Cards are everywhere. Open any app—Airbnb, Spotify, Amazon, your company's admin panel—and you'll see them. Product cards. Profile cards. Stat cards. Blog cards. They're the LEGO bricks of modern UI.
But here's the thing nobody tells you: AI card component prompts are weirdly hard to get right. I've tested over 60 prompts in the past month, and most of them generated either bland Bootstrap-looking boxes or unresponsive messes that broke the moment you resized the browser.
So I documented what works. Every template in this guide has been battle-tested across multiple projects.
Key Takeaways:
- Card prompts need explicit constraints (dimensions, hover states, responsive behavior)
- The "product card" formula is different from "profile card"—don't use generic prompts
- Grid layouts are where most card prompts fail—always specify gap, columns, and breakpoints
- Hover states make or break card UX—add them to your prompts explicitly
In This Article
- The Anatomy of a Good Card Prompt
- Basic Card Templates
- Product & E-commerce Cards
- Profile & Team Cards
- Blog & Content Cards
- Stat & Metric Cards for Dashboards
- Card Grids: Responsive Layout Prompts
- Hover States and Animations
- Card Accessibility Checklist
- FAQ
The Anatomy of a Good Card Prompt
Before I dump 25+ templates on you, let me share what I learned about why most card prompts fail.
The typical prompt looks like this:
"Create a card component"
And you get... something. A rectangle with some text. Maybe an image. Zero personality, zero responsiveness, zero usefulness.
Here's the formula that actually works:
| Component | What to Specify | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Width, padding, border radius, shadow | "max-w-sm, p-4, rounded-xl, shadow-md" |
| Image | Aspect ratio, object-fit, position | "16:9 aspect ratio, object-cover, top" |
| Content | Typography hierarchy, spacing | "h3 title, p text-sm, mt-2 spacing" |
| Actions | Button placement, hover states | "bottom-right, primary button, hover scale" |
| Responsive | Breakpoints, grid behavior | "full-width mobile, 3-col desktop" |
The difference between a garbage prompt and a great one is specificity without micromanagement. You want to give the AI enough constraints to make good decisions, but not so many that you're basically writing the CSS yourself.
Basic Card Templates
Let's start simple. These are your foundation—the cards you'll reach for most often.
Simple Text Card
Create a React card component with Tailwind CSS: - White background with subtle shadow (shadow-sm) - Rounded corners (rounded-lg) - Padding of 6 units - Title in semi-bold, dark gray text - Description in regular weight, muted gray - Max width of 320px - Hover: lift slightly with increased shadow
Want to try this yourself?
Image Card
This one trips people up. The secret? Be explicit about the image aspect ratio and how it relates to the card.
Create a React card with a top image: - Image takes full width of card, 16:9 aspect ratio - Object-fit cover to prevent distortion - Content area below with 16px padding - Title (h3), short description, and a "Learn More" link - Card max-width 350px - Border radius on card AND image (match them) - On hover: image scales 1.05 within container (overflow hidden)
Action Card
Cards that DO something—these need clear visual hierarchy.
Create an action card component: - Icon on the left (24x24), title and subtitle on the right - Entire card is clickable (button element, not div) - Subtle border, no shadow - On hover: background changes to light gray, cursor pointer - On click: ring focus state - Mobile: icon stacks above text
Product & E-commerce Cards
Here's where things get interesting. Product cards need to do a lot of work—show the product, display price, maybe a sale badge, and get people to click "Add to Cart."
If you're building an e-commerce UI, you'll want to pair these with your e-commerce UI prompts for the full shopping experience.
Standard Product Card
Create a product card for an e-commerce site: - Product image (1:1 square aspect ratio, object-cover) - Product name (truncate if > 2 lines) - Star rating (1-5 stars, show number of reviews) - Price with strikethrough original price if on sale - Sale badge in top-right corner (red, "20% OFF") - Add to Cart button (full width, bottom) - Wishlist heart icon (top-left, toggleable) - Card width: flexible (works in 2, 3, or 4 column grids) - Hover: show quick-view overlay with "Quick View" button
Want to try this yourself?
Horizontal Product Card
For list views or featured products:
Create a horizontal product card: - Image on left (150x150 square) - Content on right: name, description (2 lines max), price - "Add to Cart" button on far right - Entire card height: auto (content determines) - Responsive: stack vertically on mobile (<640px) - Subtle border, rounded-lg
Product Card with Variants
Create a product card with color variants: - Product image that changes when color is selected - Small color swatches below image (circles, 20px) - Active swatch has ring outline - Size selector as small buttons (S, M, L, XL) - "Out of stock" state: grayed out, disabled button - Price updates based on selected variant
Profile & Team Cards
Profile cards need a different approach. They're about people, not products—so the hierarchy shifts.
Simple Team Member Card
Create a team member card: - Circular avatar image (96x96) centered at top - Name in bold (h4) - Job title in muted text - Short bio (3 lines max, truncate with ellipsis) - Social icons row: LinkedIn, Twitter/X, GitHub - Card background white, subtle shadow - On hover: shadow increases, lift effect
This pairs well with the testimonial section prompts if you're building team pages that need social proof too.
Contact Card
Create a contact card for a business directory: - Horizontal layout - Square profile photo on left - Name, company, and title - Email and phone as clickable links - Location with map pin icon - "Send Message" button - Tags for expertise (3 max, pill badges)
Profile Card with Stats
Create a user profile card (like a social media profile): - Cover image at top (16:9) - Avatar overlapping the cover image bottom edge - Username and handle - Bio text (max 160 chars) - Stats row: Posts, Followers, Following (numbers and labels) - Follow button (primary) and Message button (secondary) - Verified badge next to name if applicable
Blog & Content Cards
Content cards are about getting people to click through. The image and title do most of the work.
Blog Post Card
Create a blog post card: - Featured image (16:9 aspect ratio, top) - Category badge overlaid on image (top-left) - Post title (h3, max 2 lines) - Author avatar + name + date on one line - Reading time (e.g., "5 min read") - Excerpt (max 3 lines, fade out) - On hover: title underlines, cursor pointer - Entire card is clickable link
If you're building a blog or content site, check out the landing page prompts guide for how to combine these cards into full pages.
Video Card
Create a video content card (like YouTube): - Video thumbnail (16:9) with play button overlay - Duration badge in bottom-right of thumbnail (e.g., "12:34") - Video title (2 lines max) - Channel name and avatar (small) - View count and upload date - Vertical dots menu icon (top-right) - Hover: thumbnail slightly dims, play button scales up
Featured Article Card
Create a large featured article card: - Full-width on mobile - Horizontal layout on desktop (image left, content right) - Image is 40% width on desktop - Large title (h2) - Author info, date, reading time - Excerpt (4-5 lines) - Category tags (2-3 pills) - "Read Article" button
Stat & Metric Cards for Dashboards
Stat cards are the backbone of any dashboard UI. They need to communicate data clearly at a glance.
Simple Stat Card
Create a dashboard stat card: - Large number (32px font) as the primary element - Label above or below in muted text - Trend indicator (up/down arrow with percentage) - Green for positive trend, red for negative - Icon on the left or top (subtle, muted color) - Compact: 200px width, auto height - Light background, no border, subtle shadow
Want to try this yourself?
Stat Card with Sparkline
Create a stat card with an inline chart: - Primary metric number (large) - Label and trend percentage - Small sparkline chart (last 7 days) at the bottom - Chart should be 100% width, 40px height - Use a subtle area fill under the line - No axis labels (just the visual trend)
Progress Stat Card
Create a stat card showing progress: - Metric title - Current value / Goal value (e.g., "$8,500 / $10,000") - Progress bar below (percentage filled) - Color-coded: green if >75%, yellow if >50%, red if <50% - "X days remaining" text below progress bar
KPI Grid Card
Create a multi-KPI card: - Card contains 4 metrics in a 2x2 grid - Each metric: icon, value, label - Subtle dividers between quadrants - One unified card (not 4 separate cards) - Responsive: 2x2 on desktop, stack 4x1 on mobile
Card Grids: Responsive Layout Prompts
Here's where most people mess up. You've got great individual cards, but the grid looks broken on mobile or has weird gaps.
Responsive Card Grid
Create a responsive card grid container: - CSS Grid layout - 1 column on mobile (<640px) - 2 columns on tablet (640px-1024px) - 3 columns on desktop (>1024px) - 4 columns on large screens (>1280px) - Gap of 24px between cards - Cards should have equal height in each row
Masonry-Style Grid
Create a masonry card grid (Pinterest-style): - Variable height cards - 2 columns mobile, 3 tablet, 4 desktop - Use CSS columns or a masonry library - Gap of 16px - Cards appear to "flow" into gaps
Featured + Grid Layout
Create a card layout with featured item: - First card is "featured" (larger, spans 2 columns on desktop) - Remaining cards in regular 3-column grid below - Featured card has bigger image and more content - On mobile: featured card is full-width, others stack
Hover States and Animations
Cards without hover states feel dead. Here's how to add life without going overboard.
Lift Effect
Add hover effect to card: - On hover: translateY(-4px) - Shadow increases from shadow-sm to shadow-lg - Transition: 200ms ease-out - Don't move other cards (use transform, not margin)
Image Zoom
Add image hover effect to card: - Image container has overflow-hidden - On card hover: image scales to 1.05 - Transition: 300ms ease - Add subtle gradient overlay on hover (optional)
Border Glow
Add border glow on hover: - Default: 1px border in light gray - On hover: border color changes to primary - Add box-shadow with primary color, 0 0 10px - Transition: 150ms
Reveal Content
Add reveal-on-hover effect: - Some content hidden by default (e.g., action buttons) - On hover: content fades in from bottom - Use opacity 0 → 1 and translateY(10px) → 0 - Container needs overflow-hidden
For more animation ideas, check out the micro-interactions tutorial.
Card Accessibility Checklist
Look, I'm going to be real with you—most AI-generated cards have accessibility issues. Here's what to check and how to fix it in your prompts.
| Issue | How to Fix in Prompt | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable divs | "Use button or anchor element for interactive cards" | Screen readers need proper semantics |
| Missing alt text | "Add descriptive alt text for all images" | Blind users need image context |
| Color-only indicators | "Add icons or text alongside color indicators" | Colorblind users can't rely on color |
| Tiny click targets | "Ensure clickable areas are at least 44x44px" | Motor impairments need larger targets |
| Focus states | "Add visible focus ring on keyboard navigation" | Keyboard users need focus visibility |
Add this to your card prompts:
Accessibility requirements: - Semantic HTML (article for content cards, button for actions) - All images have meaningful alt text - Focus-visible ring for keyboard navigation - Color is not the only indicator for state - Minimum 44x44px touch/click targets
For a deeper dive, see the WCAG accessibility prompts guide.
Putting It All Together
The best card is one that's built for its specific use case. Don't use a generic card prompt when you need a product card. Don't slap the same template on a dashboard metric and a blog post.
Here's my workflow:
- Identify the card type (product, profile, stat, content)
- List the required elements (image? price? actions? stats?)
- Define responsive behavior (how does it change on mobile?)
- Add interaction states (hover, focus, active)
- Include accessibility requirements (semantics, focus, alt text)
Then write your prompt with ALL of those pieces. It's more upfront work, but you'll get cards that actually work the first time.
You Might Also Like
- AI Dashboard Prompts: 40+ Templates for Admin Panels - Stat cards, charts, and data tables that pair with your card components
- AI E-commerce UI Prompts That Actually Sell - Full shopping experience including product grids
- AI Prompt Templates: 300+ That Actually Work - The complete collection of UI component prompts
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a good AI card prompt?
Specificity without micromanagement. Include container dimensions, image handling, typography hierarchy, hover states, and responsive behavior. Skip exact pixel values—let the AI interpret "subtle shadow" or "rounded corners."
How do I make cards responsive with AI prompts?
Always specify breakpoints in your prompt. Say "1 column mobile, 2 tablet, 3 desktop" rather than assuming the AI will figure it out. Mention grid gaps, whether cards should be equal height, and how content reflows.
Why do my AI-generated cards look generic?
You're probably using vague prompts. "Create a card" gives generic results. "Create a product card with sale badge, star rating, wishlist toggle, and quick-view hover overlay" gives specific results. Add personality through shadow styles, border radius, and spacing choices.
How do I handle card images that are different sizes?
Use aspect ratio constraints. Tell the AI to use "1:1 square" or "16:9 landscape" with "object-cover" so images fill the space consistently. Add "overflow-hidden on image container" to prevent content shift.
Should I use CSS Grid or Flexbox for card layouts?
For card grids where you want equal-sized columns, CSS Grid is usually better. Say "CSS Grid, auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr)" in your prompt. For irregular layouts or single-row cards, Flexbox works fine.
Written by the Fardino Team. We build AI tools for frontend developers. Try Fardino free →
