The quality of your prompts directly impacts how quickly and effectively you can build what you have in mind. Whether you’re chatting with a build or having a personal conversation, these best practices will help you get the most out of Tines 3B.
Start with the outcome
Before you write the prompt, it helps to be clear on what you're actually building: what starts it, what data it works with, and what should exist when it's done. A minute spent knowing the outcome saves several spent correcting the wrong build. If the idea is still fuzzy, Plan mode is a good way to shape it with Tines 3B before anything gets built.
Core principles
1. Be clear and specific
Good: "Create a workflow that fetches data from the GitHub API, filters for open pull requests, and sends a summary to Slack."
Better: "Build a workflow with these steps: 1) Fetch open pull requests from the tines/3B repository using the GitHub API, 2) Transform the data to include only PR title, author, and created date, 3) Format as a bulleted list and post to the #engineering Slack channel."
The more specific you are about what you want, the faster Tines 3B can deliver exactly what you need.
2. Describe the business goal, not just the technical details
Good: "Parse this JSON and extract the email field."
Better: "When a user submits the contact form, extract their email address so we can send them a confirmation."
This might look like it contradicts the previous point, but the two work together: be specific about the outcome and the why, and leave the mechanics to Tines 3B to work out on its own. When you explain why you're building something, Tines 3B can make better decisions about error handling, validation, and the overall design.
3. Provide examples and context
If you’re working with specific data formats, API responses, or expected outputs, share examples:
"The webhook from Stripe will send data like this: {"type": "payment_intent.succeeded", "data": {"object": {"amount": 5000}}}. I need to extract the amount, convert from cents to dollars, and log it."
Examples help Tines 3B understand exact requirements and edge cases.
4. Break complex requests into conversations
Instead of describing an entire complex workflow in one message, build iteratively:
"Create a step that fetches customer data from our API."
Review the result.
"Now add validation to check if the email field exists."
Test it.
"Add a downstream step that sends this data to our CRM."
This approach lets you verify each piece works before moving forward.
Working with connectors and authentication
Never put credentials in the chat
Wrong: "Use this API key: sk_live_xyz123..."
Right: "Connect this step to the Stripe API."
Tines 3B handles authentication through connectors. When you need to call a third-party service:
Tell Tines 3B which service you’re connecting to.
Provide the specific URL if you know it (e.g., "https://api.github.com/repos/owner/repo").
Or use the service name if you don’t (e.g., "connect to Slack").
Tines 3B will guide you through setting up the connector in the UI, where credentials are stored securely.
Testing and iteration
Ask for tests, not assumptions
Good: "Run the step to make sure it works."
Better: "Run the step with this sample input: {"user_id": 123} and verify the output includes all the required fields."
Tines 3B should always test code after writing it, but you can guide what counts as a successful test.
Be clear about side effects
If a step should send emails, post to social media, or modify production data, say so upfront:
"This step will post to Jira, please show me what it will post before actually running it."
Tines 3B is configured to ask before running steps with side effects, but being explicit helps.
Building user interfaces
When you’re asking Tines 3B to build an interface, give some design direction:
Basic: "Create a form to submit customer feedback."
Better: "Create a customer feedback form with a clean, editorial aesthetic. Use a muted color palette with serif headings. Include fields for name, email, rating (1-5 stars), and comments. Make it feel premium and trustworthy."
Tines 3B is instructed to create production-ready, distinctive UIs by default, but your input on aesthetic direction helps it make better choices.
Effective communication patterns
What to include
The trigger: "When someone visits /signup..." or "Every day at midnight..." or "When data comes from the Transform step..."
The data shape: what the input looks like and what the output should be.
External services: any APIs or services you’re integrating with.
Authentication needs: mention if you need to connect to third-party services.
Edge cases: what should happen when things fail or data is missing.
What to skip
Don't narrate every small edit ("now I need you to..."). Tines 3B streams every tool call and result in the UI as it works, so a running commentary just repeats what's already on screen.
Don't ask Tines 3B to verify things that already work. Tines 3B runs each step to prove the code works before moving on, so a re-check spends a turn from its budget without telling you anything new.
Don't second-guess successful tests. A clean run is the proof. Pressing Tines 3B to "make sure" pulls in extra debugging tools it only reaches for when something actually broke.
Don't ask for documentation of every implementation detail. Tines 3B keeps a full transcript of how it built the workflow, and the steps themselves are the record, so detailed write-ups add clutter without adding safety.
When things go wrong
If Tines 3B misunderstands or builds something incorrectly:
Point out the specific issue: "The step is outputting HTML but I need JSON."
Provide the correct behavior: "The response should be {"status": "ok", "data": [...] }."
Ask for a re-test: "Please update it and run the step again."
Summary
The key to effective prompts in Tines 3B:
Start with the outcome so you're building toward something specific.
Be specific about what you want to build and why.
Never share credentials, always use connectors.
Test iteratively rather than building everything at once.
Provide examples and context for data formats.
Describe business goals to help Tines 3B make smart decisions.
Break complex requests into conversations.
Be explicit about side effects and testing needs.
Remember: you’re collaborating with an assistant that can write code, run tests, and connect services. The clearer your intent, the faster you’ll build exactly what you need.
If you’d like to learn more, our Community has a skills series on getting good with Tines 3B, which includes planning, prompting, iterating, and securing your build.