Writing good prompts

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. 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 |