Prompting Guide
Best practices for instructing December on complex refactors, test fixes, and full-stack greenfield projects.
Effective Prompting Strategies
December responds best to precise, goal-oriented technical instructions:
1. Give Clear Verification Criteria
State what “done” looks like:
december "Refactor auth.service.ts to use argon2 instead of bcrypt. Ensure all tests in test/auth pass with bun test."2. Point to Context Files
Mention files or symbols when you know where the issue lives:
december "In packages/database/schema.prisma, add a new SessionStatus enum. Generate Prisma client and update session.service.ts."3. Let the Agent Explore First
For unfamiliar bugs, instruct the agent to diagnose before making changes:
december "Investigate why integration tests are failing with 401 in test/api. Run the test, inspect the output, and fix the root cause."