Task · Request · Action · Context · Example
Show, don't tell. The Example field teaches the AI exactly what you want better than any description.
The broad category or type of task you are asking the AI to perform.
The specific, precise request — what exactly you need.
The concrete action the AI should take to fulfil the request.
Relevant background, constraints, and situational information.
A concrete example of what good output looks like. The most powerful field in TRACE.
Scenario: Generating structured product descriptions in a specific format
Task: Product description writing. Request: Write a product description for PromptQuorum. Action: Follow the exact structure in the example. Context: B2B SaaS tool, technical audience. Example: "Notion — The all-in-one workspace. Write, plan, collaborate, and get organized. Notion is everything you need — in one tool."
TRACE stands for Task, Request, Action, Context, and Example — a few-shot framework where providing an example teaches the AI precisely what output you want.
Showing beats telling. A concrete example communicates format, tone, length, and style simultaneously — more efficiently than any written description.
TRACE uses examples to guide AI output; RISEN uses explicit sequential steps. Use TRACE when you can show what good looks like; use RISEN for ordered workflows.
