Good website prompts carry the brief, name a reference instead of an adjective, and ask for one change at a time. Keep your design rules in a DESIGN.md file and point every prompt to it. The prompts below cover each stage, from first directions to the accessibility pass.
These prompts follow the six steps in my guide on how to use AI to design a website. They work in Lovable, Figma Make, Framer, Webflow, Stitch or a chat assistant.
What makes a website prompt work?
Five habits, in order of impact.
- Context first. Who visits, what they should do, what you can prove.
- References over adjectives. "Like a Swiss transport poster" beats "modern and clean".
- Constraints stated. Colours, fonts, page count, languages, what to avoid.
- One change per prompt. Bundled requests break things you didn't ask to touch.
- A file to point at. DESIGN.md holds the rules, so prompts stay short.
What goes in a DESIGN.md file?
A DESIGN.md is a plain-text file of design rules that AI tools read before they generate. Google's Stitch formalised the idea in March 20261. It works anywhere you can attach or paste a file.
# DESIGN.md
## Brand
- Name: [Business name]
- One line: [What you do, for whom]
- Voice: plain, warm, direct. Short sentences. No jargon.
## Colour
- Text #111111 on #FFFFFF. Greys only for secondary text.
- Accent: [hex], used for one primary button per screen.
- Contrast at least 4.5:1 for body text.
## Type
- Headings: [font], sentence case.
- Body: [font], 18px, line height 1.6.
## Layout
- 12-column grid, max width 1200px.
- Spacing scale: 4, 8, 16, 24, 40, 64.
- Buttons at least 44px tall.
## Never
- Stock photos of people shaking hands
- Gradient hero backgrounds
- Carousels, auto-playing video
- Invented testimonials or numbers
The free AI website brief builder writes one for you from a short form. My UI sizing guide has more rules worth adding.
What prompt gets distinct design directions?
Read DESIGN.md. Create four homepage directions for [business].
Visitors are [audience]. The page must get them to [action].
Direction A: Swiss print. Direction B: editorial magazine.
Direction C: field notebook. Direction D: quiet luxury.
Keep copy and content identical across all four.
Change only type, layout density and colour use.
Keeping the copy identical is the key move. You compare design, not words.
What prompt builds one section well?
Read DESIGN.md. Build the pricing section only.
Three plans in a table, the middle one marked recommended.
Each plan: name, who it's for, five features, one button.
Mobile: plans stack, recommended plan first.
Leave every other section unchanged.
Name the section, its content, its mobile behaviour, and what must stay untouched. That last line prevents most regressions.
What prompts fix copy?
Rewrite the hero. Headline under eight words, stating the outcome.
One sentence under it, under 25 words. One button.
Use only facts from this list: [facts].
If a claim isn't on the list, leave it out.
The fact list matters. AI invents testimonials and numbers with confidence. In Stack Overflow's 2025 survey, 46% of developers said they distrust the accuracy of AI output2, and copy deserves the same caution.
What prompts check accessibility and speed?
Audit this page against WCAG 2.2 AA.
List every contrast failure, missing alt text, unlabelled input,
empty link, empty button and missing page language,
with the element and the fix.
Then apply only the fixes. Change nothing else.
Audit page weight. List every script, font and image over 100 KB,
what it does and whether the page needs it. Propose removals.
These six error types account for most detected failures on the web3. Still run a real checker afterwards. The model's audit is a first pass, and the full list is in the AI website launch checklist.
What prompt makes a page readable for AI search?
Rewrite the first paragraph to answer "[question]" in 40 to 60 words.
Turn the H2s into questions people would type.
Add FAQPage, Service and BreadcrumbList JSON-LD matching the visible text.
Do not add any claim that isn't already on the page.
Which prompts should I avoid?
- "Make it pop." No reference, no constraint, no result.
- "Build my whole website." One giant prompt means one generic template.
- "Add some testimonials." You'll get invented people.
- "Fix everything." The model rewrites what worked.
- "Make it like [competitor]." You'll copy their brand, and their mistakes.
If you'd rather have someone write the brief and the system with your team, see website design.
Questions people ask
How long should a website prompt be?
The first prompt can be long, because it carries the brief. Later prompts should be short and point to DESIGN.md. Long follow-up prompts usually bundle several changes and break things.
Do the same prompts work in every tool?
Mostly, yes. Lovable, Figma Make, Framer, Webflow and Stitch all accept plain language. Adjust for each tool's limits, such as whether it can add a backend or only change design.
What is DESIGN.md?
A plain-text file that lists your design rules, such as colours, type, spacing and things to avoid. AI tools read it before generating, so every screen follows the same system.
Why does my AI website look generic?
Because a vague prompt returns the average of what the model has seen. Give it your audience, a named reference, real content and a list of things to avoid.
Can AI write my website copy?
AI writes fast first drafts. Give it a list of true facts and tell it to use nothing else. Then read every line yourself before it goes live.