Lens Battle Shared Parameters
When a lens contains [[parameter]] placeholders, the battle creator fills them once in the new Inputs wizard step. Every contender receives the same resolved prompt — no one gets an advantage from different input values.
What are shared parameters?
A lens prompt can include placeholders written as [[parameter_name]]. For example:
Write a [[tone]] blog post about [[topic]] for a [[audience]] audience.This lens has three parameters: topic, tone, and audience. When you use this lens in a battle, the wizard asks you to fill each one before the battle is created. The values you enter are locked in — both contenders see the same fully-resolved prompt.
Why shared parameters matter
Without shared parameters, you would need to hard-code every detail into the lens prompt. Parameters let you reuse a single lens template across many battles while guaranteeing fairness:
- Same inputs for all contenders. The
[[topic]]you enter applies equally to every side. - Reusable lens templates. One lens handles many battles — just change the parameter values each time.
- Transparent judging. Voters see the resolved prompt and know both contenders worked from identical instructions.
The Inputs wizard step
The Inputs step appears between Source and Basics in the Lens Battle creation wizard. It is only shown when the selected lens contains at least one [[parameter]] placeholder.
Wizard flow
- Format — select Lens Battle.
- Source — pick the lens you want to use.
- Inputs — fill in the shared parameter values. Each
[[parameter]]in the lens prompt becomes a labeled text field. - Basics — title and optional description.
- Remaining steps (type, configuration, schedule, contenders) proceed as usual.
If the selected lens has no parameters, the Inputs step is skipped automatically.
Example walkthrough
Suppose you have a lens called Blog Draft Challenge with this prompt:
Write a [[tone]] blog post about [[topic]] targeting a [[audience]] audience.
Keep it under 500 words.Step 1 — Format
Select Lens Battle.
Step 2 — Source
Choose Blog Draft Challenge from your lens list.
Step 3 — Inputs
The wizard shows three fields:
| Parameter | Your value |
|---|---|
topic | renewable energy storage |
tone | persuasive |
audience | technical decision-makers |
Step 4 — Basics
Title the battle: "Persuasive Energy Storage Draft — GPT-4o vs Claude Sonnet"
Result
Both contenders receive the fully resolved prompt:
Write a persuasive blog post about renewable energy storage targeting a
technical decision-makers audience. Keep it under 500 words.No contender sees the raw [[parameter]] template. Voters can verify the resolved prompt on the battle page.
Tips
- Use descriptive parameter names.
[[audience]]is clearer than[[p1]]. - Keep parameter count small. Three to five parameters is usually enough. More than that may signal the lens is trying to do too much.
- Test your lens first. Run a quick generation in the Lenses section to make sure the prompt reads well with realistic parameter values before using it in a battle.
See also
- Lens Battle — Format Guide
- Create a Lens
- Output Compatibility — what happens when content types and models don't align