Key answer
Specify what to inherit and what is merely example-specific data, then provide the current material separately. “Write like this” can mean copying structure or copying people, numbers and events.
Full explanation
Anthropic recommends relevant, clear and sufficiently varied demonstrations to avoid unintended shared patterns. This is usage guidance, not a universal measured reduction in copying errors. Official guide
If only format matters, replace irrelevant names and amounts with obvious placeholders. For natural style, retain a full example but state that facts come from current material. With multiple examples, avoid accidentally repeating one person, number or outcome in all of them. Placeholders demonstrate structure, not the actual content characteristics you need to show.
The example demonstrates reply order and tone, not current facts. Names, order numbers, amounts, dates and outcomes must come only from “current material”; do not fill gaps from the example. Example: Alex, your application for order 123 has been accepted and is expected to… Current material: customer Sam; eligibility to apply is confirmed, but the application has not been accepted and there is no processing deadline. Write the current reply from this information.
“Accepted” and “expected by” are also nontransferable data, not just names and numbers. Compare each fact against the material. Defining an example's purpose reduces ambiguity without guaranteeing zero copying. In fixed batch tasks, also check for example-specific names and values.