Luna configurations help customize how Luna creates and revises instructional content. The most effective configurations do not try to control everything Luna does. Instead, they guide Luna toward a specific instructional goal, a consistent teacher workflow, and a shared quality bar for instructional and assessment content.
A strong configuration helps teachers move through a clear flow: provide the right inputs, answer a few targeted questions, and receive content that reflects the district’s expectations, instructional priorities, and assessment style.
This article shares practical strategies for creating Luna configurations that are specific, reusable, and aligned to your goals.
On this page, learn how to:
Create a new configuration
Write great configuration instructions
Upload files to give Luna more context
Test and refine
The Configuration Studio
Open Luna Configuration Studio.
Click Create New Configuration
Add a Title, Description, and Instructions. Use the tips below to write great Luna instructions.
You can preview your configuration before publishing by saving any time as a hidden configuration and then clicking preview.
When your configuration is tested and working as you like. Update the configuration to Public and click Save.
How to Write Great Luna Configuration Instructions
Start with the Outcome, Not the Fields
Before writing a title, description, or instructions, define the outcome you want.
Ask:
What should Luna help teachers create or improve?
What should be consistent across classrooms?
What instructional or assessment expectations should Luna preserve?
How will a teacher know the configuration worked?
For example:
❌ Create better assessments.
✅ Create Grade 6 ratio and proportional reasoning assessments that prioritize DOK 2–3 reasoning tasks, include misconception-based distractors, and require students to explain their thinking.
The more specific the instructional goal, the more reliable Luna’s output will be.
Think of a Configuration as a Guided Teacher Flow
A Luna configuration is more than a set of instructions. It can guide teachers through a consistent process from starting point to finished product.
For example, a strong configuration can prompt teachers to provide:
Grade level
Subject or course
Standard or learning target
Assessment purpose
Desired question count
Preferred item types
Rigor level
Source materials or district references
This creates a repeatable flow for teachers. Instead of every teacher prompting Luna differently, the configuration helps everyone begin with the same instructional priorities and move toward the same kind of end product.
This is especially valuable at the school or district level because configurations can help preserve:
Consistent expectations for rigor
Shared assessment design principles
District curriculum alignment
Common language across teams
Alignment to approved pacing guides, frameworks, or item specifications
More predictable teacher and student experiences
Teachers still have flexibility, but the configuration helps keep the work anchored in the same instructional vision.
Use Configurations to Preserve District Alignment
Configurations are especially useful when a district wants teachers to create content that reflects shared expectations.
For example, a district configuration might guide Luna to:
Use district-approved language for learning targets
Follow a common assessment blueprint
Prioritize certain item types
Include constructed-response questions when appropriate
Use specific scoring expectations or success criteria
Avoid question styles that do not match district guidance
Reference uploaded pacing guides, exemplar items, or curriculum documents
When paired with strong reference materials, configurations can help Luna produce content that feels more consistent across schools, departments, and grade levels.
This does not mean every teacher receives identical content. It means teachers receive content shaped by the same rules, goals, and instructional priorities.
Remember: Standards Tagging Is Still the Best Path for Standards Alignment
Luna understands standards well and can create standards-aligned instructional content. For the strongest standards-aligned results, teachers should tag the relevant standard directly when possible.
Using an @ tagged standard gives Luna a clearer target than a general prompt.
For example, instead of a general prompt such as: "Make this aligned to Grade 5 math standards."
A stronger prompt would be:"Create 5 questions aligned to @5.NF.1 that help students add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators."
When a standard is tagged, Luna has a more specific anchor for the content, skill, and expected student thinking. Configurations can reinforce this best practice by reminding teachers to tag or provide the target standard before generating standards-aligned content.
A configuration should not replace standards tagging. Instead, it should guide teachers to use standards tagging as part of the workflow.
Focus on Instructional Decisions
Strong configurations guide the decisions Luna should make.
High-impact instructions include:
What content to generate or revise
What standards, frameworks, or source materials to follow
What cognitive demand to emphasize
What item types to prioritize
What quality criteria to apply
What common mistakes to avoid
What Luna should ask before generating content
Less effective instructions include broad statements such as:
Be engaging
Be helpful
Create great questions
Act like an expert teacher
These statements may sound useful, but they rarely change Luna’s output in a meaningful or consistent way.
Use a Simple Configuration Structure
Most successful configurations include several key elements.
1. Role & Objective
Define the purpose of the configuration.
Example:
You are a middle school mathematics assessment designer. Your objective is to create standards-aligned assessments that emphasize conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning.
2. Getting Started
Tell Luna what information it should collect before generating content.
Example:
Before generating items, ask the teacher for the grade level, target standard or learning objective, topic, number of questions, and preferred item mix. If the teacher wants standards-aligned content, encourage them to tag the standard directly.
This is where the interview process becomes important. A strong configuration should not assume the teacher has provided everything Luna needs. It should guide Luna to ask focused questions that move the teacher toward the intended outcome.
3. Question & Content Guidelines
Explain what quality looks like.
Examples:
Prioritize DOK 2–3 reasoning
Use misconception-based distractors
Require evidence-based responses
Keep reading load low unless literacy is being assessed
Include real-world applications when appropriate
Align vocabulary and rigor to the intended grade level
4. Blueprint
Define the default structure.
Examples:
6–8 total questions
70% selected response and 30% constructed response
At least one reasoning task
At least one application task
At least one item that asks students to explain or justify
Blueprints create consistency while still allowing teachers to adjust the final output.
5. Image Guidance
Specify when visuals should be included.
Examples:
Never
Only when useful
Frequently
Whenever visual reasoning supports the learning goal
Images should support learning, context, or assessment evidence. They should not be included only for decoration.
6. Answer Expectations
Tell Luna what to provide with each item.
Examples:
Correct answer
Acceptable equivalent responses
Brief answer reasoning
Misconception-based distractor rationale
Teacher-facing scoring notes for constructed responses
7. Reference File Use
Explain how Luna should use uploaded or attached materials.
Example:
Use attached pacing guides, item specifications, curriculum documents, or exemplar assessments to guide topic selection, vocabulary, rigor, item style, and alignment expectations.
8. What to Avoid
Explain what Luna should not do.
Examples:
Avoid trivia-style recall questions
Avoid unrealistic contexts
Avoid overly complex reading passages
Avoid distractors that are obviously incorrect
Avoid changing the intent of teacher-provided questions unless asked
Write Specific Instructions
Compare the following examples.
Weak
Create engaging science questions.
Better
Create middle school science questions aligned to the provided standard.
Strong
Create middle school science questions aligned to the provided or tagged standard. Use phenomena, diagrams, models, or data displays when appropriate. Prioritize DOK 2–3 reasoning tasks that require students to analyze evidence, explain cause-and-effect relationships, or evaluate claims. Include misconception-based distractors and answer expectations.
Specific instructions produce more consistent results because they tell Luna what decisions to make.
Use the Interview Process Intentionally
One of the most useful things a configuration can do is guide teachers through a short, focused interview before content is generated.
This helps Luna gather the information needed to produce better results and helps teachers clarify what they actually want.
A good interview flow might ask:
What grade level or course is this for?
What standard, skill, or learning target should Luna align to?
Are you creating new content or revising existing content?
How many questions or tasks do you need?
What item types should Luna prioritize?
What level of rigor should the content emphasize?
Should Luna use any uploaded files, examples, or district guidance?
How often should Luna include visuals?
The goal is not to slow teachers down. The goal is to collect the minimum information needed to produce useful, aligned content.
When every teacher is guided through a similar flow, the resulting content becomes more consistent across classrooms and better aligned to shared expectations.
Use Images Intentionally
Visuals are most effective when they support student thinking.
Consider using visuals for:
Geometry
Graphing
Science phenomena
Maps and geography
Data interpretation
Vocabulary development
Early literacy
Diagrams and models
Avoid decorative images that do not contribute to the learning objective.
A good rule of thumb is to use visuals only when they help students understand the task, interpret information, or demonstrate their thinking.
Use Reference Files When Fidelity Matters
Configurations become much more powerful when paired with reference materials.
Consider attaching:
Pacing guides
Curriculum documents
Item specifications
Assessment frameworks
Exemplar assessments
Scoring guidance
District expectations
Reference files help Luna align more closely to local expectations without requiring every teacher to rewrite those expectations in their prompt.
For example, a district might attach an assessment blueprint and instruct Luna to use it when creating be•{π ÷¬nchmark-style checks for understanding. A curriculum team might attach sample items so Luna can generate new items with a similar structure, rigor, and style.
When possible, focus configuration instructions on how Luna should use the materials rather than copying large amounts of guidance directly into the configuration.
Common Configuration Mistakes
Mistake #1: Being Too Broad
❌ Create good assessments.
✅ Create Grade 5 fraction assessments that emphasize visual models, equivalent fractions, and student reasoning.
Mistake #2: Forgetting the Teacher Flow
❌ Generate an exit ticket.
✅ Before generating an exit ticket, ask the teacher for the grade level, learning target, standard, number of questions, and whether students should explain their reasoning.
The second version gives Luna a process to follow, which leads to more consistent results.
Mistake #3: Forgetting to Define Rigor
Teachers often request “high-quality questions” without explaining what students should actually do.
Specify whether students should:
Recall
Explain
Compare
Model
Analyze
Justify
Critique
Apply
Mistake #4: Omitting Required Inputs
If Luna needs a standard, grade level, topic, or source material, say so explicitly.
Otherwise, outputs may vary significantly.
Mistake #5: Treating Standards Alignment Too Generally
❌ Make this standards aligned.
✅ Create questions aligned to the tagged standard. Focus on the specific skill, vocabulary, and evidence of understanding required by that standard.
For the best results, teachers should tag the relevant standard directly whenever possible.
Mistake #6: Trying to Control Everything
Configurations work best as an instructional guidance layer.
Focus on the decisions that matter most rather than creating lengthy rule sets for every possible scenario.
Example: Before and After
Before
Create standards-aligned science assessments.
After
Create NGSS-style middle school science assessments aligned to the tagged or provided standard. Before generating, ask the teacher for the grade level, target standard, topic, number of questions, and preferred item mix. Use phenomena-driven prompts, diagrams, models, and data displays when appropriate. Prioritize DOK 2–3 reasoning tasks that require students to analyze evidence, explain relationships, and construct scientific explanations. Include misconception-based distractors and teacher-facing answer expectations. Use uploaded district examples or item specifications to match local expectations for rigor and style.
The revised version gives Luna a clear workflow, alignment target, content style, rigor expectation, and quality bar.
Copy-and-Paste Configuration Template
Use this structure when drafting a new Luna configuration.
### Role & Objective
You are a [role]. Your objective is to help teachers [instructional goal].
This configuration should help teachers create or revise [type of content] that is [aligned, rigorous, accessible, district-consistent, etc.].
### Getting Started
Before generating or revising content, ask the teacher for:
- Grade level or course
- Subject or topic
- Target standard, skill, or learning objective
- Assessment or activity purpose
- Desired number of questions or tasks
- Preferred item types
- Desired rigor or cognitive demand
- Any source materials, examples, or district guidance to follow
When standards-aligned content is requested, encourage the teacher to tag the relevant standard directly whenever possible.
### Question & Content Guidelines
When generating or revising content:
- Align tightly to the tagged or provided standard, learning target, or source material.
- Match the intended grade level and course expectations.
- Use clear, student-friendly language.
- Prioritize [desired rigor level or cognitive demand].
- Include [desired item design expectations].
- Use misconception-based distractors when appropriate.
- Preserve the teacher’s instructional intent when revising existing content.
### Blueprint
Use this default structure unless the teacher requests otherwise:
- [Number/type of items]
- [Number/type of items]
- [Number/type of items]
For larger sets, include a balanced mix of selected-response and constructed-response items.
### Image Guidance
Use generated images or visual stimuli [never / only when useful / frequently / whenever visual reasoning supports the learning goal].
Prioritize visuals when they help students interpret diagrams, graphs, models, maps, data displays, or visual evidence.
Do not include images as decoration.
### Answer Expectations
For each generated item, provide:
- Correct answer
- Acceptable equivalent responses when relevant
- Brief answer reasoning
- Misconception-based distractor rationale when relevant
- Teacher-facing scoring notes or success criteria for constructed responses
### Reference File Use
Use attached files to guide:
- Standards alignment
- Vocabulary
- Rigor
- Pacing
- Item structure
- Scoring expectations
- District non-negotiables
Do not copy long passages from reference files unless the teacher explicitly asks and has the right to use them. Prefer adapting the style, structure, rigor, and expectations.
### What to Avoid
Avoid:
- Generic or loosely aligned questions
- Decorative images
- Unclear distractors
- Unnecessary reading load
- Changing the original instructional intent unless asked
- Claims of official assessment certification unless authoritative materials are provided
Final Checklist
Before publishing a Luna configuration, ask:
Is the instructional goal clear?
Does the configuration guide teachers through a useful flow?
Does Luna know what information to collect before generating?
Does the configuration support consistency across classrooms?
Does it preserve district or curriculum alignment?
Does it encourage teachers to tag standards when standards alignment matters?
Is rigor clearly defined?
Are item types or assessment structures specified?
Is image use addressed?
Does the configuration explain what to avoid?
Would another teacher know how to use it?
If the answer is yes to each question, the configuration is likely specific enough to produce consistent, high-quality results.