Prompt templates

A prompt template is a named, reusable prompt body. If you find yourself pasting the same instructions into a dozen workflows, lift them into a template and reference the template by name. The template is the single source of truth; every workflow that uses it stays in sync when you edit one file.

What a template looks like

Templates live in .zen/commands/ (or ~/.zen/commands/ for templates that should apply to every project on your machine). Each template is a .md file with a frontmatter block:

---
description: Extract decisions from a meeting transcript.
argument-hint: <transcript file path or content>
---

You're reading a meeting transcript. Pull out only the decisions that were
made, in the form "We decided to X because Y." Skip discussion that didn't
end in a decision. Group decisions by topic if there are more than five.

Transcript:
$ARGUMENTS

The filename (without extension) is the template name. summarize-decisions.md registers as summarize-decisions.

Calling a template from a workflow node

nodes:
  - id: pull-transcript
    type: bash
    command: cat $TRANSCRIPT_FILE

  - id: extract-decisions
    type: prompt
    template: summarize-decisions
    depends_on: [pull-transcript]
    vars:
      TRANSCRIPT: $pull-transcript.output

The node's prompt becomes the template body with variables filled in. You can still set per-node settings (provider, timeout, retries); they apply on top of the template.

Overriding parts of a template

You can pass extra instructions per-call without forking the template:

  - id: extract-decisions
    type: prompt
    template: summarize-decisions
    extra_instructions: |
      This was a board meeting; focus on capital and strategy decisions only.
    vars:
      TRANSCRIPT: $pull-transcript.output

extra_instructions: is appended to the template body before the model sees it.

Why templates exist

The product reason: workflows are how you save the recipe; templates are how you save the spice rack. The "summarize decisions" instruction set isn't a workflow on its own, but every meeting workflow uses it. Without templates, you'd copy the instructions into ten workflow files and update all ten the next time you improve the wording.

Templates vs. workflows

The simple test:

• If the thing is a full sequence with multiple steps, dependencies, and an output that lands somewhere, it's a workflow.
• If the thing is a single prompt body you keep using inside workflows, it's a template.

Templates are workflow primitives, not standalone executables. You don't zen workflow run a template; you reference one from inside a workflow node.

Discovery

zen command list prints the templates Z.E.N. knows about, from both .zen/commands/ and ~/.zen/commands/. Project templates win over global ones with the same name.

Where to start

Pull any prompt you've pasted into a workflow more than twice. Move it into a template file. Reference the template from the workflows that need it. Edit the template the next time the instructions need a tweak; every workflow picks up the change at next fire.