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Automatically improve your prompt

Bolt has a built-in feature to help you create better prompts:

  1. Write your prompt in the chatbox.
  2. Click Enhance prompt Star icon. Bolt generates a recommended prompt, which you can then edit.

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Prompting tips

For more detail, a Bolt user has written a great Guide to Bolt.new Prompting.

Some quick tips:

  • Start with the application architecture, including your choice of tools, frameworks, and so on.
  • Add individual components and features, one by one.
  • Add in details in each component with small, specific prompts. Avoid overwhelming the LLM with too many instructions and requirements at once.
  • Be explicit about what should and shouldn’t change. You can tell Bolt to change or not change specific files. When possible, refer to specific elements, classes, or functions to guide Bolt to the exact place where you want the changes made.
  • Don’t expect the LLM to have common sense.

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Guide Bolt’s focus

You’ll get more accurate results if you’re explicit about what Bolt should and shouldn’t change.

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Limit Bolt to specific files

  1. Right-click the files you want to focus on in the Bolt Code editor.
  2. Select Target file.

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Exclude specific files or directories

  1. Right-click the files or directories you want to exclude in the Bolt Code editor.
  2. Select Lock file (single file) or Lock all (directory).

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Focus on a specific code section

  1. Make sure you’re in Code view.
  2. Highlight the code you want to discuss or change.
  3. Click the Ask Bolt button (if the button doesn’t appear immediately, try right-clicking). Bolt links the selection in the prompt box.
  4. Enter your question or request.

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Focus on a specific UI element

  1. In Preview view, click Inspector Inspector icon.
  2. Click the element you want to focus on. Bolt links the selection in the prompt box.
  3. Enter your question or request.

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Troubleshooting prompting

Some tips for resolving common issues.

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Bolt didn’t do everything you asked it to do in your prompt

Break your changes into smaller pieces. Ask the AI to do one thing at a time.

  1. Make a change.
  2. Check if the change works.
  3. Move to the next feature.

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Bolt forgets what you told it earlier in the same chat

The context window isn’t infinite.

A way to preserve context while keeping the context window small is to get the AI to summarize the conversation so far, then reset the context window. Refer to Reset the AI context window for instructions.

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Customize the project and system prompts

The project and system prompts are additional messages sent to the AI model, telling it how to behave, and providing additional context. This is useful if you always want the AI to behave a certain way.

Project versus system prompts:

  • The project prompt is specific to your current project.
  • The system prompt applies to every project.

Update the prompts:

  1. Open the menu by hovering over the left side of the screen or clicking Open sidebar Open sidebar icon. If you want to update a project prompt, you must be in the project. You can’t update the prompt while Bolt is thinking and the project is building.
  2. Click Settings > Knowledge.
  3. Update the Project Prompt or Global System Prompt.
  4. Click Save prompt. Bolt confirms whether the prompt updated successfully.

Here’s an example, from Bolt’s Vite React starter project:

For all designs I ask you to make, have them be beautiful, not cookie cutter. Make webpages that are fully featured and worthy for production.

By default, this template supports JSX syntax with Tailwind CSS classes, the shadcn/ui library, React hooks, and Lucide React for icons. Do not install other packages for UI themes, icons, etc unless absolutely necessary or I request them.

Use icons from lucide-react for logos.

Use stock photos from unsplash where appropriate.

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Tips for the project or system prompts

  • Include instructions to Bolt to only change relevant code.