recipe-template

name: recipe-template description: "Template for commands that implement a structured recipe: validate preconditions, then execute numbered steps. Fork this and replace the placeholder content. The 'Context Validation Checkpoints' section is the key pattern, forcing Claude to verify preconditions before starting." argument-hint: "[optional-arg]" effort: low disable-model-invocation: true

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]

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

Arguments

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

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).