Prompt Decorators
Lightweight control markers that modify reasoning, style, structure, and session behavior.
Activated by the +++ prefix. Multiple decorators can be combined in a single prompt.
Each decorator's full definition lives in its own file under references/. Load only the file(s) you need.
The Quick Reference table below maps every decorator to its file.
Parsing Decorators from a Prompt
When a prompt contains +++ markers:
- Extract all decorator names and parameters from the prompt (they appear before the main content)
- For each decorator, load its definition from
references/<DecoratorName>.md (e.g. +++Reasoning → references/Reasoning.md, +++StepByStep → references/StepByStep.md). Use the Quick Reference table in this file to map decorator names to file paths.
- Apply all active decorators simultaneously to the response
- Parameters are passed in parentheses, for example:
+++Tone(style=formal), +++Refine(iterations=3)
If an unrecognized decorator is used, note it and proceed with the rest.
Scope Rules
Decorators operate in one of two scopes:
| Scope | Behavior |
|---|
| Message scope (default) | Decorator applies only to the current prompt |
| Chat scope | Decorator persists across all subsequent messages until cleared |
+++ChatScope: switches all decorators in the same message to chat scope; they auto-apply to every future prompt
+++MessageScope: pauses chat-scoped decorators for the current message only (does not erase them)
+++Clear: removes all active chat-scoped decorators; +++Clear(+++Reasoning, +++Tone) removes only the named ones
+++ActiveDecs: lists all currently active chat-scoped decorators
+++AvailableDecs: lists all available decorators with name, description, and current status
Track active chat-scoped decorators across the conversation and apply them automatically even when the user does not re-specify them.
Combining Decorators
All decorators in a prompt apply simultaneously and in order. They do not conflict, each governs a different dimension of the response (reasoning process, tone, format, verification, etc.). When decorators overlap in effect, use judgment to satisfy both.
Example:
+++Reasoning
+++StepByStep
+++Tone(style=formal)
Explain how transformer models handle attention.
→ Begin with explicit reasoning, structure the body as labeled steps, maintain formal tone throughout.
Quick Reference
| Category | Decorator | Definition File |
|---|
| Reasoning & structure | +++Reasoning | references/Reasoning.md |
| Reasoning & structure | +++StepByStep | references/StepByStep.md |
| Reasoning & structure | +++Socratic | references/Socratic.md |
| Reasoning & structure | +++Debate | references/Debate.md |
| Evaluation & refinement | +++Critique | references/Critique.md |
| Evaluation & refinement | +++Refine(iterations=N) | references/Refine.md |
| Evaluation & refinement | +++Candor(level=L) | references/Candor.md |
| Exploration & planning | +++Brainstorm | references/Brainstorm.md |
| Exploration & planning | +++Planning | references/Planning.md |
| Exploration & planning | +++Interactive | references/Interactive.md |
| Exploration & planning | +++Import(topic=T) | references/Import.md |
| Rewriting & clarification | +++Rewrite | references/Rewrite.md |
| Output control | +++OutputFormat(format=F) | references/OutputFormat.md |
| Output control | +++Tone(style=S) | references/Tone.md |
| Verification | +++FactCheck | references/FactCheck.md |
| Verification | +++CiteSources | references/CiteSources.md |
| Verification | +++Validate | references/Validate.md |
| Session management | +++ChatScope | references/ChatScope.md |
| Session management | +++MessageScope | references/MessageScope.md |
| Session management | +++Clear | references/Clear.md |
| Session management | +++ActiveDecs | references/ActiveDecs.md |
| Session management | +++AvailableDecs | references/AvailableDecs.md |
| Export | +++Export(format=F) | references/Export.md |
| Export | +++Dump | references/Dump.md |