Best Practices for Writing App Prompts
Tips and tricks for crafting prompts that produce exactly what you envision.
Senvia Team
November 10, 2025
The Art of Prompting
The quality of your prompt directly affects the quality of your generated app. Here's how to write prompts that produce exactly what you want.
Be Specific About Features
Less effective:
Build me a todo app
More effective:
Build a todo app with: categories/tags for tasks, due dates with reminders, priority levels (high/medium/low), drag-and-drop reordering, dark mode, and the ability to share lists with other users via email invite.
The more specific you are, the better Senvia understands your vision.
Describe the User Experience
Don't just list features—describe how users interact:
When a user opens the app, they see their task list for today. They can quickly add a task with just a title using the top input field. Pressing Enter adds the task. Long-pressing a task opens a detail modal where they can add descriptions, due dates, and attachments.
This helps our AI understand the intended flow, not just the data model.
Mention Your Tech Preferences
If you have preferences, state them:
Use Supabase for the database with row-level security. Implement authentication with NextAuth supporting Google and email magic links. Use the shadcn/ui component library with the zinc color palette.
Without preferences, Senvia uses sensible defaults—but your preferences always win.
Include Design Direction
Visual guidance helps:
Modern, minimal design with lots of whitespace. Use a single accent color (blue). No gradients except for occasional subtle backgrounds. Card-based layouts with soft shadows. Mobile-first with a bottom navigation bar on phones.
Specify User Roles (If Applicable)
For multi-user apps:
Three user types: Admin (can manage all users and settings), Manager (can create and assign tasks to team members), and Member (can only view and complete assigned tasks). Admins can see analytics, others cannot.
Describe Edge Cases
Think about what happens when things go wrong:
If a user tries to access a deleted task via direct link, show a friendly 'Task not found' page with a link back to their dashboard. If the API is slow, show skeleton loading states, not spinners.
Template: The Complete Prompt Structure
Here's a template that covers all bases:
Build a [type of app] for [target users].
CORE FEATURES:
USER FLOW:
[Describe how users typically interact with the app]
USER ROLES:
DESIGN:
TECH STACK:
INTEGRATIONS:
EDGE CASES:
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Being too vague
*"Make it look good"* doesn't help. *"Modern minimal design with blue accents"* does.
2. Contradictory requirements
*"Simple and minimal but with all possible features"* creates confusion.
3. Assuming context
Don't assume Senvia knows your industry. Explain domain-specific terms.
4. Forgetting mobile
If you want mobile-responsive design (you probably do), say so explicitly.
Let Hermes Help
Remember: Hermes will ask clarifying questions if your prompt needs more detail. Don't stress about getting everything perfect on the first try. It's a conversation.
Examples of Great Prompts
Project Management Tool:
Build a Trello-like project management app. Features: multiple boards, drag-and-drop cards between columns, card details with descriptions/checklists/due dates, team member assignment, activity feed showing recent changes. Users can create workspaces and invite team members via email. Integrate with Slack for notifications. Clean, professional design with a sidebar showing all workspaces.
Fitness Tracker:
Create a workout tracking app. Users can log exercises with sets/reps/weight, view progress charts over time, follow preset workout programs or create custom ones. Include a timer for rest periods between sets. Social features: users can share achievements and follow friends. Gamification: badges for consistency and PRs. Dark mode by default, energetic design with orange accents.
The best prompts paint a complete picture. The more Senvia understands, the better it builds.
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