Write a reusable prompt with replaceable inputs. Submit your prompt and one test output for this example.
Task: Build an evidence-based incident hypothesis from a short timeline.
Example input: Fictional timeline: 09:00, a new image-processing setting is enabled. 09:10, a marketing email sends 2,000 visitors to an upload page. 09:15, upload failures rise from 1% to 12%. 09:20, application logs show timeout errors; storage logs show no increase in rejected writes. 09:30, traffic falls by half and failures fall to 4%. 09:40, the setting is disabled; traffic is now near normal and failures return to 1%. No controlled comparison or per-request processing data is available.
Constraints:
- Offer at least three hypotheses, including a combined effect.
- Do not declare a single proven root cause.
- Propose read-only observations or a safe isolated test, not production changes.
Required output from your prompt: Create an evidence table, rank the hypotheses with stated uncertainty, and propose the three most informative next checks.
Success checks:
- The rollout and traffic surge are both considered.
- The final recovery is recognized as confounded by changing traffic.
- Each hypothesis has supporting and missing evidence.
- The next checks could distinguish explanations rather than merely gather more logs.