Library / Working with a coding agent / Iteration
No. 092·noun·also called iterate, feedback loop, refinement

Iteration

Improving something in small rounds: build, look, give feedback, adjust, repeat.

SPECIMEN · DIAGRAM · STATES
Build
Look
Specific feedback
ship to previewreviewadjust
Definition

What it is

Iteration is how good software actually gets made: a first version, then a series of small, specific improvements based on what you see. Each round is one change you can judge.

With coding agents, small rounds work far better than giant requests. "Make the header sticky" then "now tighten the spacing" beats one paragraph of ten changes.

Good iteration feedback is specific and comparative: what's wrong, where, and what "better" looks like.

Say it like a builder

How to ask for it

Vague

“I don't like it. Make it better.”

Precise

“Next iteration on the pricing page: make the middle plan visually stand out (raised card, "Most popular" badge), reduce the feature lists to five items each, and leave everything else as it is.”

Why it works

"Make it better" gives no direction; a focused iteration names what to change and what to keep.

In the wild

You've seen this in

  • DDesign reviews with rounds of feedback
  • WWeekly product releases
  • EEditing a draft over several passes
Usage note

Often confused with

Scope creepScope creep piles on new features; iteration refines what exists in small, planned steps.RefactorRefactoring changes code without changing behavior; iteration changes what people see and use.