Recipe command template

This is a template. Replace all [placeholder] content with your specifics.

When to use

• [Describe the exact situation where this command applies]
• [Describe when NOT to use it, with a common misuse case]

Context validation checkpoints

Before executing any step, verify all of these are true. If any checkpoint fails, stop and explain why to the user.

• [Precondition 1: e.g., "The target branch exists and is up to date with main"]
• [Precondition 2: e.g., "No uncommitted changes in the affected files"]
• [Precondition 3: e.g., "Required config file exists at path X"]
• [Precondition 4: e.g., "Necessary permissions or credentials are available"]

Recipe steps

Step 1: [Action name]

[Clear instructions for this step. Be specific about what to read, what to check, what to write.]

Validation: [How Claude verifies this step completed correctly before moving to Step 2]

---

Step 2: [Action name]

[Instructions]

Validation: [How to verify]

---

Step 3: [Action name]

[Instructions]

Validation: [How to verify]

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Step 4: Confirm completion

Summarize what was done:

• [Item 1 completed]
• [Item 2 completed]
• Files modified: [list]
• Next action for the user (if any): [instruction]

Error handling

Situation	Response
[Error condition 1]	[What to do: retry / stop / ask user]
[Error condition 2]	[What to do]
Precondition checkpoint fails	Stop. Explain which checkpoint failed and what the user needs to fix before re-running

Arguments

If $ARGUMENTS[0] was provided: [how to use it] If no argument was provided: [default behavior]

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The "Context Validation Checkpoints" section is the key pattern from this template. It forces Claude to verify preconditions explicitly rather than discovering failures mid-execution. Inspired by recurring patterns in Packmind commands (Apache 2.0).