Claude 4’s Surprising Prompt Rules Nobody Told You
AI Summary
This video reveals advanced prompting techniques specifically designed for Claude 4 and other advanced reasoning models like GPT-4, Gemini 2.5 Pro, etc. D-Squared breaks down Anthropic’s official recommendations for getting optimal results from Claude 4, which differ significantly from older prompting methods.
Key Prompting Techniques for Claude 4:
1. Be Hyper-Specific
- Behavior specificity: Tell the model exactly what to do rather than what not to do
- Use modifiers: Expand prompts with scope (“as many relevant features as possible”), depth (“go beyond the basics”), and completeness (“fully featured implementation”)
- Words matter: These models follow instructions precisely, so careful word choice is critical
- Examples: Provide aligned examples that encourage desired behaviors while avoiding problematic patterns
2. Structural Organization
- XML tags as delimiters: Use tags like
<pros>...</pros>to segment prompts and organize AI responses- What to do vs. what not to do: Instead of “don’t use markdown,” say “use smoothly flowing prose paragraphs”
3. Lead by Example (Claude-Specific)
- Mirror desired output style: Write your prompt in the same tone and structure you want Claude to use
- Reduce unwanted elements: If you don’t want markdown in responses, minimize markdown in your prompts
- Claude mimics your communication style like a child mimics a parent
4. Enhanced Visual/UI Design
- Encouragement: Use phrases like “don’t hold back, give it your all”
- UI-specific modifiers: “Add thoughtful details like hover states and micro-interactions” or “Apply design principles: hierarchy, contrast, balance, movement”
5. Clean Up Breadcrumbs (Advanced/Agentic Use)
- Problem: Claude 4 creates temporary markdown files during complex coding tasks for self-reference
- Solution: Add rule “If you create temporary files for iteration, clean up these files by removing them at the end of the task”
6. Enforce Iterative Thinking
- Prompt addition: “After receiving tool results, carefully reflect on their quality and determine optimal next steps before proceeding”
- Encourages the model to think → use tool → analyze results → plan next action cycle
7. Superposition Tool Calling
- Sequential vs. Simultaneous: Instead of calling tools one-by-one and waiting, Claude 4 can call multiple tools simultaneously
- Benefits: Shared context across all responses, more efficient processing, better synthesis
- Enforcement prompt: “For maximum efficiency, whenever you need to perform multiple independent operations, invoke all relevant tools simultaneously rather than sequentially”
Why These Techniques Work:
- Advanced reasoning models like Claude 4 are excellent instruction-followers
- They no longer need to be “yelled at” or threatened like older models
- They can handle nuanced, specific instructions and maintain context across complex workflows
- The key is precision in communication rather than repetition or emphasis
The video emphasizes that these techniques are based on official Anthropic research and recommendations, making them authoritative best practices for Claude 4 usage.