Common Mistakes & Fixes

Common mistakes in Meku prompting include vague or overloaded prompts, missing schemas, hallucinated code, and broken layouts, as well as fixes for stable outputs.

Meku generates production-ready code, but poor prompting leads to unstable or incomplete output. This section documents common mistakes and how to fix them.

Mistakes and Fixes

The following are the most frequent mistakes developers make when prompting Meku, along with their solutions.

1. Vague Prompts

Vague prompts leave too much open to interpretation.

Mistake:

Build a website

Result: Random layout with no defined structure.

Fix:

Build a portfolio website with a hero, project grid, and contact form

Define the type of site and its sections.

2. Overloaded Prompts

Overloaded prompts demand too much at once.

Mistake:

Create a SaaS app with login, signup, dashboard, charts, payments, notifications, and settings in one step

Result: Incomplete and disorganized code.

Fix:

  • Step 1: Build login and signup pages
  • Step 2: Add dashboard layout with sidebar
  • Step 3: Add analytics cards and chart.js integration
  • Step 4: Add payment form and notifications

Build incrementally instead of requesting everything in one prompt.

3. Missing Technical Context

Lack of schema or API details leads to generic outputs.

Mistake:

Connect to a database and show users

Result: Output with fake data or placeholders.

Fix:

Use schema: users(id, name, email, created_at) Build a table with pagination and a form to add users

Always include schema, field names, or API endpoints.

4. AI Hallucinations

Hallucinations occur when prompts reference invalid items.

Mistake:

Build a chart using randomchart.js

Result: Invalid imports or non-existent libraries.

Fix:

Create a chart using chart.js with line and bar options

Reference real, supported libraries only.

5. Broken Layouts

Complex prompts often generate unstable layouts.

Mistake:

Create a dashboard with a sidebar, navbar, grid, two charts, and table all in one layout

Result: Overlapping elements and broken responsiveness.

Fix:

  • Generate the base layout first.
  • Add charts, tables, or components step by step.

Complex layouts must be built incrementally.

6. Inconsistent Styling

Without details, components lack uniformity.

Mistake:

Add three cards with icons and text

Result: Uneven sizes, spacing, and alignment.

Fix:

Add three cards with equal width, shadow-md, rounded-lg, and consistent padding

Specify Tailwind classes for visual consistency.

7. Over-iteration Without Saving

Too many changes without versioning risk progress.

Problem: Excessive changes without exporting.

Fix:

  • Export to GitHub or ZIP after stable iterations.
  • Use Git commits for history and rollback.

Always maintain version control.

8. Copy-Paste Errors

Problem: Pasting invalid schemas or code.

Fix:

  • Validate code or schema before pasting.
  • Provide clean, minimal context.

Bad inputs cause unstable outputs.

Best Practices Checklist

This checklist summarizes safe prompting habits.

  • Be explicit: always define structure and elements.
  • Build large projects in incremental steps.
  • Include schemas or API endpoints for accurate integrations.
  • Reference valid frameworks and libraries.
  • Apply Tailwind classes for consistent UI.
  • Export regularly and track with Git.

These practices keep outputs reliable and production-ready.

Common Mistakes & Fixes - Documentation | Meku.dev