Coding prompts · Prompt

Model the domain and glossary (prompt)

model-domain-and-glossary-prompt

A prompt that sharpens the words your project uses - the AI challenges vague or clashing terms, tests them with edge-case scenarios, checks the code agrees, and records agreed terms in a GLOSSARY.md and big decisions as short ADRs. Use when names in the code are confusing, one thing has several names (customer, user, account), or you want a glossary.

Works with: Any AI Not yet model-tested; testing Jan 2027

View raw SKILL.mdInstall

Paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any AI chat, then tell it about your project. How it works

Install in Claude Code, Cursor or Codex (optional)

Only for AI coding tools that read skill folders. Run one line in a terminal, in your project folder. It downloads this skill's text files from TheSkillVault and nothing else; you can read them first with “View raw SKILL.md”.

Claude Code (all your projects)

curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/raw' -o ~/'.claude/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/SKILL.md' && curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/files/LICENSE.txt' -o ~/'.claude/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/LICENSE.txt'

Cursor (this project)

curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/raw' -o '.cursor/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/SKILL.md' && curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/files/LICENSE.txt' -o '.cursor/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/LICENSE.txt'

Codex and other Agent Skills tools (this project)

curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/raw' -o '.agents/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/SKILL.md' && curl -fsSL --create-dirs 'https://theskillvault.ai/api/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/files/LICENSE.txt' -o '.agents/skills/model-domain-and-glossary-prompt/LICENSE.txt'

Or connect the whole library over MCP

Add TheSkillVault to Cursor or add this to your app's MCP settings (read-only; help):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "theskillvault": {
      "url": "https://theskillvault.ai/mcp"
    }
  }
}

When "account" means a customer in one file and a login in another, bugs follow. This prompt pins down the words and writes them down.

When to use

  • Code names and the words people use do not match.
  • A feature discussion keeps going in circles over what a term means.
  • You want a GLOSSARY.md or a record of key decisions (ADRs).

Steps

  1. Open the project in your AI tool.
  2. Paste the prompt below and name the area in {{AREA}}.
  3. Answer the questions and scenarios it raises.
  4. Review GLOSSARY.md and any ADRs before committing.

Prompt

Help me sharpen the domain language for {{AREA}} in this project.

1. Read GLOSSARY.md if it exists, and the code for this area.
2. List terms that are vague, overloaded or used differently in code and conversation. For each, propose one precise term and say what it is not.
3. Test each term with one or two concrete edge-case scenarios ("an order is half shipped and the customer cancels - what is cancelled?").
4. Point out anywhere the code contradicts what I say.
5. As each term is agreed, add it to GLOSSARY.md as:
   **Term** - one-sentence definition. Not to be confused with: X. Example: ...
   Keep implementation details out of the glossary.
6. Only for decisions that are hard to reverse and were a real trade-off, suggest a short ADR in docs/adr/NNNN-title.md (context, decision, consequences). Ask before writing it.

Ask one question at a time.

How to adapt

  • Big codebase with separate areas? Ask for one GLOSSARY.md per area.
  • Just need names for a new feature? Skip the ADR step.

Gotchas

  • Glossaries rot when nobody updates them. Link GLOSSARY.md from AGENTS.md or the README.
  • Do not paste confidential business details you would not want in the repo.

Portability

Works with any language, any chat AI or coding agent. No tool lock-in.

Done when

  • Confusing terms have one agreed meaning in GLOSSARY.md.
  • Code contradictions are listed or fixed.
  • Any hard-to-reverse decision has a short ADR.

Example prompt

"Our code uses customer, user and account interchangeably. Help me model the domain and write a glossary."

---

Adapted from "domain-modeling" in mattpocock/skills (MIT, Copyright (c) 2026 Matt Pocock). See LICENSE.txt.

Bundled files

Licence

Adapted from Matt Pocock (mattpocock/skills, domain-modeling) (Copyright (c) 2026 Matt Pocock), MIT License. Adapted by TheSkillVault: condensed the domain-modelling discipline into a paste-in prompt with an original glossary entry format; dropped multi-context map details; added steps, adapt notes and done-when.

Licence: MIT License. Attribution when you reuse it: Based on work by Matt Pocock (mattpocock/skills, domain-modeling) (Copyright (c) 2026 Matt Pocock, MIT License), https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/a496f5513d4a4cf889bc48e189e579f4b0bdf6aa/skills/engineering/domain-modeling; adapted by TheSkillVault, https://theskillvault.ai