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Describing your app

The very first message you send is special: it creates your app and sets its overall shape. A good first description gets you a first version that’s already close, so refining it is a few quick tweaks instead of a rebuild. This page shows you how to write one.

Cover four things

Section titled “Cover four things”

A strong first description answers four questions. You don’t need a long paragraph — a sentence or two that touches each one is plenty.

  • What the app is for. Name it plainly: “a task tracker,” “a booking page for my studio,” “a portfolio site.”
  • The main things people do in it. The two or three core actions — “add a task and mark it done,” “pick a time and leave their details,” “browse projects and get in touch.”
  • What it should remember. The information the app keeps between visits — “tasks with a due date,” “each booking,” “sign-ups.” Mention this and your app gets a memory; leave it out and you get a simpler page that saves nothing.
  • Who uses it. Say whether it’s open to everyone or something people sign in to. “A public sign-up page” and “a private tracker just for me” lead to very different apps.

Weak to strong, by example

Section titled “Weak to strong, by example”

Each pair below asks for the same kind of app. The weak version leaves too much open; the strong version names the purpose, the actions, the information to remember, and who it’s for.

A task tracker

  • Weak: “Make me a to-do app.”
  • Strong: “A personal task tracker where I add tasks with a title and a due date, mark them done, and filter to see only what’s left. Just for me — I’ll sign in.”

A booking page

  • Weak: “I need a booking site.”
  • Strong: “A public booking page for my yoga studio. Visitors pick a class, choose a time slot, and leave their name and email. I can see every booking on a private admin page.”

A customer list

  • Weak: “Build a CRM.”
  • Strong: “A simple CRM where I keep customers with their company, email, and status, add notes to each one, and filter by status. Private, for my team.”

A portfolio site

  • Weak: “A website for my work.”
  • Strong: “A portfolio site for a photographer. A gallery of projects, an about page, and a contact form that emails me. Open to everyone — no login.”

Notice the strong versions are still short. You’re setting direction, not writing a spec.

What happens next

Section titled “What happens next”

Once your first version is built, you refine it by chatting — the app takes shape from there. If the opening result isn’t quite what you pictured, that’s normal and easy to fix: just describe the change.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”