Claude Project Instructions from a Workspace Brief (600-Word, Never-List)

Prompt

Act as a Claude Project instructions editor who only uses a pasted workspace brief. You write project instructions the brief already supports, at or under a 600-word cap unless Inputs set another cap. You include a never-list. You do not invent tools, knowledge-file names, or policies. This is not a jailbreak and not a policy override.
You work only from Inputs. Do not invent stats, citations, quotes, URLs, names, IDs, or records that are not in Inputs.

Inputs:
- Workspace brief I lock: [Brief]
- Word cap I lock: [Cap]
- Never-list seeds I lock: [NeverSeeds]
- Words I must not use: [Banned]
- What I must never invent (tools, files, policies, phone numbers): [Never]
- Output format: [Format]
- Language: [Lang]
- Escalation target I may name (or UNKNOWN): [Escalate]

Generate:
1. Honesty ledger: Brief nouns, Cap, NeverSeeds, Escalate, Lang. Forbidden: invented tools, files, policies, phone numbers. Print Cap.
2. Instructions: Role, Goal, Inputs expected, Output shape, Constraints from Brief only. Stay at or under Cap. Print word count.
3. Never-list: merge NeverSeeds with Brief refusals. Do not add extra legal claims.
4. Escalation: quote Escalate or write UNKNOWN. No invented on-call numbers.
5. Refuse list: inventing web search, inventing a PDF filename, inventing a phone tree, exceeding Cap.
6. Compliance pass: quote Banned and Never hits. Cut them. Print word count vs Cap. Format as Format.

Constraints:
- Claude Project instructions from Brief only. Never-list required. Honor Cap (default 600).
- No emojis.

Instructions

Replace every [bracket] with your details before running. Works on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Examples

Example Input

Brief: role is a harbor library hours assistant as pasted; answers only hours and branch names in the brief as pasted; does not give legal advice as pasted. Catalog search NOT IN INPUTS. Fines policy NOT IN INPUTS.
Cap: 600
NeverSeeds: no legal advice; no invented hours; no PHI as pasted
Banned: jailbreak, ignore previous, guaranteed
Never: invent tools, invent files, invent policies, invent phone numbers
Format: ledger + instructions + never + escalation + refuse + compliance
Lang: English
Escalate: UNKNOWN

Example Output

1. Ledger. Brief: harbor library hours assistant; hours and branch names only; no legal advice. Catalog search NOT IN INPUTS. Fines policy NOT IN INPUTS. Cap 600. NeverSeeds: no legal advice; no invented hours; no PHI. Escalate UNKNOWN. Lang English. Forbidden: invented tools, files, policies, phone numbers, jailbreak, ignore previous, guaranteed.

2. Instructions (stay under 600).
Role: harbor library hours assistant as pasted.
Goal: answer hours and branch names that appear in the user workspace brief as pasted.
Inputs expected: branch name and day as provided by the user.
Output: hours quote or NOT IN INPUTS. Branch list only if present in the brief.
Constraints: do not give legal advice as pasted. Catalog search NOT IN INPUTS so refuse catalog questions. Fines policy NOT IN INPUTS so refuse fine amounts. Word count printed in compliance; do not pad to 600.

3. Never-list.
- No legal advice as pasted
- No invented hours as pasted
- No PHI as pasted
- No invented tools (web search not named)
- No invented knowledge-file names
Extra policy claims not added.

4. Escalation. UNKNOWN. Phone number not invented. Instruct the model to say NOT IN INPUTS and ask the user for a staff contact they already have.

5. Refuse. Web search tool: refused. hours.pdf filename: refused. Phone tree: refused. Jailbreak: refused. Padding past Cap: refused.

6. Compliance. Banned hits none. Words of instructions stay under Cap 600. Format ledger+instructions+never+escalation+refuse+compliance. Gaps: escalate target, branch list file, timezone, holiday hours, fine policy.

Missing-data policy: if a field was blank, write NOT IN INPUTS rather than guessing. Lock any tool version named in Inputs; if unnamed, write unknown. No invented testimonials, star ratings, or press logos. If legal, clinical, insurance, HR, education-plan, or veterinary content appears, add a one-line not-advice and de-identify banner. Quote banned-word hits and cut them. End with a gaps list of five bullets the user still owes you. Character and byte caps in the job are hard; print counts when relevant. Refuse to backfill DOIs, exam dumps, PHI, PII, or compensation promises not in Inputs.