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Writing Effective Prompts

The quality of your prompts directly impacts the quality of AI-generated code. Here’s how to craft prompts that get you the best results.

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Prompt Structure

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Basic Template

[Context] + [Task] + [Requirements] + [Format/Style]
Example: 
I'm building a React e-commerce app. Create a product card component that displays product image, name, price, and add-to-cart button. Use Tailwind CSS for styling and include hover effects.

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Advanced Template

For complex tasks, use this structure: 
**Context**: [Project details, tech stack, existing code]
**Goal**: [What you want to achieve]
**Requirements**: [Specific features, constraints, standards]
**Input/Output**: [Data formats, API structures]
**Style**: [Coding standards, frameworks, libraries]

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Prompt Categories

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Code Generation

Create a React component for [component name] that:
- [Feature 1]
- [Feature 2] 
- [Feature 3]

Requirements:
- Use TypeScript
- Style with [CSS framework]
- Include [accessibility features]
- Handle [error cases]

Props interface should include: [list props]

Build a [framework] API endpoint that:
- Method: [GET/POST/PUT/DELETE]
- Route: [/api/path]
- Functionality: [what it does]

Requirements:
- Validate input with [validation library]
- Connect to [database type]
- Return [response format]
- Handle errors: [error cases]
- Include authentication: [auth method]

Design a [database type] schema for [use case]:

Tables needed:
- [Table 1]: [fields and types]
- [Table 2]: [fields and types]

Relationships:
- [relationship descriptions]

Requirements:
- Include indexes for [performance needs]
- Add constraints for [data integrity]
- Consider [scalability factors]

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Code Review & Refactoring

Please review code for:
- Performance issues
- Security vulnerabilities
- Best practices adherence
- Code style consistency

Suggest specific improvements with examples.

Refactor code to:
- [Improvement goal 1]
- [Improvement goal 2]
- Follow [coding standard]
- Maintain backward compatibility

Please explain the changes you make.

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Debugging & Troubleshooting

I'm getting this error: [error message]

Context:
- Framework: [framework name]
- Environment: [development/production]
- Browser/Node version: [version]

Code that's causing the issue:
[Insert problematic code]

What I've tried:
- [Attempted solution 1]
- [Attempted solution 2]

Please help me fix this and explain what caused it.

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Example Prompts

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Frontend Development

Create a React dashboard component with:
- Sidebar navigation with icons
- Header with user profile dropdown
- Main content area with cards showing metrics
- Responsive design using Tailwind CSS
- Dark/light theme toggle
- TypeScript interfaces for all props

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Backend Development

Create an Express.js API for a blog platform:
- Routes: GET /posts, POST /posts, PUT /posts/:id, DELETE /posts/:id
- MongoDB integration with Mongoose
- JWT authentication middleware
- Input validation with Joi
- Error handling middleware
- Rate limiting

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Full-Stack Applications

CRUD App
Create a full-stack task management app:

Frontend (React + TypeScript):
- Task list with add, edit, delete, complete functionality
- Filter by status (all, active, completed)
- Responsive design with Tailwind CSS

Backend (Node.js + Express):
- REST API with CRUD operations
- PostgreSQL database with Prisma ORM
- JWT authentication

Features:
- User registration and login
- Real-time updates with WebSocket
- Dark mode toggle
- Mobile-responsive design

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Advanced Techniques

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Context Building

For larger projects, build context step by step so ChatAndBuild can keep track of all your needs.
  1. Start with overview: “I’m building a [type] application with [tech stack]”
  2. Add specifics: Share relevant code, file structure, or requirements
  3. Reference previous work: “Based on the component we created earlier…”

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Iterative Refinement

Use follow-up prompts to refine results: 
The code you generated is good, but can you:
1. Add error handling for [specific case]
2. Optimize the [specific function] for performance
3. Add comments explaining [complex logic]
4. Make it more accessible by [specific improvement]

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Multi-Step Tasks

Break complex tasks into steps: 
I want to build a real-time chat application. Let's start with:

Step 1: Create the basic UI components (chat window, message list, input field)

After this, we'll work on:
- WebSocket integration
- User authentication
- Message persistence
- Typing indicators

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Vague Requirements❌ “Build me a website” ✅ “Create a React portfolio website with header, hero section, projects grid, and contact form”
Missing Context❌ “Fix this code [code snippet]” ✅ “This React component isn’t updating state correctly. It should [expected behavior]. Here’s the code: [snippet]”
Overloading Prompts❌ Asking for an entire application in one prompt ✅ Breaking it down into components, features, and iterations

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Prompt Library

Save and reuse effective prompts:

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Component Templates

React Component Template:
Create a React [component type] component that [main functionality].

Props:
- [prop1]: [type] - [description]
- [prop2]: [type] - [description]

Styling: [CSS framework/approach]
State management: [if needed]
Accessibility: [requirements]
Testing: [if needed]

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API Templates

API Endpoint Template:
Create a [framework] API endpoint:

Route: [method] [path]
Purpose: [what it does]
Authentication: [requirements]
Validation: [input rules]
Response format: [structure]
Error handling: [scenarios]
Pro Tip: Start a conversation with “Help me build [project type]” and let the AI ask clarifying questions. This often leads to better, more targeted prompts.
Looking for more specific examples? Check out our chat interface guide and workbench documentation.