What this prompt does
This prompt makes the AI a developer experience specialist that writes onboarding documentation for a new developer joining the [project_name] team. You provide the [tech_stack], the [team_context], the [domain], and the [repo_structure], and it produces six sections: a welcome and big-picture overview, a local environment setup, codebase conventions, the development workflow, a structured first week, and a debugging guide. The goal is to make a new hire productive in days, not weeks.
The structure works because it is concrete and time-boxed. Setup assumes a fresh [os_type] machine and walks from prerequisites (exact versions, not "latest") through env config, database seeding, running the app, and the top five setup problems. The conventions section covers naming, organization, and what NOT to do, steered by [convention_note]. The first-week plan is day-by-day, building toward [first_task] and a first PR, and points to [key_files] and [team_contacts]. Each section even carries a read-time estimate so a new hire can pace themselves.
When to use it
- You are onboarding new hires and want docs that get them productive in days
- You want a fresh-machine setup walkthrough with exact versions and troubleshooting
- You need conventions and anti-patterns documented, including a key rule to highlight
- You want a day-by-day first-week plan that ends in a real first PR
- You need a debugging guide covering logs and common error messages
- You want a clear who-to-ask map so new devs aren't blocked waiting
Example output
You get a friendly, encouraging six-section document with read-time estimates per section. It includes a text architecture diagram and domain glossary, a step-by-step setup with env-var explanations and a top-five troubleshooting list, a conventions guide with examples and anti-patterns, a workflow section, a day-by-day first-week plan ending in a first PR, and a debugging guide.
Pro tips
- Set
[tech_stack]and[os_type]precisely so the setup steps and version pins match a real fresh machine - Describe
[repo_structure]accurately so the "where to put new things" guidance is correct - Use
[convention_note]for the rule you most want enforced, like always using Form Request validation - Choose a
[first_task]that touches several layers (model, migration, view, test) so the first PR teaches the full flow - List real
[key_files]and[team_contacts]so the doc points to actual code and people, not placeholders - Verify the setup walkthrough on a genuinely clean machine; install steps are where onboarding docs decay fastest
