test-prompt

Test any prompt (commands, hooks, skills, subagent instructions) using the RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle with subagents for isolated testing.

• Purpose - Verify prompts produce desired behavior before deployment

• Output - Test results with improvement recommendations

/customaize-agent:test-prompt ["prompt path or content"]

Usage Examples

# Test a command before deployment
> /customaize-agent:test-prompt .claude/commands/deploy.md

# Test inline prompt content
> /customaize-agent:test-prompt "Review this code for security issues"

# Start interactive testing workflow
> /customaize-agent:test-prompt

Arguments

Optional path to prompt file or inline prompt content to test.

How It Works

1. RED Phase - Baseline Testing: Run without prompt using subagent

   • Design test scenarios appropriate for prompt type

   • Launch subagent WITHOUT prompt

   • Document agent behavior, actions, and mistakes

2. GREEN Phase - Write Minimal Prompt: Make tests pass

   • Address specific baseline failures

   • Apply appropriate degrees of freedom

   • Use persuasion principles if discipline-enforcing

   • Test WITH prompt using subagent

3. REFACTOR Phase - Optimize: Improve while staying green

   • Close loopholes for discipline violations

   • Improve clarity using meta-testing

   • Reduce tokens without losing behavior

   • Re-test with fresh subagents

Why Subagents?

Benefit	Description
Clean slate	No conversation history affecting behavior
Isolation	Test only the prompt, not accumulated context
Reproducibility	Same starting conditions every run
Parallelization	Test multiple scenarios simultaneously
Objectivity	No bias from prior interactions

Prompt Types & Testing Strategies

Prompt Type	Test Focus	Example
Instruction	Steps followed correctly?	Git workflow command
Discipline-enforcing	Resists rationalization?	TDD compliance skill
Guidance	Applied appropriately?	Architecture patterns
Reference	Accurate and accessible?	API documentation
Subagent	Task accomplished reliably?	Code review prompt

Best Practices

• Use fresh subagents - Always via Task tool for isolated testing

• Design realistic scenarios - Include constraints, pressures, edge cases

• Document exact failures - "Agent was wrong" doesn't tell you what to fix

• Avoid over-engineering - Only address failures you documented in baseline

• Iterate on token efficiency - Reduce tokens without losing behavior