> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fabricate.build/docs/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Prompting Best Practices > A practical framework for writing prompts that get the app you actually want — be specific, describe the outcome, build one feature at a time, and iterate. The prompt is your design tool. Fabricate's AI agent plans, generates, and previews a full-stack app from what you write — so a clear prompt is the difference between a rough sketch and a strong starting point. This page gives you a repeatable framework for writing prompts that work. You don't need technical language. Fabricate already knows it's building React, Tailwind, a Cloudflare Workers backend, and a D1 database. Describe the *product*, not the stack. ## The Five Principles Name the screens, the data, and the actions. Vague prompts produce vague apps. Say what the user should be able to do and see — not how to code it. Start with a focused core, then add features in follow-up messages. Attach images or name a layout pattern you want the app to echo. ## 1. Be specific The agent fills gaps with assumptions. Every detail you leave out is a decision made for you. Spell out the screens, the data each screen holds, and what users do there. ```text Instead of this theme={null} Build me a fitness app. ``` ```text Try this theme={null} Build a workout tracking app. Users log workouts with an exercise name, sets, reps, and weight. The home screen shows this week's workouts and a total-volume number. A history page lists past workouts grouped by date. Include sign-up and login so each user only sees their own data. ``` The second prompt names three screens, the exact fields, and the auth requirement. The agent has far less to guess. ## 2. Describe the outcome and the user Tell Fabricate *who* the app is for and *what success looks like* for them. Audience context shapes layout, language, and defaults — an app for accountants looks different from one for teenagers. ```text Instead of this theme={null} Add a dashboard with some charts. ``` ```text Try this theme={null} Add a dashboard for small-business owners who want a 10-second health check of their store. Show three summary cards — revenue this month, orders this month, and new customers — above a line chart of daily revenue for the last 30 days. Keep it calm and uncluttered. ``` A useful sentence to include: "The main thing a user should be able to do is \_\_\_." It forces the prompt to have a point. ## 3. Give one feature at a time It's tempting to describe the entire product in your first message. Resist it. Fabricate builds in phases, and a focused first prompt produces a cleaner foundation you can then extend. Start with the core, confirm it works in the live preview, then layer features through follow-up messages. "Build a recipe-saving app. Users can add a recipe with a title, ingredients, and steps, and see all their recipes in a list." "Add a search bar that filters the recipe list by title." "Add categories to recipes and let users filter the list by category." This gives you more control, makes it obvious which change caused which result, and is easier to revert if a step goes wrong. See [Iterating on Your App](/prompting/iterating) for the full follow-up workflow. ## 4. Provide examples and references Words describe function well but visuals describe *feel* better. You can attach images to a prompt — screenshots, sketches, mockups, or a photo of a whiteboard — and the agent will use them as a reference. You can also name a familiar layout pattern as shorthand. ```text Instead of this theme={null} Make it look nice and modern. ``` ```text Try this theme={null} Use the attached screenshot as a layout reference: a fixed left sidebar for navigation and a wide content area. Clean and minimal, plenty of whitespace, a single blue accent color. ``` Reference a pattern for its *structure* ("a card grid like a typical marketplace listings page"), not to clone a specific brand. Describe the pattern you want and Fabricate will build an original version. ## 5. Iterate — the first build is a starting point No prompt produces a finished product in one shot, and that's by design. Fabricate is built for iteration: a live preview updates as it builds, follow-up messages refine the result, version history lets you revert to an earlier snapshot, and [Discuss Mode](/build/discuss-mode) lets you plan before you build. Treat your first prompt as a strong opening move, not the whole game. When something isn't right, describe it concretely: ```text Instead of this theme={null} The dashboard is wrong. ``` ```text Try this theme={null} On the dashboard, the revenue card shows the all-time total. It should show only the current month. Keep the other two cards as they are. ``` ## A Prompt Checklist Before you send a prompt, run through this: List the main pages or views — home, dashboard, detail page, settings. The agent uses these to plan the app's structure. For each thing users create or view, name its fields. "A task has a title, due date, and priority" is far more actionable than "tasks." Audience drives tone, density, and defaults. One sentence about the user goes a long way. If your prompt has five major features, build the most important one first and add the rest as follow-ups. A sketch or screenshot communicates layout faster than a paragraph. Use one when the look matters. Avoid bundling unrelated requests into one message — "add a calendar, fix the login bug, and change all the colors." Each gets less attention, and if one goes wrong it's harder to isolate. Send them as separate messages. ## What's Next? A library of strong starter prompts grouped by app type. Refine your app with follow-up prompts, version history, and the Prompt Queue. Tailored prompting tips for founders, developers, designers, and more. See how Build Mode turns your prompts into code.