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Configuring Prompts in ClojureMCP

Prompts in ClojureMCP allow you to define reusable templates that guide LLM interactions. They support Mustache templating for dynamic content and can be configured through the .clojure-mcp/config.edn file.

Configuration Structure

Prompts are configured under the :prompts key in your config file. Each prompt is a map entry with the prompt name as the key.

:prompts {"prompt-name" {:description "What this prompt does"
                         :args [{:name "param1" 
                                :description "Description of param1"
                                :required? true}]
                         :content "Template content with {{param1}}"}}

Prompt Fields

Required Fields

  • :description - A clear description of what the prompt does. This is shown to the LLM when listing available prompts.

Optional Fields

  • :args - A vector of argument definitions. Each argument has:

    • :name - The parameter name (used in templates)
    • :description - What this parameter is for
    • :required? - Boolean indicating if required (defaults to false)

  • :content - Inline template content (use this OR :file-path)

  • :file-path - Path to a template file (use this OR :content)

Template Syntax

Prompts use Mustache templating via the Pogonos library:

Basic Variable Substitution

Hello {{name}}, welcome to {{project}}!

Conditional Sections

{{#error}}
Error occurred: {{error}}
{{/error}}

{{^error}}
No errors!
{{/error}}

Lists/Collections

Files to review:
{{#files}}
- {{.}}
{{/files}}

Examples

1. Simple Inline Prompt

:prompts {"greeting" {:description "Generate a personalized greeting"
                     :args [{:name "name" :description "User's name" :required? true}]
                     :content "Hello {{name}}! How can I help you today?"}}

2. Code Review Prompt

:prompts {"code-review" {:description "Generate a code review for specified file"
                         :args [{:name "file" :description "File path to review" :required? true}
                                {:name "focus" :description "Review focus areas" :required? false}]
                         :content "Please perform a thorough code review of: {{file}}
                                   
{{#focus}}
Focus areas: {{focus}}
{{/focus}}

Analyze:
1. Code style and idioms
2. Performance
3. Error handling
4. Testing needs"}}

3. File-Based Prompt

Create a file at .clojure-mcp/prompts/debug-help.md:

I need help debugging an issue in {{namespace}}.

{{#error}}
The error message is:

{{error}}

{{/error}}

{{#context}}
Additional context:
{{context}}
{{/context}}

Please help me:
1. Understand the root cause
2. Suggest a fix
3. Verify the solution

Then reference it in config:

:prompts {"debug-help" {:description "Help debug issues in Clojure namespaces"
                        :args [{:name "namespace" :description "Namespace with issue" :required? true}
                               {:name "error" :description "Error message" :required? false}
                               {:name "context" :description "Additional context" :required? false}]
                        :file-path ".clojure-mcp/prompts/debug-help.md"}}

Template Behavior

Missing Variables

If a template references a variable that isn't provided, it renders as an empty string:

  • Template: "Hello {{name}}, age: {{age}}"
  • With only {:name "Alice"} → "Hello Alice, age: "

Extra Arguments

Arguments provided but not used in the template are simply ignored - no errors occur.

Overriding Default Prompts

You can override built-in prompts by using the same name in your configuration:

:prompts {"clojure_repl_system_prompt" {:description "Custom system prompt"
                                        :args []
                                        :content "My custom system instructions..."}}

Filtering Prompts

Control which prompts are available using enable/disable lists:

;; Only enable specific prompts
:enable-prompts ["code-review" "debug-help"]

;; Or disable specific prompts
:disable-prompts ["chat-session-summarize" "plan-and-execute"]

File Paths

  • Relative paths are resolved from the nrepl-user-dir (typically your project root)
  • Absolute paths are used as-is
  • File paths can reference any readable file in allowed directories

Best Practices

  1. Clear Descriptions - Write descriptions that help users understand when to use each prompt

  2. Optional Parameters - Use required? false for parameters that enhance but aren't essential

  3. Conditional Sections - Use {{#param}}...{{/param}} to handle optional parameters gracefully

  4. File-Based for Complex Templates - Use separate files for long or complex templates to keep config clean

  5. Meaningful Names - Use descriptive prompt names that indicate their purpose

  6. Documentation in Templates - Include instructions within the template to guide the LLM

Default Prompts

ClojureMCP includes several built-in prompts:

  • clojure_repl_system_prompt - System instructions for Clojure development
  • create-update-project-summary - Generate project documentation
  • chat-session-summarize - Summarize conversation for context
  • chat-session-resume - Resume from previous session
  • plan-and-execute - Planning with scratch pad
  • ACT/add-dir - Add directory to allowed paths
  • ACT/scratch_pad_load - Load scratch pad from file
  • ACT/scratch_pad_save_as - Save scratch pad to file

These can all be overridden or disabled through configuration.