does it provide enough guidance on what exactly is needed?
3. **Constraints**: Does it properly communicate any limitations or requirements?
4. **Example Guidance**: Could examples help make the expectations clearer?
5. **Structure**: Is the prompt structured in a way that guides the AI's response format?

## Prompt Critique:
Identify at least 3 specific ways this prompt could be improved.
</step>

<step>
# Final Optimized Prompt

Based on the initial prompt and critique, create an improved, optimized prompt:

## Original Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Initial Prompt:
{{ initial_prompt }}

## Critique Points:
{{ prompt_critique }}

## Optimized Final Prompt:
Create a new and improved version of the prompt that addresses the critique points while maintaining the core objectives of the task.
</step>

In this advanced example:

  1. Multi-Step Process: We separate prompt generation, critique, and refinement
  2. Self-Critique: The model evaluates its own prompt against specific criteria
  3. Iterative Improvement: The final prompt incorporates learnings from the critique

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Meta Prompt Selection

Generate multiple prompts and select the best one:

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.8
---

<step as="prompt_variants">
# Generate Prompt Variants

For the following task, generate 3 different prompting approaches, each with a different strategy:

## Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Prompt Variant 1 - Direct Instruction Style:
Create a prompt that uses clear, direct instructions with step-by-step guidance.

## Prompt Variant 2 - Role-Based Style:
Create a prompt that assigns a specific expert role to the AI and frames the request within that context.

## Prompt Variant 3 - Example-Based Style:
Create a prompt that uses examples (few-shot learning) to demonstrate the expected output format and quality.
</step>

<step as="prompt_evaluation">
# Evaluate Prompt Variants

Analyze these three prompt variants for the task:

## Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Prompt Variants:
{{ prompt_variants }}

For each prompt variant, evaluate:
1. **Likely Effectiveness**: How well will it guide the AI to complete the task?
2. **Clarity**: How clear are the instructions?
3. **Adaptability**: How well would it handle edge cases?
4. **Efficiency**: How concise is the prompt without sacrificing effectiveness?

Score each prompt on a scale of 1-10 for each criterion, and provide a brief explanation.

## Evaluation Results:
</step>

<step>
# Select Optimal Prompt

Based on the evaluation, select the best prompt variant or create a hybrid that combines the strengths of multiple variants.

## Evaluation Summary:
{{ prompt_evaluation }}

## Optimal Prompt Selection:
The optimal prompt for this task is:

[Provide the selected or hybrid prompt here]

## Reasoning:
[Explain why this prompt is the best choice for the specific task]
</step>

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Multi-Stage Meta Prompting

For complex tasks, implement a cascade of meta prompts:

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.5
---

<step as="task_analysis">
# Task Decomposition

Analyze the following complex task and break it down into sequential sub-tasks:

{{ complex_task }}

## Task Analysis:
1. Identify the main goal
2. Determine required components
3. Map out a logical sequence of steps

## Task Decomposition Results:
List the sequence of sub-tasks needed to complete this complex task.
</step>

<step as="prompt_generation">
# Sub-Task Prompt Generation

Based on the task decomposition, create optimized prompts for each sub-task:

## Complex Task:
{{ complex_task }}

## Decomposed Sub-Tasks:
{{ task_analysis }}

## Generated Sub-Task Prompts:
For each sub-task, create a specialized prompt designed to accomplish that specific part of the overall process.
</step>

<step>
# Meta Workflow Assembly

Assemble the sub-task prompts into a cohesive workflow that addresses the complex task:

## Original Complex Task:
{{ complex_task }}

## Sub-Task Prompts:
{{ prompt_generation }}

## Workflow Integration:
Create a step-by-step workflow that:
1. Structures the sub-tasks in the optimal sequence
2. Ensures output from earlier steps feeds correctly into later steps
3. Includes validation checks between stages
4. Provides a final integration step to combine results

## Complete Meta Prompt Workflow:
</step>

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Best Practices for Meta Prompting

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Advanced Techniques

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Prompt Learning and Adaptation

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.6
---

<step as="initial_result">
# Initial Task Execution

## Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Initial Prompt:
{{ initial_prompt }}

Execute the task using the provided prompt and produce a result.

## Initial Result:
</step>

<step as="error_analysis">
# Performance Analysis

Analyze the initial result against the expected outcome:

## Task:
{{ task_description }}

## Expected Outcome:
{{ expected_outcome }}

## Initial Result:
{{ initial_result }}

## Performance Gap Analysis:
1. Identify specific areas where the result falls short
2. Analyze why the initial prompt led to these shortcomings
3. Determine what prompt elements could be adjusted to improve results

## Analysis Results:
</step>

<step>
# Prompt Adaptation

Based on the performance analysis, adapt the prompt to address identified issues:

## Original Prompt:
{{ initial_prompt }}

## Performance Issues:
{{ error_analysis }}

## Adapted Prompt:
Create an improved prompt that specifically addresses the identified performance gaps while maintaining the original task objectives.
</step>

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Integration with Other Techniques

Meta prompting works well combined with other prompting techniques:

  • Self-Consistency + Meta Prompting: Generate multiple prompts and select the most effective one
  • Chain-of-Thought + Meta Prompting: Create prompts that induce better reasoning steps
  • Constitutional AI + Meta Prompting: Design prompts that better adhere to ethical principles
  • Few-Shot Learning + Meta Prompting: Optimize example selection for few-shot prompts

The key is to use meta prompting as a tool to enhance other techniques by adapting and optimizing the way they’re implemented.

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Real-World Applications

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Automated Prompt Engineering

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.5
---

# Automated Prompt Engineer

I'll help you create an optimized prompt for your specific use case.

## Use Case Information:
- Task description: {{ task_description }}
- Target audience: {{ audience }}
- Desired output format: {{ output_format }}
- Important constraints: {{ constraints }}
- Key success criteria: {{ success_criteria }}

## Prompt Engineering Process:
1. **Task Analysis**:
   - Core objectives of the task
   - Knowledge domains required
   - Potential challenges or ambiguities

2. **Audience Adaptation**:
   - Adjusting complexity level for {{ audience }}
   - Addressing specific needs or concerns

3. **Structure Design**:
   - Format that guides the desired output
   - System, user, and assistant message allocation
   - Appropriate examples or demonstrations

4. **Constraint Integration**:
   - How to enforce {{ constraints }} effectively
   - Error prevention strategies

## Engineered Prompt:
[Generated optimal prompt]

## Usage Instructions:
- How to implement this prompt
- Variables to customize
- Expected performance characteristics

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Content Optimization System

---
provider: OpenAI
model: gpt-4o
temperature: 0.4
---

<step as="content_analysis">
# Content Analysis

Analyze the following content for optimization opportunities:

{{ original_content }}

## Content Assessment:
1. **Purpose**: What is this content trying to achieve?
2. **Audience**: Who is the target audience?
3. **Structure**: How is the information organized?
4. **Tone**: What is the current tone and style?
5. **Weaknesses**: What aspects could be improved?

## Analysis Results:
</step>

<step as="optimization_prompt">
# Optimization Prompt Generation

Based on the content analysis, create a prompt specifically designed to optimize this content:

## Content Analysis:
{{ content_analysis }}

## Optimization Goals:
- Maintain the original purpose and key information
- Address identified weaknesses
- Enhance clarity and engagement
- Optimize for the target audience
- Improve structure and flow

## Content Optimization Prompt:
Create a prompt that would guide an AI to transform the original content into an optimized version.
</step>

<step>
# Content Transformation

Using the optimization prompt, transform the original content:

## Original Content:
{{ original_content }}

## Optimization Prompt:
{{ optimization_prompt }}

## Optimized Content:
Transform the original content according to the optimization prompt.
</step>

Explore these complementary prompting techniques to enhance your AI applications:

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Foundational Techniques

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Quality Enhancement

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Advanced Frameworks

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External Resources