How to Avoid Common Mistakes When Prompting
Most “bad” AI results come from unclear prompts. Avoid these common mistakes to get better HTML, CSS, and JavaScript from Div-idy.
Quick Answer
Avoid vague prompts, missing data definitions, and unclear behavior rules. Be explicit about layout, features, data, and edge cases—and iterate with follow-up prompts.
Common Prompting Mistakes (and Fixes)
❌ Being too vague
Bad:
"Build a dashboard."Better:
"Build a responsive admin dashboard with cards showing
total users, revenue, and active sessions. Include a table
with filters and sorting."❌ Not describing the data
Bad:
"Show data from the database."Better:
"Use the Users table with fields:
id, name, email, role, createdAt.
Show results in a searchable table."❌ Forgetting behavior rules
Bad:
"Add a form."Better:
"Add a form with validation, required fields,
inline error messages, and a success confirmation."❌ Asking for too much at once
Large prompts can work, but breaking things into steps often gives better results.
Tip:
Start with core functionality, then iterate:
"Now add filters."
"Now improve styling."
"Now add edge-case handling."❌ Not iterating
Div-idy is designed for iteration. Don’t restart—refine.
Example:
"Keep everything the same, but move the form into a modal
and add a cancel button."Best Practices
- Use headings and bullet points in prompts
- Provide example data or records
- State assumptions explicitly
- Describe empty states and errors
- Iterate instead of starting over