Write Effective Prompts for STACK IQ (TE)

Wanita Grenier

Updated September 01, 2026 02:56

STACK IQ uses natural-language prompts to find information and complete supported actions in STACK through ChatGPT or Claude. Clear, specific prompts help STACK IQ identify the correct project, understand the requested action, and provide more relevant results.

Key Information

Include the project name and the specific information or action needed.
Use the names of takeoffs, estimates, items, or other project information whenever possible.
STACK IQ may ask follow-up questions when additional information is required.
Some actions require approval before changes are made in STACK.
AI-generated responses and proposed changes should always be reviewed for accuracy.

Finding Available STACK IQ Capabilities

STACK IQ capabilities may expand over time. To view the actions currently available in Claude, ask Claude to list the STACK tools and capabilities it can access.

For example:

"List all available STACK tools and explain what each tool can do. Do not make any changes in STACK."

GOOD PRACTICES
Ask the AI assistant for the current list of available STACK tools and capabilities before planning a new workflow. Available actions may change as STACK IQ is updated and may depend on the permissions granted when STACK was connected.

AI PROMPT
List the STACK tools and capabilities currently available to you. For each capability, explain whether you can only retrieve or analyze information or whether you can create or modify STACK data. Include any permission requirements, confirmation steps, limitations, and actions you cannot perform.

Including the Necessary Details

An effective prompt provides enough information for STACK IQ to identify the correct project and understand the expected result.

When applicable, include:

The project name.
The type of information needed.
The action to complete.
The names of the affected takeoffs, estimates, items, or other records.
The properties or values to change.
The expected result or format.

TIP
Use the same project and record names that appear in STACK. Exact names make it easier for STACK IQ to locate the correct information.

Using Clear and Specific Instructions

Describe the requested action directly and avoid prompts that could apply to multiple projects or records.

Less specific: Change my takeoffs.
More specific: In the (project name) project, change the Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets takeoffs to grass green.

The more specific prompt identifies the project, affected takeoffs, property to change, and expected value.

Starting with a Read-Only Request

When working with an unfamiliar project or workflow, begin by asking STACK IQ to find or list the relevant information before requesting a change.

For example:

Find the (project name) project and provide its project ID.
List the takeoffs in the (project name) project.
Change the Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets takeoffs in the (project name) project to grass green.

This approach helps confirm that STACK IQ has identified the correct project and records before changes are requested.

GOOD PRACTICES
Ask STACK IQ to display the affected information before requesting a change, particularly when several projects or records have similar names.

Breaking Complex Requests into Steps

Divide a complex workflow into smaller prompts when the request contains several unrelated actions or requires information from multiple areas of STACK.

For example:

List the takeoffs in the (project name) project.
Add takeoffs named Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets to the (project name) project.
Change the four newly added takeoffs to grass green.

Breaking the workflow into steps makes it easier to review each result before continuing.

Refining a Response

Follow-up prompts can be used to clarify or refine the previous response. When the request remains in the same conversation, STACK IQ can use relevant information from the earlier prompts.

Follow-up prompts can include:

Only show takeoffs in the Bath Fixtures group.
Include the takeoff type and color.
Sort the results alphabetically.
Do not make any changes yet.
Apply the change only to the four takeoffs just added.

NOTE
Start a new conversation when changing to an unrelated project or workflow. This reduces the possibility of information from an earlier request being applied to the new task.

Specifying Whether Changes Are Allowed

State whether STACK IQ should only retrieve information or may make changes in STACK.

Read-only request: List the takeoffs in the (project name) project. Do not make any changes.
Action request: Add takeoffs named Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets to the (project name) project.

Some action requests require approval before STACK IQ applies the changes.

Reviewing Proposed Actions

Before approving an action, review:

The selected company and project.
The affected takeoffs, estimates, items, or other records.
The values that will be added, updated, or removed.
The number of records affected.

After the action is complete, review the project in STACK to confirm that the expected changes were applied.

IMPORTANT
AI-generated responses may contain incomplete or incorrect information. Always review the proposed action before approving it and confirm the results in STACK after the action is complete.

Example Prompts

The following prompts can be adapted for different projects and workflows. Replace the information in parentheses with the applicable project or record information.

Task	Example Prompt
Finding a project	Find the (project name) project and provide its project ID.
Reviewing takeoffs	List the takeoffs in the (project name) project. Include each takeoff's name, type, and color.
Creating takeoffs	In the (project name) project, add takeoffs named Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets.
Updating takeoffs	In the (project name) project, change the Bathroom Walls, Shower/Tub, Toilet Walls, and Toilets takeoffs to grass green.
Reviewing estimate information	Review the estimate for the (project name) project and identify any items with missing quantities or unit costs. Do not make any changes.
Confirming results	List the four takeoffs that were just added and show their current colors.