Skip to content
SHRINESHRINE

Few-Shot Examples

Show, don’t just tell.

The Pattern

Section titled “The Pattern”

Include 2-5 examples of the input/output format you want before asking for the actual task. The model learns the pattern from examples.

When to Use

Section titled “When to Use”
  • Specific output formats (JSON, markdown structures)
  • Consistent style or tone
  • Domain-specific conventions
  • When verbal descriptions of format are ambiguous

Implementation

Section titled “Implementation”

Structure as:

Here are examples of the format I need:


Input: [example 1 input]
Output: [example 1 output]


Input: [example 2 input]
Output: [example 2 output]


Now, apply this to:
Input: [actual input]
Output:

Tips

Section titled “Tips”
  • Examples should be representative, not edge cases
  • Vary the examples enough to show the pattern, not memorization
  • Keep examples concise; long examples waste context
  • Bad examples teach bad patterns

Anti-patterns

Section titled “Anti-patterns”
  • Too many examples (diminishing returns, context waste)
  • Examples that contradict each other
  • Examples that are too similar (model over-fits to specifics)