How to Prompt
Writing effective prompts is key to getting great results from Constructr. A well-written prompt helps the AI agents understand exactly what you want, leading to better apps that match your vision.The Basics
A good prompt should be:- Clear - Easy to understand
- Specific - Includes important details
- Complete - Covers all key requirements
- Structured - Organized logically
Prompt Structure
1. Start with the Core Purpose
Begin by clearly stating what your app does: Good:“Build a task management app for small teams”Better:
“Build a collaborative task management app for small teams (5-10 people) where team members can create, assign, and track tasks together”
2. Describe Key Features
List the main features your app needs: Example:“The app should include:
- Task creation with title, description, due date, and priority
- Task assignment to team members
- Kanban board view (To Do, In Progress, Done)
- Filter by assignee and priority
- Task comments and collaboration”
3. Specify User Experience
Describe how users should interact with your app: Example:“Users should be able to:
- Drag and drop tasks between columns on the kanban board
- Click a task to see full details in a sidebar
- Add comments that notify the task assignee
- See a dashboard with team productivity metrics”
4. Mention Integrations
If you need integrations, mention them: Example:“Integrate with Slack to send notifications when tasks are assigned or completed, and sync completed tasks to a Notion database daily.”
5. Add Design Preferences (Optional)
If you have design preferences, include them: Example:“Use a modern, clean design with a light color scheme. Make it mobile-responsive with a mobile-first approach.”
Prompt Examples
Simple App
Prompt:“Create a personal note-taking app where users can:Use a simple, clean interface with a sidebar for folders and a main area for note content.”
- Create, edit, and delete notes
- Organize notes into folders
- Search notes by title or content
- Mark notes as favorites
- Export notes as markdown files
Complex App with Integrations
Prompt:“Build a customer feedback management app that:Include role-based access: admins can see all feedback, team members see only their assigned categories.”
- Collects feedback from Zendesk tickets
- Analyzes sentiment (positive/negative/neutral)
- Categorizes feedback by topic (feature requests, bugs, praise)
- Creates a dashboard showing feedback trends
- Sends weekly summaries to Slack
- Creates follow-up tasks in Linear for high-priority feedback
Best Practices
Be Specific
Be Specific
Instead of “make it user-friendly,” say “include clear navigation with a sidebar menu, large clickable buttons, and helpful tooltips.”
Include Examples
Include Examples
Reference similar apps or features: “Like Trello’s kanban board” or “Similar to Notion’s database view.”
Describe User Flows
Describe User Flows
Explain how users will use your app: “Users first see a dashboard, then click a project to see tasks, then click a task to see details.”
Mention Data Structure
Mention Data Structure
Describe what data you need: “Each task should have: title (text), description (rich text), due date (date), priority (low/medium/high), assignee (user), status (to do/in progress/done).”
Specify Permissions
Specify Permissions
If you need different user roles, mention them: “Admins can create and delete projects, members can only edit tasks within projects.”
Think About Edge Cases
Think About Edge Cases
Mention important edge cases: “Handle empty states gracefully with helpful messages” or “Show loading indicators for async operations.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Too Vague
Bad:“Make a good app for managing stuff”Good:
“Build a project management app for tracking tasks, deadlines, and team collaboration”
❌ Too Technical
Bad:“Implement a RESTful API with JWT authentication and PostgreSQL with Drizzle ORM”Good:
“Build an app with user authentication where users can log in securely and their data is stored in a database”
❌ Missing Context
Bad:“Add a calendar”Good:
“Add a calendar view where users can see tasks scheduled for each day, click dates to filter tasks, and drag tasks to reschedule them”
❌ Unrealistic Scope
Bad:“Build a complete social media platform with messaging, video calls, stories, and marketplace”Good:
“Build a simple social feed where users can post updates, like posts, and follow other users”
Iteration Prompts
When iterating on existing apps, be specific about what to change: Good Iteration Prompt:“Add a search feature to the task list. Include a search bar at the top that filters tasks in real-time as the user types. Search should match task titles, descriptions, and assignee names. Show a ‘No results’ message when nothing matches.”
Advanced Tips
Use Bullet Points
Organize complex requirements with bullet points for clarity:“The dashboard should show:
- Total tasks (with breakdown by status)
- Tasks due today
- Tasks assigned to the current user
- Recent activity feed”
Reference Existing Patterns
Mention familiar UI patterns:“Use a card-based layout similar to Trello, with drag-and-drop functionality”
Describe Interactions
Explain how things should behave:“When a user clicks ‘Complete Task’, show a confirmation dialog, then move the task to the ‘Done’ column and send a Slack notification”
Getting Better Results
- Start with a clear vision - Know what you want before you prompt
- Be detailed but focused - Include important details without overwhelming
- Iterate and refine - You can always improve your app with follow-up prompts
- Learn from examples - Check out our prompt inspirations for ideas
- Test and adjust - Use your app, identify improvements, and iterate
Next Steps
Prompt Inspirations
See examples of effective prompts and get inspired.
Build Your First App
Put these tips into practice and build your first app.
Remember: You can always iterate on your app. Don’t worry about getting the perfect prompt on the first try—start building and refine as you go!