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Builder Chat

The builder chat is where you describe what you want and Chippy builds it. You type a prompt, the AI generates tools, widgets, and mock data, and you iterate from there.
Builder chat with prompt input and generation timeline

The builder chat interface

Builder Interface Overview

The builder has a split-panel layout. The left side has four tabs; the right side shows a live preview of your app.

Left Panel Tabs

Builder sidebar showing Chat, Config, Connect, and Assets tabs

The four tabs in the builder left panel

Right Panel: Preview

The preview panel has two modes: You can also toggle between desktop and mobile views to see how your widgets look at different sizes.
Preview panel showing design mode and test mode side by side

Design mode vs Test mode in the preview panel

How It Works

1

Type a prompt

Describe your app, a new tool, or a change to something that already exists. Be specific about what the tool does, who uses it, and what the output looks like.
2

The AI generates

Chippy creates tools, widget code, mock data, and configuration. A progress timeline shows each step as it happens.
3

Review in preview

Your result appears in the preview panel. Click through the widget, check the data, and verify behavior.
4

Iterate

Send another prompt to refine. One change at a time produces the best results.

Chat Input Features

The chat input area includes several tools beyond plain text.

Image Attachments

You can attach images to your prompts by pasting from your clipboard or clicking the attachment button. Up to 5 images per message. Chippy compresses large images automatically. Use image attachments to:
  • Show a design mockup you want the AI to replicate
  • Share a screenshot of a bug or layout issue
  • Provide a reference for styling or layout

Screenshot Capture

Click the camera icon in the chat input to capture a screenshot of the current preview. The screenshot is attached to your next message, so you can say things like:
Fix the alignment issue in this screenshot.
Make this card layout match the attached design.
Chat input showing the camera icon for screenshot capture

Screenshot capture button in the chat input

Element Selection

Click the pointer icon in the chat input to enter element selection mode. In this mode, you can click on any element in the preview to select it. The selected element appears as a badge in the chat input showing its tag name, text content, and CSS classes. This lets you make precise edits by pointing at exactly what you want to change:
Make this button red.
Move this heading above the table.
Delete this section.
You can also:
  • Edit text inline by double-clicking a selected element
  • Delete elements by selecting them and pressing the delete key
Preview with a selected element and the selection badge in the chat input

Element selection mode with a selected button element

Plan Mode

Toggle Plan Mode in the chat input to ask the AI to analyze your request and outline what it will do before making any changes. The AI responds with a structured plan listing which tools it will create or modify, what mock data changes it will make, and any potential issues. Review the plan, then approve it to proceed with generation. When to use plan mode:
  • You are unsure how a change will affect existing tools
  • You want to see the AI’s approach before it writes code
  • You are making a structural change (adding multiple tools, reorganizing data)
Builder chat toolbar with Plan Mode toggle highlighted

Plan mode toggle and a plan response

Progress Timeline

When the AI is generating, a progress timeline shows each step in real time:
Progress timeline showing tool creation and bundling steps

Progress timeline during generation

Change History

Click the history icon in the chat to browse previous versions of your app. Each version includes a screenshot of the preview at the time it was saved. You can restore any previous version if a change went wrong.
Change history popover showing previous versions with screenshots

Change history with version snapshots

Great First Prompts

The best initial prompts are specific about what you are building, what tools to create, and what the output should look like. Here are four examples that produce strong results on the first generation.

Support Triage

Build a support triage app with two tools:
  1. A UI tool called “triage_dashboard” that shows incoming tickets in a table with columns for subject, sender, urgency (high/medium/low), and suggested team. Display fullscreen.
  2. A data tool called “update_ticket_status” that marks a ticket as assigned to a specific team.
Why this works: It names each tool, specifies the type (UI vs data), describes the layout, and sets the display mode.

Inventory Tracker

Create an inventory tracking app. I need:
  1. A UI tool “inventory_list” that shows all products in a sortable table with columns for SKU, name, quantity, and reorder status. Fullscreen mode.
  2. A data tool “update_stock” that adjusts the quantity for a given SKU.
  3. A data tool “search_products” that finds products by name or SKU.
Why this works: It separates reading (UI tool) from writing (data tools) and gives the AI clear column definitions.

Order Dashboard

Build an order management dashboard:
  1. A UI tool “order_dashboard” that displays recent orders in a table with order ID, customer name, total, and status. Include a search bar to filter by order ID or customer. Fullscreen.
  2. A data tool “get_order_details” that returns the full details for a specific order ID.
  3. A data tool “cancel_order” that cancels an order and returns a confirmation.
Why this works: It describes the interaction model (search bar filters the table, detail lookup by ID) and separates the display from the actions.

Analytics Viewer

Create an analytics viewer with:
  1. A UI tool “analytics_overview” that shows a dashboard with cards for total users, active sessions, and conversion rate. Include a line chart of daily active users over the past 30 days. Fullscreen.
  2. A data tool “get_metrics” that returns current metric values for a given date range.
Why this works: It describes specific visual components (cards, line chart) and tells the AI what data each tool handles.
Builder chat showing a detailed prompt and the resulting tools

A well-structured first prompt and its generated output

Iteration: Refine One Thing at a Time

After the first generation, resist the urge to change everything at once. Focused follow-up prompts produce more reliable edits.

Before and After

Too much at once (avoid this):
Change the table to cards, add filtering, make it paginated, add a dark header, sort by date, and show a total count at the top.
One change at a time (do this instead):
Change the order table to a card layout. Each card should show order ID, customer name, and status.
Then, after reviewing:
Add a search bar above the cards that filters by order ID or customer name.
Then:
Add pagination below the cards. Show 10 cards per page.
Each follow-up prompt builds on a stable foundation. If something breaks, you know exactly which change caused it.

Common Prompting Mistakes

Tips for Faster Iteration

Name your tools explicitly

Use descriptive names like “search_orders” and “order_dashboard” so the AI knows exactly which tool you are referring to in follow-up prompts.

Reference existing tools by name

Say “In the order_dashboard tool, add a status filter” instead of “add a filter to the dashboard.”

Attach screenshots for visual issues

Capture a screenshot and describe what is wrong. “Fix the alignment issue in this screenshot” is faster than describing the problem in words.

Use element selection for precise edits

Click on the exact element you want to change, then describe the edit. The AI knows exactly what you are pointing at.

What’s Next

UI Tools

Learn about display modes and interactive widgets.

Data Tools

Return structured data without rendering a widget.

Mock Data

Prototype with realistic data before connecting APIs.

Tools

Design tools that are easy for models to pick and users to trust.