markdown-drafts

Markdown Drafts

When the user asks you to draft, write, or compose content that will be copied into an external system — GitHub issues, pull request descriptions, Jira tickets, wiki pages, design documents, RFCs, or similar — always use markdown syntax so that formatting survives the copy-paste.

When This Applies

• GitHub issues and pull request descriptions
• Jira ticket descriptions and comments
• Confluence / wiki page drafts
• Design documents and RFCs
• Slack messages (Slack renders a subset of markdown)
• Any content the user explicitly says will be copied elsewhere

Formatting Rules

• Use #, ##, ### headers to create structure
• Use - or * for unordered lists, 1. for ordered lists
• Use triple-backtick fenced code blocks with language tags (e.g., ```cpp) for code
• Use inline code backticks for identifiers, file paths, commands, and config values
• Use **bold** for emphasis on key points and _italic_ for secondary emphasis
• Use markdown tables when presenting structured comparisons or data
• Use > blockquotes for callouts, quoted text, or important notes
• Use [link text](url) for references — never bare URLs in running prose
• Use --- horizontal rules to separate major sections when appropriate
• Use task lists (- [ ] / - [x]) when drafting action items or checklists
• Keep line lengths reasonable (e.g., 80-120 characters)

Structure Guidelines

• Start with a concise summary paragraph before diving into details
• Use headers to break content into scannable sections
• Keep paragraphs short — walls of text are hard to scan in issue trackers
• Put the most important information first (inverted pyramid)
• End with next steps, open questions, or action items when relevant

Rendering: Always Emit Raw Markdown

The chat interface renders markdown, which strips the raw syntax (###, **, `, etc.) from the output. Since these drafts are meant to be copied and pasted into external systems, the user needs the raw markup characters preserved.

Always wrap the entire draft in a fenced code block so the chat interface displays it as literal text. Use a plain triple-backtick fence (no language tag):

```
## My Heading

- bullet one
- **bold text** and `code`
```

This ensures the user sees and can copy the exact markdown source. Never render the draft as formatted text outside a code fence — the markup will be silently consumed by the chat UI.

What NOT To Do

• Do not render the draft as formatted markdown outside a code fence — the user will lose the syntax
• Do not use plain text formatting (e.g., ALL CAPS for headers, ==== underlines, manual indentation)
• Do not use HTML tags unless the target system requires them and markdown is insufficient
• Do not add emoji unless the user's draft style includes them or they explicitly request it
• Do not use common cliche AI-generated phrases, tropes, or filler content like tricolons, or generic intros/outros. Be concise and to the point.
• Do not include editorial comments or unsubstantiated claims. Stick to the facts and the user's instructions precisely. If you need to ask clarifying questions, do so instead of making assumptions.