When AI keeps making it worse

You asked the AI to fix one thing. It broke something else. You asked it to fix that, and now the first problem is back. If you’re going round in circles, this guide shows you how to stop, get back to a version that worked, and restart in a way that breaks the loop.

Before you start

• The AI tool you’re using to build or edit your site.
• Ten minutes to step back before you type anything else.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

6 out of 10

Estimated completion time

30–90 minutes; recovery may take longer

Skills you’ll need: Find a known working version, restore it, and reduce the change to something you can verify. Missing backups may require help.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Returning to a known working version protects customer-facing pages while you regroup. A smaller request and clear checks make it easier to improve the site without extending a cycle of broken fixes.

1. 1

   Step 1: Stop asking for fixes

   Each new “fix” is built on top of the last broken one, so things usually get worse, not better. If the AI has tried two or three times and the problem isn’t solved, stop.

   Signs you’re in a loop: the same error keeps coming back, fixing one thing breaks another, the AI apologises and says it’s fixed when it isn’t, or it starts rewriting large parts of the site.

2. 2

   Step 2: Go back to the last version that worked

   Open your tool’s version history. It may be called “history”, “versions”, “checkpoints”, or “restore”. Find the last version where things worked, and restore it.

   It feels like losing progress, but you’re only losing the broken attempts. Restoring takes a minute. Untangling five layers of failed fixes can take days.

   Tip: If your tool shows changes with times, pick the version from just before the trouble started. Open the preview after restoring and check it really is working.

   Illustrated exampleGo back to before the first failure

   Example version history

   1. 10:12
      Menu and contact form work Restore this checkpoint
   2. 10:20
      Added a booking buttonBooking page missing
   3. 10:26
      AI tried to fix the linkNow the menu is broken too

   ● ● ● After restoring

   Check the preview

   • Menu opens
   • Contact form sends

   The failed booking changes are gone. The working site is back.

3. 3

   Step 3: Write down what you actually want

   Loops often start with a request that was a bit vague, so the AI guessed and each guess drifted further. Before you ask again, write down:

   • The one result you want, in a sentence.
   • Exactly what happened when it went wrong, including any error message, word for word.
   • What the AI tried that didn’t work, so it doesn’t try it again.
   • What must not change.

   Illustrated exampleGive the next chat evidence it can use

   Notes for a fresh chatOne change

   The result I want

   The “Book a visit” button opens the booking page.

   What went wrong

   On Home, I tapped “Book a visit”. The next page said 404 · Page not found.

   Already tried

   Changing the button colour did not fix the link. Rewriting the navigation broke the menu.

   Keep unchanged

   The menu, contact form, prices and page layout.

   Ask for the cause and the smallest fix. Review the explanation before giving the OK.

4. 4

   Step 4: Start a fresh chat

   Long chats get confused. The AI is trying to keep track of everything said so far, including the failed attempts. A fresh chat starts with a clear head.

   Paste the prompt at the end of this guide into a new chat, with your notes from step 3. It asks the AI to explain the cause first and make one small change, instead of guessing.

5. 5

   Step 5: Make the task smaller

   If the AI still struggles, the task is probably too big. Break it into steps you can check one at a time. Instead of “add online booking with payments and reminders”, start with “add a button that opens a booking page”. Get that working, save a version, then add the next piece.

   Save a version after every step that works. That way the next loop, if it happens, only costs you one step.

   Illustrated exampleOne change, one check, one saved version

   Too much in one request

   “Add online booking with payments and reminders.”

   Start with the first link in the chain

   1. 1
      Change one thing

      Add a button that opens a booking page.

   2. 2
      Check it yourself

      Tap the button. Does the right page open?

   3. 3
      Save the working version

      Name it “Booking page opens”. Then choose the next small task.

   If the check fails, stop here. Restore the working version before trying again.

6. 6

   Step 6: Know when to get a person

   Some problems are beyond what you can steer an AI through, especially anything involving payments, logins, customer data, or connecting other services. If you’ve restarted twice and you’re still stuck, that’s the moment to ask a developer or your website tool’s support team.

   Give them your notes from step 3. They’ll get to the answer much faster.

I’m starting fresh because my last attempt went round in circles. Please go slowly and make one small change at a time.

What I want: [the one result you want, in a sentence]
What went wrong before: [what happened, including any error message word for word]
What was already tried and didn’t work: [the fixes the AI tried before]
Don’t change: [anything that must stay as it is]

Before you change anything:
1. Explain in plain English what you think is causing the problem.
2. Tell me the smallest change that would fix it.
3. Wait for my OK.

After the change, tell me exactly what you changed and how to check it worked. If you’re not sure about something, say so instead of guessing.