Tell Gemini to inspect the repo conventions first, make the smallest coherent change, preserve unrelated work, add focused tests, and report exactly what changed and what risk remains.
The prompt
You are working inside an existing repository. First inspect the relevant files and conventions. Then implement [FEATURE] with the smallest coherent change. Preserve unrelated work. Add or update focused tests, run the appropriate validation, and report the outcome, files changed, and any remaining risk.
Replace the variables
[FEATURE]One feature, described by its outcome.
Which model to use
- Gemini 3.1 Pro — Multi-file reasoning and test-writing land better on Pro.
Example input
- [FEATURE] = "add a CSV export button to the reports table".
Example output
We only publish example outputs from real model runs. This template has not been formally tested yet, so no output is shown. Run it yourself with the input above.
Why this structure works
- "Inspect first" stops the model from inventing conventions that fight the codebase.
- "Smallest coherent change" reduces collateral edits.
- Asking for remaining risk makes the handoff reviewable.
Common failures & fixes
It rewrites unrelated files.
Fix: Add: "Do not touch files unrelated to [FEATURE]. List any file you change and why."
Known limitations
- Always run the tests yourself; generated tests can be shallow.