# Describe what you want

> Write a request the agent can act on - who it is for, what to change, what to leave alone - and steer the work with answers, stops and undo.
> Source: https://playcode.io/docs/build/describe-what-you-want - last reviewed 2026-10-10.
> Ask Playcode's agent: "I run a bakery called Bloom in Austin. Ask me what you need to know, then build my website." It asks its questions in the chat before it builds; you answer, pick an option or skip a question.

Tell the agent in plain words what you want, who it is for, and what should stay as it is. A request with real details needs fewer corrections, and a request with a clear limit touches fewer files, so it uses fewer credits.

## Do it yourself

1. Name the result and the people it is for: "A booking page for my dog grooming salon in Leeds, for regular customers who book from their phone."
2. Say where the change goes and what must not change: "Only change the home page. Keep the header and the colors."
3. Give the real content: the business name, the services, the prices and the contact details. The agent uses them instead of placeholder text.
4. Show what you mean. Attach a screenshot, a sketch or a document: see [Attach files and pictures](/docs/build/attach-files). In a static site you can also choose **Visual edits** in the message box's toolbar and click an element in the preview: the element appears above the message box and goes with your next message.
5. Send the message with the arrow button (**Send message**). To speak instead of typing, choose the microphone (**Tap to record**, or Alt+V; ⌥V on a Mac), talk, and choose the check mark. Playcode turns your speech into text. With **Auto-send voice messages** on (**Settings** > **AI defaults**), it sends the message at once; with it off, the text waits in the box so you can check it first. Voice input uses credits from the workspace that pays for the project, as the agent's work does.
6. Answer the agent's questions. When it shows questions with options, choose an option or type in **Or type your own answer...**, then choose **Next →**, and **Submit ✓** at the end. **Skip** leaves a question unanswered.
7. For a new website whose content and look are still open, check each stop before the pages are built. The agent stops three times: after your answers, after the wireframe of every page, and after the design of the key page. A change there costs less than after the pages are built. Reply "ok" or "next" to go on.
8. Check the result in the preview, then reply with one change at a time: "Make the prices bigger" works better than a list of ten fixes.
9. When a run goes the wrong way, choose the stop button (**Stop generation**) and say what you want instead. To take changes back, see [Undo and checkpoints](/docs/build/undo-and-checkpoints).

| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "Make everything more modern." | "Redesign the hero on the home page: a large photo, one headline, one button." |
| "Add animations to the site." | "Add a slow fade-in to the three pricing cards." |
| "Fix the form." | "The contact form shows 'Something went wrong' after I press Send. Find out why and fix it." |
| "Make a website for my business." | "A website for my flower shop in Lyon: the bouquets with prices, opening hours, and a form to order for pickup." |

> [!TIP]
> Want to copy the look of a site you like? Write "Copy this site: https://example.com". The agent takes a screenshot and reads the page, then recreates the design, not an exact copy. See [How building with the agent works](/docs/start/how-building-works).

## If it doesn't work

### The agent changed more than you asked

The request left the scope open, so the agent decided it. Undo the change (see [Undo and checkpoints](/docs/build/undo-and-checkpoints)), then send the request again with the part named and what must stay.

### The agent keeps failing at the same fix

After two or three attempts at the same problem, stop asking for the same fix. Go back to the last good state with [Undo and checkpoints](/docs/build/undo-and-checkpoints), then describe what you see: the exact error text, a screenshot, or the steps that lead to it. You can also ask the agent to explain the cause before it changes anything.

### The agent cannot see the problem

In a static site, the preview runs only in your browser, so the agent does not see it. Tell it what you see: "I see a white screen. Nothing renders." See [The preview does not load](/docs/help/preview-does-not-load).

### Voice input does not work

- "You're out of credits. Add more to keep building.": the workspace that pays for this project has no credits left. Add credits, or wait for the plan's next credits.
- "You've denied permission to use the microphone. To record, please allow access in your browser's settings for this site.": allow the microphone for Playcode in the browser, then try again.
- The text comes out in the wrong language: in **Settings**, **AI defaults**, set **Voice input** to your language instead of auto-detect.

## Limits

- The agent works from your message, your attachments and the project's files. A new chat does not include earlier conversations. See [What the agent remembers](/docs/build/memory).
- A voice message is sent as soon as it is transcribed. To edit the text first, type it.
- One message takes up to 10 attachments. Text you paste that is longer than 16,000 characters becomes a separate card that the agent reads when it needs it, up to 5 such cards per message.
- The agent can misread a request or make a mistake. Check the result in the preview before you publish.
- Every message uses credits. See [Spend fewer credits](/docs/build/spend-fewer-credits).