Describe a change so AI gets it right

You asked the AI to change something on your site and got something else. Usually the AI isn’t the problem. It just had to guess what you meant. This guide shows you how to describe a change so clearly that it gets it right the first time.

Before you start

• The AI tool that built your site, like Lovable, Bolt, Replit, or a chat like ChatGPT or Claude.
• Your live site open in another tab, so you can point to exactly what you mean.
• One change you want to make.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

2 out of 10

Estimated completion time

15–25 minutes

Skills you’ll need: Point to the exact page element, explain the desired result, and state what must stay the same.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

A precise request helps keep website updates aligned with the customer problem you want to solve. Specifying the location, result, and boundaries makes the change easier to review before visitors rely on it.

1. 1

   Step 1: Point to the exact spot

   The AI can’t see where you’re looking. “Change the heading” could mean any of a dozen headings. Name the page, the section, and the words that are there now.

   Compare “make the button bigger” with “on the home page, in the top section, make the blue Book now button bigger”. The second one leaves nothing to guess.

   Tip: Take a screenshot and paste it into the chat. Most AI tools can read images. Circle the spot if your screenshot tool lets you.

   Illustrated exampleGive the change an exact address

   Example home page

   Northline StudioInteriors

   Top sectionA home that feels like you.

   Thoughtful interiors for local homeowners.

   Book now This button

   Services · About · Contact

   Three details that locate it

   1. 1
      Page

      Home page

   2. 2
      Section

      Top section

   3. 3
      Exact words

      Blue “Book now” button

   “On the home page, in the top section, make the blue Book now button bigger.”

2. 2

   Step 2: Say what it is now and what it should be

   Describe the before and the after. This works for words, colours, sizes, and layout.

   • Now: “The phone number is small grey text at the bottom of the page.”
   • Should be: “The phone number is a large button at the top, and tapping it calls us on a phone.”

   Tip: If you’re changing words, paste the exact new wording. Don’t ask the AI to “write something about our new service” unless you want it to invent the details.

   Illustrated exampleShow the before, the after and the action

   Now

   Northline

   Plan your next room.

   416-555-0142

   Small grey text at the bottom.

   Should be

   Northline

   Call 416-555-0142

   Plan your next room.

   Large button at the top. Tapping it calls.

   Describe the behaviour too. A button that looks right still needs to place the call.

3. 3

   Step 3: Say why you want it

   One sentence of reason helps the AI make good choices about everything you didn’t mention. “Customers keep missing our phone number on their phones” tells it to think about phones, size, and placement, not just colour.

4. 4

   Step 4: Say what must not change

   AI tools sometimes “tidy up” while they’re there. They reword text, move sections, or change colours you were happy with. Tell it what to leave alone.

   A simple line works: “Change only this. Don’t change any other text, the layout, or the colours.”

5. 5

   Step 5: Ask for one change at a time

   Five changes in one message means five chances for a misunderstanding, and it’s hard to tell which one caused a problem. Send one change, check it, then send the next.

   If you have a long list, write it down first. Then work through it one message at a time, saving a version after each change that works.

6. 6

   Step 6: Ask it to repeat back before it builds

   For anything bigger than a word change, ask the AI to describe what it’s going to do before it does it. If its description doesn’t match what you meant, correct it then. That’s much quicker than undoing a wrong change.

   When it’s done, check the result on your phone and on a computer. If it’s not right, describe what’s still wrong the same way: where, what it is now, and what it should be.

   Illustrated exampleReview the plan before giving your OK

   1. You · request

      “Move our phone number to a large call button at the top of Home. Customers miss it on phones. Keep all other text, colours and layout. Describe your plan first.”

   2. AI · plan to review

      “I’ll move 416-555-0142 from the footer to a large button at the top of Home. Tapping it will call that number. I’ll leave everything else as it is and wait for your OK.”

   Does the plan match?

   Something is wrong

   Correct the plan. Ask it to repeat the revised plan.

   Everything matches

   Give your OK. After it builds, check the call on your phone and the page on a computer.

I want to make one change to my website. Please read this carefully and describe your plan back to me before you change anything.

Where: [the page, the section, and the words that are there now]
What it looks like now: [describe it, or see my screenshot]
What it should look like: [describe the result, with exact wording if it’s text]
Why: [the reason, for example “customers can’t find our phone number on their phones”]
Don’t change: [anything else on the page, like other text, the layout, or the colours]

Wait for my OK before you build it. When you’re done, tell me exactly what you changed and how to check it on my phone.