Prompt writing tips

Talking to the VizChat agent has one key trait: every instruction can turn into a canvas operation. Therefore clarity > politeness > creativity.

Three core techniques

1. Locate first, then act

Don't say "make it bigger" — say "set the width of the currently-selected bar chart to 800."

The agent locates by widget title, type, and position — the more precise your locator, the fewer round-trips needed.

2. Use verifiable constraints

Include numbers, color codes, enum values to land in one shot and skip clarifying turns.

Create a bar chart:
- Title: Q3 regional GMV
- X axis: North / East / South / Southwest / Northwest
- Y axis: value (unit: 10k RMB)
- Color: gradient blue (#1E3A8A → #93C5FD)
- Width: 600px, Height: 400px

3. Break complex tasks into steps

For requests spanning more than 3 actions, split them explicitly:

Please do the following in order:
1. Read my uploaded "Q3-report.pdf" and extract revenue figures;
2. Create a line chart from that data, titled "Revenue trend";
3. Below the chart, add a widget with 3 key insights;
4. Add both widgets to the storyboard.

This helps the agent plan execution and also lets you stop between steps to tweak.

Anti-patterns

• Avoid "guess what" prompts: "make it interesting" — result is random;
• Don't cram too much: 2–3 clear goals per turn is optimal;
• Avoid vague pronouns: "it", "that one" — use widget titles instead.

Next step

• Slash commands
• Agent actions