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Prompting

The way you describe your app idea is the foundation of what gets built. A strong first prompt sets clear direction, and follow-up prompts let you refine and polish until the app feels just right.

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Structure of Your First Prompt

Think of your first prompt as a short project brief. Cover these elements:

Problem

What problem are you solving or what need are you addressing?

Users

Who will use this app and what are their needs?

Key Features

The 3–5 most important things the app should do

Data & Integrations

What data should be tracked and what services should it connect to?
Example Prompt: 
I need a customer feedback tracker that collects responses from a form,
stores them in a database, analyzes sentiment, and sends weekly summaries
to our Slack channel.

Users: Customer service team

Key features:
1. Feedback form
2. Sentiment analysis
3. Dashboard with trends
4. Weekly Slack reports
5. Flagging negative feedback

Data to track: name, email, rating, written feedback, product category

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Using Follow-Ups

After your first prompt, CREAO will generate a draft app. Use follow-ups to refine it:
  • Add features:
    “Also include a way to export reports as PDF”
  • Remove features:
    “Take out the Slack integration for now”
  • Tweak data:
    “Add a field for customer location in the feedback form”
  • Change workflows:
    “Send notifications only for 1–2 star ratings”
Think of follow-ups as short instructions that layer improvements onto your app.

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Prompt Templates

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Personal Productivity

I need a [type of tracker] that helps me [main goal].

Users: Me (or my family/team)

Features:
1. [Primary function]
2. [Secondary function]
3. [Tracking/reporting]
4. [Optional integration]

Data: [specific fields]

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Business Tool

I need a [business function] system for [company/team type].

Users: [specific roles]

The app should:
1. [Core workflow]
2. [Data management]
3. [Reporting needs]
4. [Integrations]
5. [Automation or notifications]

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Patterns That Work Well

  • Workflow-based
"When a customer places an order:
1. Send a confirmation email
2. Create a task for fulfillment
3. Update inventory
4. Notify #orders in Slack
5. Schedule follow-up in 3 days"
  • Problem-Solution
"Our team wastes hours updating project status. 
I need an app that:
- Syncs tasks between Trello and Slack
- Generates weekly status reports
- Tracks time spent on projects"
  • User Story
"As a small business owner, I want to track customer orders 
from placement to delivery so I can update customers and 
spot delays early."

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What to Avoid

  • ❌ Too vague: “I need a business app”
    ✅ Better: “I need a CRM for tracking leads through our sales pipeline”
  • ❌ Too complex (all-in-one ERP on first try)
    ✅ Better: Start with one core function and expand later
  • ❌ Missing context: “Build a task manager”
    ✅ Better: “A task manager for our 5-person marketing team to coordinate content creation and publishing”

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Testing Your Prompt

Before submitting, ask yourself:
  • Would someone else understand what I want to build?
  • Did I clearly state who will use it?
  • Did I list the main features and data?
  • Will this solve a real problem for me or my team?
A good rule of thumb: if your prompt reads like a simple project plan, it’s strong enough.

Next: Explore Design Prompts

Learn how to guide the look and feel of your app with simple design prompts