How do I write a project brief the AI can follow across sessions?

Updated October 2026 · How we answer

Writing a project brief

Start with a few plain sentences about what the app does and who uses it. List the main technologies you chose, such as the framework, database and styling approach. Explain any choices the AI might otherwise change without asking, like a required database or a naming convention.

Add a short section on the folder layout and the commands to run tests and start the app. Assistants work better when they know where things live and how to check their own work.

Keeping the brief current

Update the brief when the project changes, not only at the start. An outdated brief can send the AI in the wrong direction faster than no brief at all. Note decisions you have already made so they do not get reopened every session.

Keep the file focused. A long document full of old notes can bury the rules that matter, so trim it as the project matures.

• State the goal and target users in two or three sentences.
• List the stack and the reasons for it.
• Describe the folder layout briefly.
• Include the commands for tests and local runs.

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