diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/build-output-format-instruction.test.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/build-output-format-instruction.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffe8118
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/build-output-format-instruction.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+import * as z from "zod/v4";
+
+import { buildOutputFormatInstruction } from "../src/build-output-format-instruction.js";
+
+describe("buildOutputFormatInstruction", () => {
+  test("always includes the frontmatter example block", () => {
+    const schema = z.object({ status: z.string() });
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("## Deliverable Format");
+    expect(result).toContain("status:");
+    expect(result).toContain("confidence:");
+    expect(result).toContain("artifacts:");
+    expect(result).toContain("scope:");
+  });
+
+  test("always includes scope reminder", () => {
+    const schema = z.object({ status: z.string() });
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("Focus exclusively on YOUR role's deliverable");
+    expect(result).toContain("Do not perform actions outside your role's scope");
+  });
+
+  test("lists fields from a flat ZodObject schema", () => {
+    const schema = z.object({
+      title: z.string(),
+      phases: z.array(z.string()),
+      reason: z.union([z.string(), z.null()]),
+    });
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("`title`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`phases`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`reason`");
+  });
+
+  test("lists union of fields from a discriminated union schema", () => {
+    const schema = z.discriminatedUnion("status", [
+      z.object({ status: z.literal("planned"), phases: z.array(z.string()) }),
+      z.object({ status: z.literal("aborted"), reason: z.string() }),
+    ]);
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("`status`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`phases`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`reason`");
+  });
+
+  test("lists fields from a plain ZodUnion schema", () => {
+    const schema = z.union([
+      z.object({ kind: z.literal("a"), valueA: z.string() }),
+      z.object({ kind: z.literal("b"), valueB: z.number() }),
+    ]);
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("`kind`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`valueA`");
+    expect(result).toContain("`valueB`");
+  });
+
+  test("falls back gracefully for a non-object schema (no field list crash)", () => {
+    const schema = z.string();
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("## Deliverable Format");
+    expect(result).toContain("schema fields will be extracted automatically");
+  });
+
+  test("marks frontmatter as the primary deliverable", () => {
+    const schema = z.object({ done: z.boolean() });
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    expect(result).toContain("primary deliverable");
+  });
+
+  test("no field is listed more than once for a union with overlapping keys", () => {
+    const schema = z.union([
+      z.object({ status: z.literal("a"), shared: z.string() }),
+      z.object({ status: z.literal("b"), shared: z.string() }),
+    ]);
+    const result = buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema);
+    const matches = [...result.matchAll(/`shared`/g)];
+    expect(matches.length).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/create-agent-adapter.test.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/create-agent-adapter.test.ts
index 83ad04e..80c0d22 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/create-agent-adapter.test.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/__tests__/create-agent-adapter.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+
 const mock = vi.fn;
+
 import type { CasStore } from "@uncaged/workflow-cas";
 import type { ThreadContext, WorkflowRuntime } from "@uncaged/workflow-runtime";
 import * as z from "zod/v4";
diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-agent-prompt.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-agent-prompt.ts
index 9d217c0..8522d25 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-agent-prompt.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-agent-prompt.ts
@@ -3,30 +3,20 @@ import type { AgentContext, ThreadContext } from "@uncaged/workflow-runtime";
 /**
  * Builds a user-message string from thread context: task, previous steps, and tool hints.
  * Does NOT include a system prompt — that is passed separately via the adapter.
+ *
+ * Ordering: Task → Previous Steps → Parent Context → Tools
+ * The "Deliverable" section lives in the system prompt (injected by createAgentAdapter).
  */
 export async function buildThreadInput(ctx: ThreadContext): Promise<string> {
   const lines: string[] = [];
 
-  if (ctx.start.parentState !== null) {
-    lines.push("## Parent Context");
-    lines.push(
-      "This workflow was spawned by a parent workflow. The parent's state at spawn time is available at hash: " +
-        ctx.start.parentState,
-    );
-    lines.push(
-      `Use \`uncaged-workflow cas get ${ctx.start.parentState}\` to inspect the parent's context and trace back through its steps.`,
-    );
-    lines.push("");
-  }
-
+  // 1. Task — what to do
   lines.push("## Task");
   lines.push(ctx.start.content);
 
   const { steps } = ctx;
-  if (steps.length === 0) {
-    return lines.join("\n");
-  }
 
+  // 2. Context — previous steps
   if (steps.length === 1) {
     const s = steps[0];
     lines.push("");
@@ -34,7 +24,7 @@ export async function buildThreadInput(ctx: ThreadContext): Promise<string> {
     lines.push("");
     lines.push(`ContentHash: ${s.contentHash}`);
     lines.push(`Meta: ${JSON.stringify(s.meta)}`);
-  } else {
+  } else if (steps.length > 1) {
     lines.push("");
     lines.push("## Previous Steps");
     for (let i = 0; i < steps.length - 1; i++) {
@@ -51,6 +41,24 @@ export async function buildThreadInput(ctx: ThreadContext): Promise<string> {
     lines.push(`Meta: ${JSON.stringify(last.meta)}`);
   }
 
+  // 3. Parent context — available when this workflow was spawned by another
+  if (ctx.start.parentState !== null) {
+    lines.push("");
+    lines.push("## Parent Context");
+    lines.push(
+      "This workflow was spawned by a parent workflow. The parent's state at spawn time is available at hash: " +
+        ctx.start.parentState,
+    );
+    lines.push(
+      `Use \`uncaged-workflow cas get ${ctx.start.parentState}\` to inspect the parent's context and trace back through its steps.`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  if (steps.length === 0 && ctx.start.parentState === null) {
+    return lines.join("\n");
+  }
+
+  // 4. Tools — available commands
   lines.push("");
   lines.push("## Tools");
   lines.push(
diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-output-format-instruction.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-output-format-instruction.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c99131a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/build-output-format-instruction.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import type * as z from "zod/v4";
+
+type ZodSchema = z.ZodType;
+
+/**
+ * Extract the top-level field names from a Zod schema.
+ *
+ * Handles:
+ * - ZodObject → its `.shape` keys
+ * - ZodDiscriminatedUnion / ZodUnion → union of all variant shapes
+ *
+ * Returns an empty array for schemas that have no inspectable shape
+ * (e.g. primitives, ZodAny).
+ */
+function extractSchemaFields(schema: ZodSchema): string[] {
+  const def = schema.def as {
+    type: string;
+    shape?: Record<string, ZodSchema>;
+    options?: ZodSchema[];
+  };
+
+  if (def.type === "object" && def.shape !== undefined) {
+    return Object.keys(def.shape);
+  }
+
+  if ((def.type === "discriminated_union" || def.type === "union") && Array.isArray(def.options)) {
+    const fieldSet = new Set<string>();
+    for (const option of def.options) {
+      for (const field of extractSchemaFields(option as ZodSchema)) {
+        fieldSet.add(field);
+      }
+    }
+    return [...fieldSet];
+  }
+
+  return [];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build a concise output format instruction block for an agent role.
+ *
+ * The instruction describes the expected frontmatter markdown format and lists
+ * the meta fields derived from `schema`. It is injected at the top of the
+ * system prompt so the deliverable format is the first thing the agent sees.
+ *
+ * Focus on YOUR role's deliverable. Do not perform actions outside your role's scope.
+ */
+export function buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema: ZodSchema): string {
+  const fields = extractSchemaFields(schema);
+
+  const fieldList =
+    fields.length > 0
+      ? fields.map((f) => `  - \`${f}\``).join("\n")
+      : "  (schema fields will be extracted automatically)";
+
+  return `## Deliverable Format
+
+Your response MUST begin with a YAML frontmatter block followed by your markdown work:
+
+\`\`\`
+---
+status: done          # done | needs_input | in_progress | failed
+next: <role-name>     # suggested next role, or omit
+confidence: 0.9       # 0.0–1.0, your self-assessed confidence
+artifacts:            # list of file paths or CAS hashes you produced
+  - path/to/file.ts
+scope: role           # role | thread
+---
+
+... your markdown work here ...
+\`\`\`
+
+The frontmatter is the **primary deliverable** — the engine reads it directly.
+Your meta output must satisfy these fields:
+
+${fieldList}
+
+Focus exclusively on YOUR role's deliverable. Do not perform actions outside your role's scope.`;
+}
diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/create-agent-adapter.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/create-agent-adapter.ts
index 9825289..e4d66d1 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/create-agent-adapter.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/create-agent-adapter.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   validateFrontmatter,
 } from "@uncaged/workflow-util";
 import type * as z from "zod/v4";
+import { buildOutputFormatInstruction } from "./build-output-format-instruction.js";
 
 const log = createLogger({ sink: { kind: "stderr" } });
 
@@ -83,8 +84,9 @@ export function createAgentAdapter<Opt>(
   extract: ExtractOptionsFn<Opt>,
 ): AdapterFn {
   return <T>(prompt: string, schema: z.ZodType<T>) => {
+    const augmentedPrompt = `${buildOutputFormatInstruction(schema)}\n\n${prompt}`;
     return async (ctx: ThreadContext, runtime: WorkflowRuntime): Promise<RoleResult<T>> => {
-      const options = await extract(ctx, prompt, runtime);
+      const options = await extract(ctx, augmentedPrompt, runtime);
       const raw = await agent(ctx, options);
 
       const frontmatterResult = tryFrontmatterMeta(raw, schema);
diff --git a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/index.ts b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/index.ts
index 7a75ce3..93479ef 100644
--- a/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow-util-agent/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 export { buildAgentPrompt, buildThreadInput } from "./build-agent-prompt.js";
+export { buildOutputFormatInstruction } from "./build-output-format-instruction.js";
 export { createAgentAdapter } from "./create-agent-adapter.js";
 export type { SpawnCliError } from "./spawn-cli.js";
 export { spawnCli } from "./spawn-cli.js";