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How Workshop builds

Workshop defaults to Build Mode — you describe what you want, and it starts building. For most tasks, this is all you need. Describe the goal, provide context, and iterate on the results. When a project needs more upfront thinking, Plan Mode is available as a scoping tool. It acts like an experienced technical product manager — asking questions, pushing back on scope, and producing a structured plan before any code gets written. Neither mode is “the right way.” Build Mode is the default because most interactions are iterative. Plan Mode is there when you need it.

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Communicating effectively

The clearer you are about what you want, the better Workshop can deliver. Think of it as a collaborative conversation.

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Be specific and descriptive

Vague prompts produce generic results. Specificity gives Workshop the information it needs to make the right decisions. 
Make me a website.

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Provide context and purpose

Tell Workshop why you’re building something, not just what. Context about your situation, audience, and constraints leads to better decisions. 
Build a database.

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Iterate and refine

Building software is iterative. Instead of expecting perfection on the first try, guide Workshop through incremental improvements with specific feedback. 
This isn't right. Fix it.

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Prompting by intent

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Starting a project

Give Workshop a clear picture of what you’re building, who it’s for, and what success looks like. 
I'd like to create a fitness tracking app called "FitTracker". The goal is to
monitor workouts, nutrition, and progress toward specific goals. Users should
see a dashboard summarizing their activity, calorie intake, and workout
history. Include data visualization for tracking progress.

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Describing design and UI

Reference specific styles, colors, layouts, and interaction patterns rather than abstract adjectives. 
The interface should follow a minimalist design with navy, white, and light gray.
Use subtle shadows and rounded corners for a modern feel.

Add a navigation menu with Home, Products, Services, About, and Contact. Fixed
at the top, collapses into a hamburger on mobile. Highlight the active page.

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Defining functionality

Describe user interactions as specific scenarios — what the user does, what should happen, and what edge cases to handle. 
When a user clicks "Submit", validate all form fields. If validation fails,
show error messages below the problematic fields. On success, send the data
and show a confirmation.

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Backend and API work

Specify data models, integrations, performance requirements, and security considerations. 
Connect to the OpenWeatherMap REST API. Authenticate with our API key, fetch
current weather and 5-day forecast, and cache responses for 30 minutes.

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Debugging and troubleshooting

Describe what you expected, what actually happened, and any relevant context about when the issue occurs. 
The contact form fails silently when attachments exceed 5MB. Instead of a blank
error page, show a user-friendly message with the file size limit.

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Requesting changes

Be specific about what to change, where to change it, and why. 
On the product detail page: 1) Move description above specifications,
2) Make images larger with a zoom feature, 3) Add a "Frequently bought
together" section at the bottom.

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Plan Mode

Plan Mode is an optional scoping tool for when you want structured requirements gathering before building. It’s especially useful when starting a new project from scratch or when you’re not sure exactly what you need.

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What Plan Mode does

  • Asks probing questions to understand your true needs — typically 2–3 structured questions per turn
  • Scopes down to an MVP before expanding — build something valuable first
  • Pushes back when you’re over-engineering or adding unnecessary complexity
  • Produces a plan document that Build Mode can follow step by step

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How it works

1

Discovery

Plan Mode asks questions to understand your needs using structured multiple-choice for clear, efficient communication.
2

MVP Scoping

Based on your answers, Plan Mode identifies the smallest version that delivers real value. It steers away from scope creep.
3

Summary Checkpoint

Before generating the plan, Plan Mode presents a concise summary of scope and technical decisions. You review and approve — or request adjustments.
4

Plan Generation

Plan Mode creates a structured plan.md file saved in your project under ./plans/[timestamp_topic-name]/.

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The plan document

Each plan is append-only — new plans never overwrite existing ones, preserving your decision history. The plan includes:
  • Spec Header — Name, smallest scope, non-goals
  • Decision Snapshot — Key technical and product decisions
  • Architecture at a Glance — Recommended stack and structure
  • Implementation Plan — Step-by-step development phases
  • Verification & Demo Script — How to test each phase
  • Deploy — Deployment strategy
Plan Mode is read-only — it cannot modify files or execute code. Planning stays separate from implementation.

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Switching between modes

Switch modes at any time using the toggle below the conversation input. The mode persists across sessions and defaults to Build Mode. A common workflow for new projects:
  1. Plan Mode — Define requirements, scope the MVP, create a plan
  2. Build Mode — Implement Phase 1
  3. Plan Mode — Evaluate results, plan Phase 2
  4. Build Mode — Continue implementation
For existing projects or clear requirements, skip Plan Mode entirely and work in Build Mode.

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Managing long conversations

As conversations grow, Workshop’s context window fills up. This can increase latency and reduce response quality. The /compact command is the primary tool for managing this.

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The /compact command

/compact summarizes your current conversation and continues in a new child conversation, carrying forward the essential context. 
/compact
Summarizes everything and continues in a new conversation. 
/compact focus on the authentication flow
Prioritizes specific context in the summary. The original conversation becomes read-only history. You can review it but all new work happens in the child conversation.

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When to compact

  • Your conversation is getting long and responses are slowing down
  • Workshop warns you about approaching the context window limit
  • You’ve completed a major milestone and want a fresh start for the next phase
Workshop monitors your context window usage and will proactively prompt you when you’re approaching the limit.

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Other useful commands

CommandDescriptionExample
/context [guidance]Update project context from conversation/context focus on API patterns
/summarize [focus]Summarize the current conversation/summarize action items

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Tips for better results

Try Plan Mode for new projects

When starting from scratch, Plan Mode helps you define clear requirements and creates a structured plan — even from vague ideas.

Work incrementally

Build features one at a time. Get core functionality working before adding complexity. This makes debugging easier and progress more visible.

Use custom instructions

Set consistent preferences in Settings so you don’t repeat the same guidance in every conversation.

Leverage project context

Keep your .workshop/context.md updated so Workshop always understands your project’s current state and conventions. See Context and Memory.