# Why Short AI Coding Prompts Can Cost You More Time

DevFeed: [Why Short AI Coding Prompts Can Cost You More Time](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/why-short-ai-coding-prompts-can-cost-you-more-time-37549.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://deanhume.com/why-short-ai-coding-prompts-can-cost-you-more-time/>)

Author: Dean Hume

Published: 2026-09-03T09:17:56Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Dean Hume](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/dean-hume.md>)

Topics: [Prompt Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/prompt-engineering.md>), [ai-coding](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-coding.md>), [GitHub Copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/github-copilot.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>), [Agent Harness](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/agent-harness.md>), [GitHub Copilot CLI](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/github-copilot-cli.md>), [Testing](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/testing.md>)

Tags: [agent-harness](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/agent-harness.md>), [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [ai-coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-coding.md>), [coding](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coding.md>), [copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/copilot.md>), [github-copilot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/github-copilot.md>), [prompt](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/prompt.md>), [testing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/testing.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article connects GitHub Copilot team's findings about compressing tool output with everyday AI coding prompts. It argues that optimizing a visible step, such as shortening a response or prompt, can increase total time and cost when missing details force follow-up questions, reruns, or recovery work. It recommends giving coding assistants the full problem and relevant source material, and treating instruction files carefully because rewriting guidance can change agent behavior.

## Source excerpt

Ever tried to save time by keeping a prompt short - only to spend the next ten minutes answering follow-up questions because the AI didn't have what it needed? Yeah, me too. I recently came across a really interesting post from the GitHub Copilot team about making