PRDs for Lovable vs Cursor vs Claude Code: What Works Best

Not all AI coding tools are created equal. Lovable excels at greenfield projects. Cursor dominates in existing codebases. Claude Code handles complex logic beautifully.

Your PRD should adapt to the tool you're using.

Here's how to optimize your PRDs for each major AI coding platform.

Tool Overview

Before diving into PRD strategies, let's understand what each tool does best:

PRDs for Lovable

What Lovable Does Best

• Generates complete Next.js applications
• Sets up authentication, database, and styling
• Creates full project structure
• Deploys to Vercel automatically

PRD Optimization

Be comprehensive. Lovable builds from zero, so your PRD should cover everything:

## Full PRD Structure for Lovable

### Tech Stack (Lovable defaults work well)
- Next.js 14 with App Router
- Supabase for database and auth
- Tailwind CSS for styling
- Vercel for deployment

### Complete Feature List
[List every feature—Lovable won't add what you don't mention]

### Database Schema
[Full schema with all tables and relationships]

### UI/UX Details
[Component descriptions and page layouts]

### Styling Preferences
[Color palette, font choices, spacing]

Lovable-specific tips:

• Include example data or placeholder content
• Specify authentication method explicitly
• Describe the landing page and auth flow separately
• Request shadcn/ui components by name

Example Lovable Prompt

Build a SaaS landing page with the following:

Tech: Next.js 14, Tailwind, shadcn/ui

Pages:
1. Landing page with hero, features (3 cards), pricing (3 tiers), FAQ accordion, footer
2. Auth pages (sign in, sign up) using Supabase Auth
3. Dashboard (protected, shows user email and logout button)

Design:
- Primary: #2563eb (blue)
- Font: Inter
- Style: Clean, modern, with subtle shadows

Pricing tiers:
- Free: $0, 10 generations/month
- Pro: $19/month, 200 generations/month
- Team: $29/month, unlimited generations

Deploy to Vercel when complete.

PRDs for Cursor

What Cursor Does Best

• Modifying existing codebases
• Adding features to working projects
• Refactoring and optimization
• Understanding project context

PRD Optimization

Be contextual. Cursor knows your codebase. Reference existing patterns:

## PRD for Cursor

### Context
[Brief description of what exists]
- Current tech stack: Next.js 14, Prisma, PostgreSQL
- Existing patterns: API routes in /app/api, components in /components
- Current styling: Tailwind with custom theme

### Changes Required
[Specific additions/modifications]

### Files Likely Affected
[Help Cursor focus on relevant files]

### Integration Points
[How new code connects to existing code]

Cursor-specific tips:

• Reference existing file patterns
• Mention the directory structure
• Call out specific functions to extend
• Ask for changes in small, focused chunks

Example Cursor Prompt

Add a notification system to the existing app:

Context:
- User model exists in prisma/schema.prisma
- API routes follow /app/api/[resource]/route.ts pattern
- Toast notifications use sonner (already installed)
- Auth handled by Clerk (middleware in middleware.ts)

New Feature:
1. Add notifications table (id, user_id, message, read, created_at)
2. Create API routes: GET /api/notifications, PATCH /api/notifications/:id
3. Add NotificationBell component in /components
4. Show unread count badge on bell icon
5. Dropdown shows last 10 notifications
6. Mark as read on click

Follow existing patterns in the codebase.

PRDs for Claude Code

What Claude Code Does Best

• Complex multi-step reasoning
• Large refactors across many files
• Debugging and problem-solving
• Understanding architectural decisions

PRD Optimization

Be problem-oriented. Claude Code excels when you explain the "why":

## PRD for Claude Code

### Current State
[What exists and what's the problem]

### Desired State
[What should exist after changes]

### Constraints
[Technical limitations, compatibility needs]

### Success Criteria
[How to verify the changes work]

### Reasoning Context
[Why you're making these changes—helps Claude make better decisions]

Claude Code-specific tips:

• Explain your reasoning and constraints
• Give Claude permission to suggest alternatives
• Ask for explanations along with code
• Request tests for critical paths

Example Claude Code Prompt

Refactor the payment system:

Current State:
- Payment logic spread across 5 files
- Stripe integration has race conditions
- No proper error handling for webhook failures
- Tests are flaky due to timing issues

Desired State:
- Centralized payment service in /lib/payments
- Idempotent webhook handling
- Proper retry logic with exponential backoff
- Deterministic tests

Constraints:
- Must maintain backward compatibility with existing API
- Cannot change Stripe webhook endpoint URL
- Needs to work with existing Prisma schema

Approach:
Please analyze the current implementation, propose a refactoring plan, then implement it file by file. Explain your reasoning for architectural decisions.

PRDs for Bolt

What Bolt Does Best

• Instant prototypes in the browser
• Quick experiments and MVPs
• Learning and exploration
• Single-file applications

PRD Optimization

Be minimal and focused. Bolt works best with smaller scopes:

## PRD for Bolt

### One-Line Goal
[What this prototype demonstrates]

### Core Interaction
[The main thing users do]

### Visual Style
[Quick style guidance]

### Scope Limit
[What NOT to include]

Bolt-specific tips:

• Keep it to one main feature
• Don't worry about auth or persistence
• Focus on the interaction, not infrastructure
• Request in-browser only (no backend)

Example Bolt Prompt

Build a color palette generator:

Core Interaction:
- Click "Generate" to create a 5-color palette
- Click any color to copy hex code
- Shows contrast ratio for text readability

Style:
- Clean, minimal
- Display colors as large swatches
- Show hex codes below each color

Keep it client-side only, no backend.

Universal PRD Best Practices

Regardless of tool, these principles always apply:

1. Specify the Tech Stack

Every tool needs to know what technologies to use. Don't leave this ambiguous.

2. Define Success Clearly

What does "done" look like? Be specific about acceptance criteria.

3. Scope Ruthlessly

List what's NOT included as clearly as what IS included.

4. Include Examples

Sample data, example inputs, expected outputs—concrete examples help AI understand intent.

5. Start Simple, Iterate

Generate the core feature first. Add complexity in follow-up prompts.

Choosing the Right Tool

Here's my decision framework:

Starting from scratch? → Lovable or Bolt

Have existing code? → Cursor or Claude Code

Need complex reasoning? → Claude Code

Want quick prototype? → Bolt

Full-stack app? → Lovable

Large refactor? → Claude Code or Windsurf

Generate Tool-Optimized PRDs

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The output is optimized for:

• Complete feature specifications
• Explicit tech stack choices
• Clear database schemas
• UI component descriptions

One PRD, any tool.

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