AI coding
Learn how to chat with an AI coder successfully, when to start in plan mode versus a focused chat, and how to use Git and GitHub prompts to finish the work cleanly.
You do not need to talk like a developer to get useful results from an AI coder. Start by picking the right kind of conversation, then say what outcome you want and whether you also want help with Git or GitHub.
Ask the AI to create a Product Requirements Document (PRD) before it edits so you can review scope, tradeoffs, and implementation steps.
Best for
Keep the chat scoped to one page, feature, or product area. Related tweaks can share a session — just avoid mixing unrelated areas.
Best for
The most important choice is not perfect wording. It is whether you need the AI to create a Product Requirements Document (PRD) first or jump into a focused chat scoped to one area that gets the work done.
Use first for projects and larger changes
Ask the AI to create a Product Requirements Document (PRD) before it edits so you can review scope, tradeoffs, and implementation steps.
Use this when
What to ask for
What to expect
You should get a PRD, open questions, and a clearer implementation path before code changes begin.
Why this works
Planning mode reduces rework, surfaces hidden decisions early, and keeps bigger efforts from turning into messy chats.
When not to use it
Do not use plan mode for a one-line copy tweak, a small app fix, or normal day-to-day commit and sync work.
Use for day-to-day work and focused changes
Keep the chat scoped to one page, feature, or product area. Related tweaks can share a session — just avoid mixing unrelated areas.
Use this when
What to ask for
What to expect
You should get a focused implementation, a short summary of what changed, and any requested verification at the end.
Why this works
Focused chats reduce context drift, speed up execution, and make it easier to review whether the change is correct.
When not to use it
Do not use a focused chat for new projects, redesigns, or work with many moving parts.
These examples show how a developer and an AI developer approach the same situation differently. The developer frames the engineering task, and the AI developer helps scope, execute, document, and verify the work.
| Situation | Developer | AI Developer (prompting) |
|---|---|---|
| Start a new project or major feature | Collaborate with the product manager to create a Product Requirements Document (PRD) | Use plan mode to collaborate on scope, draft the Product Requirements Document (PRD), surface open decisions, and outline implementation, testing, and rollout before coding starts. |
| Make a small page or app change | Make one targeted change in place | Implement the requested change, stay within the existing design or code patterns, and summarize what changed when the task is complete. |
| Commit the work | Create a clean Git checkpoint | Prepare the completed work as a clean commit with an appropriate message. |
| Sync with GitHub | Update the remote branch safely | Push the work to the remote branch and handle any branch reconciliation safely. |
| Commit, sync, and verify | Ship the change and verify CI | Complete the delivery workflow by committing the work, syncing it to GitHub, monitoring CI, and reporting the final result. |
| Ask for a stronger prompt | Clarify the spec before implementation | Translate a rough request into a clearer implementation brief with better scope, constraints, and completion criteria. |
The next step is learning how to think about the work in the right mode. Focused changes stay scoped to one area and can include many related tweaks, while bigger efforts need more planning, clearer scope, and better sequencing before implementation starts.
Bigger work
When you are starting a project, redesigning a system, or dealing with open questions, planning mode helps you decide before code starts moving.
Planning reminders
Focused changes
Keep the chat scoped to one page, feature, or product area. You can make many related tweaks in one session — just avoid mixing unrelated areas in the same chat.
Tip: Once you commit or sync, start a new chat for your next change.
Why focused, scoped chats help
Prompt formula
Before you write your prompt, choose the right mode. Then use this formula to give the AI what it needs. You do not need perfect wording, just enough context for the AI to understand the outcome and the finish line.
Choose your mode first
Choose your mode first. Use plan mode for bigger work with open questions. Use a focused chat for scoped changes in one area.
The CORD formula
Context + outcome + restrictions + done criteria
1. Plan mode
We are launching a new project management tool for small teams and need a marketing landing page to drive free trial signups. The page will live on our existing website. Keep the design modern and clean, consistent with our current brand, and do not change any other pages. Start in plan mode and create a PRD before making any changes. Before you begin, ask me any questions that would improve the plan. When done, give me a plan I can review and list any decisions you need me to make before work begins.
2. Focused chat
Update the contact page so the form sends an email confirmation on submit. The form is in the contact section of our marketing website. Keep the existing layout and button style, and do not change any other pages. Make the change now. When done, act as a user and validate the change works as expected. Keep updating until you are confident it will function correctly, then let me know what you did.
Copy-ready prompts
Enable plan mode first, then use this prompt to kick off planning before any implementation begins.
We are starting a new project. Review the current design and create a Product Requirements Document (PRD) before making changes.
Include goals, audience, key screens or user flows, design considerations, technical changes, dependencies, testing, rollout steps, and any missing decisions I should approve first.Use this for focused changes scoped to one page or product area.
Update this page so it does X. Keep the existing design approach, make only the necessary changes, and when you finish summarize what changed and flag anything that might affect other parts of the site.
If anything is unclear, ask only the questions needed to complete this one task.Use this when you want to save your work but are not ready to push to production.
Commit all changes locally with a clear commit message describing what was done. Do not sync or push to GitHub. This work is not ready for production yet.Use this after a change is ready to save your work and verify nothing broke.
Commit your changes, sync them to GitHub, and track GitHub Actions building my website to ensure there are no errors. When complete, provide me with the URL.
If anything fails, explain the error clearly and fix it before reporting back.Final check
A good AI coding prompt does not need to be long. It just needs the right starting mode, enough context, and a clear finish line.