#6 Medium
The Vague Oracle
Ambiguous prompts that cost 3-5x more tokens
! 3-5x token cost vs precise prompts
Vague prompts like "fix the authentication" make Claude read 10+ files exploring before it starts work. Each exploration costs tokens. A precise prompt with file path and expected behavior costs 3-5x fewer tokens and gets better results.
DON'T
Vague prompt — Claude explores everything
# Too vague — Claude reads 10+ files figuring out what you mean "color:#7C5CFC">claude -p "Fix the authentication" # Claude explores: # 1. Reads auth.ts (what kind of auth?) # 2. Reads middleware.ts (session? JWT?) # 3. Reads config.ts (what provider?) # 4. Reads tests (what's failing?) # 5. Reads package.json (which library?) # ... 500+ tokens spent exploring
DO
Precise prompt — Claude acts immediately
# Specific: file, function, expected behavior "color:#7C5CFC">claude -p "In src/auth.ts, the verifyToken() function throws on expired JWTs instead of returning null. Fix it to return null "color:#7C5CFC">for expired tokens and only throw "color:#7C5CFC">for malformed tokens." # Even better: include the error "color:#7C5CFC">claude -p "Fix: auth.ts:42 verifyToken() throws TokenExpiredError. Should return null "color:#7C5CFC">for expired, throw "color:#7C5CFC">for malformed. Test: "color:#7C5CFC">npm test -- auth.test.ts"
Sources
Anthropic Prompt Engineering Guide Community Benchmarks