Prompt: Self-Evaluation Checklist
A finishing prompt that makes the model critique its own draft for clarity, evidence, tone, and structural weak points.
Use cases
Content & Writing, Development & Code, Operations & Workflow
Platforms
Claude, GPT, Gemini, Model-Agnostic
Jump to a section
The resource
Copy and adapt. Do not paste blind.
Review the draft against these questions:
- Is the main point obvious?
- What claims need evidence?
- Where is the answer repetitive or vague?
- Does the structure match the requested format?
- What would a sceptical reader challenge?
Return:
1. Issues found
2. Severity
3. Proposed fixes
4. Revised versionWhen to Use This
Use this after a first draft when you want a cleaner second pass without rewriting from zero.
It is useful for content, documentation, reports, and outreach.
Why It Works
Models are often better critics than first-pass writers if you point them at the right failure modes.
The severity field helps separate minor polish from structural issues.
How to Customise
Add domain-specific checks such as citation quality, legal risk, or code correctness.
Use it as the final stage in prompt chains or agent workflows.
Limitations
Self-evaluation is still self-evaluation. It can miss blind spots a human would catch.
The revision may drift if the model is asked to change too many things at once.
Model Notes
Claude tends to produce more candid critiques.
GPT works well when the severity scale is defined explicitly.
Related Resources
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Related Guides
Prompt Testing: How to Know If Your Prompt Is Good
A practical guide to prompt evaluation that goes beyond vibes and looks at repeatability, failure cases, and revision discipline.
Why Your Few-Shot Examples Aren't Working
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