prompt
Like giving a chef a clear recipe card, it is the instructions you type to tell the AI exactly what you want.
Picture handing detailed directions to a contractor before work starts. A prompt is the written guidance you give an AI coding agent so it knows the goal, the limits, and the style to follow.
This matters because the agent does what you ask, not what you meant. A clear prompt saves time: it reduces back‑and‑forth and fewer wrong turns.
In practice you include the task, the files or screens it affects, examples to copy, and hard rules, like “do not change the payment code.” Add context, which is helpful background like file paths or data shapes, and never include secrets.