5 Ways to Prompt AI Effectively

These methods will help you see your vision come to life in the most precise way possible.

Photo by Igor Omilaev on Unsplash

AI is all the rage these days, and I can see why: The products we can create with this new technology are truly amazing.

First of all, I highly recommend using Lovable, especially if you have an extensive vision with a lot of details. You get a good amount of free credits each day, and it generally follows advice quite well. That said, it’s important to use it to your advantage in every way possible.

1. Visualize and Plan Your Project Before You Enter Your Prompt

First, you’ll want to deeply consider what it is you want to create with AI: Is it a comprehensive learning academy, a concise PDF, or a course?

Whatever it is, make sure you are crystal clear about the big picture.

This will help you actually bring your vision to life.

Don’t be afraid to think about what you want in your heart of hearts.

Honestly, AI can often execute all of the details quite well. The result will likely not be perfect, but it could be surprisingly good.

2. Be Specific

Just think about how easy it is for us to misunderstand instructions.

I’m assuming I’m not the only one who has this problem…😕

I’ve found AI tools often take things quite literally, so you have to be very clear and specific about every detail. I’d recommend writing down the project instructions beforehand on a Word document so they are as precise as possible.

This might take some more time upfront, but it will likely save you a lot of headaches down the road.

3. Consider Every Detail and Potential Pitfall You Might Run into When Giving Lovable Instructions

Right now I’m working on a comprehensive online academy I’ve created with Lovable. It’s simultaneously been an enormously satisfying endeavor and a huge headache: I’m prompting the AI to fix bugs and it’s been at least three days!

Nonetheless, I’m quite happy with what Lovable has provided for me so far, but I’m realizing I have to keep coming up with improvements that seem minor until I actually try to use the learning platform myself and run into annoying issues.

I’ve run out of free credits today, but I’m going to be updating it even more than I already have first thing tomorrow morning!

For instance: If you want progress to be saved for each student enrolled in the academy, you actually have to say that, otherwise you see checkmarks for everyone no matter who is logged in our out — a bit of a nightmare, but I’m working on it!

Patience, persistence, and very detailed feedback is required.

Make every command precise, understandable, and clear, even if you have to say the same thing three times.

4. Don’t Be Afraid to Edit Your Project Repeatedly

I feel like I’ve revised the current project I’m working on at least 5–8 times — I’ve lost track at this point!

Keep each version, keep track of each link, and make updates as needed.

It could take a while, but you’ll eventually be quite happy with what Lovable comes up with if you can stick out it, be persistent, and continue providing feedback.

5. Always Try Out the Product Yourself to Make Sure It Works

I would not have known about the progress tracking issue had I not tried my online academy out myself.

Always be the first user to test the product and make sure it’s effective and user-friendly. You’ll know what’s working and what you need to fix.

The Takeaway

The best prompts when using AI to create products are specific, extensive, and deeply detailed. They take into account any instructions that might be misunderstood and plan for those. If you are using AI to produce an extensive website, for instance, you’ll likely have to edit its output multiple times.

Be patient and persistent.

Eventually, you’ll be happy with the result.

P.S. Here is access to the updated online AI academy I have created with Lovable for $30 if you’re interested. 🙂☕️