# Writing good prompts

> Practical tips for phrasing chat requests so Genesis picks the right approach and gets it right the first time.

Source: https://knowledge.estage.com/building/writing-prompts/
Part of the ESTAGE knowledge base (https://knowledge.estage.com). Full corpus: https://knowledge.estage.com/llms-full.txt

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Genesis picks **one approach per message** based on signals in what you type. These tips help
it choose correctly and give you the result you pictured.

## Select first for precise edits

If you want to change a *specific* element, **click to select it** in the preview before you
type. A selection plus a clear verb gets you a fast, surgical edit:

- *"make this bigger"* → resizes the selected element
- *"change this to dark blue"* → recolors it
- *"rename this to **Pricing**"* → edits the text

Without a selection, Genesis has to guess which element you mean — or treat it as a larger
change.

## Use verbs for edits, a question mark for questions

- **Edits start with an action verb**: *add, change, make, remove, rewrite, move.*
- **Questions end with `?`**: *"How do I connect Stripe?"* Genesis answers without touching
  your site.

If you phrase an edit as a question (or vice versa), it may route the wrong way.

## Be specific about scope

Tell Genesis how big the change is, so it doesn't over- or under-build:

- Narrow: *"just change the headline to X"*, *"only the hero"*, *"a single section"*
- Broad: *"build a full landing page with hero, features, pricing, testimonials, and footer"*

Words like *just, only, minimal* keep it focused; *full, complete, landing page* tell it to
go big.

## Give details, not adjectives alone

"Make it nicer" gives Genesis nothing to act on. Say what *nicer* means to you:

- ❌ *"improve the hero"*
- ✅ *"give the hero a dark gradient background, a larger headline, and a single primary
  button"*

## Reference images and URLs deliberately

- **Attach an image** to recreate or draw inspiration from it.
- **Paste a URL** and say what you want: *"clone the layout of this page"* vs. *"use this as
  inspiration for the colors"*. Genesis treats *clone* and *inspire* differently, so say which.

## Reach for a tag on power features

For backends, product catalogs, analytics, and editable controls, don't rely on phrasing —
use a [bracket tag](/building/steering-with-tags/). It's the reliable way to get the right
tool.

> **If the result isn't right:** 
Just say what's off in a follow-up — *"too tall, halve the padding"* or *"undo that"*. Genesis
keeps the context of your conversation, so you can refine in small steps rather than
re-describing everything.

## Cheat sheet

| Goal | Do this |
| --- | --- |
| Tweak one element | Select it first, then describe the change |
| Ask something | End with `?` |
| Small change | Use *just / only / single* |
| Big build | Name every section you want |
| Match a reference | Attach the image or paste the URL + say clone vs. inspire |
| Power feature | Use a [tag](/building/steering-with-tags/) |