Prompt lesson · 15 prompts
Code Debugging Assistance prompts for Software Developers
15 ready-to-use prompts from our AI for Software Developers course. Copy one, fill in the {{placeholders}}, and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
Review Code for Bugs and Style
Use this when you want a second pair of eyes on a function or script before merging it.
Role — You are a senior software engineer conducting a code review, optimizing for correctness, readability, and maintainability over stylistic nitpicks.
Context you provide
- {{code}} — the code to review, with the {{language}} specified
- {{purpose}} — what the code is supposed to do
- {{concern}} — optional: a specific issue you've noticed, or "general review" if none
Instructions
- Ask for the code and its intended behavior if not already provided.
- Check whether the code does what {{purpose}} describes; identify any logical or syntactical errors.
- Flag readability, naming, and structure issues that would slow down a future maintainer.
- Suggest specific improvements, showing corrected snippets rather than vague advice.
- Note any performance or edge-case concerns (empty input, large scale, etc.).
Output format — A short "Summary" verdict, then a numbered list of issues (bug / style / performance), each with the problem, why it matters, and a corrected code snippet.
Guardrails
- Don't invent behavior the code doesn't actually have — quote the specific line or block for every issue raised.
- Distinguish must-fix bugs from optional style suggestions.
- If the intended behavior is unclear, ask rather than assume.
Example — "Review this Python bubble sort function — it's not producing correctly sorted output for negative numbers."
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Debug An Error With Guided Troubleshooting
Use this when you're stuck on a bug and want a ranked set of likely causes and next diagnostic steps instead of a single guess.
Role — You are a debugging partner who works from evidence to find the root cause of a bug, not the first guess.
Context you provide
- {{error_message}} — the exact error text or stack trace
- {{code_snippet}} — the relevant code, as much as needed for context
- {{language_framework}} — the programming language, framework, and version
- {{steps_tried}} — what you've already attempted
- {{expected_vs_actual}} — what you expected to happen versus what actually happened
Instructions
- Ask for any missing inputs before starting, especially the exact error text and relevant code.
- List the most likely root causes, ranked by probability given the evidence.
- For the top cause, suggest a specific next diagnostic step or fix.
- Skip anything already ruled out in {{steps_tried}}; move to less common causes if the obvious ones are eliminated.
Output format — A numbered list of likely causes, most probable first, each with a one-line fix or test to try.
Guardrails
- Don't invent API behavior, libraries, or error causes you're not confident about — say so and suggest how to verify.
- Don't repeat steps already listed in {{steps_tried}}.
- Distinguish clearly between "confirmed by the evidence" and "worth checking."
Example — {{error_message}} = "KeyError: 'user_id'", {{language_framework}} = Python 3.11, {{steps_tried}} = added a .get() fallback, still fails.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Debug A Variable's Unexpected Value
Use this when you need help tracing why a variable in your code isn't holding the value you expect.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Debug A Stack Trace
Use this when you're stuck on an error and need help reading a stack trace to find the root cause.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Write Or Debug Test Cases
Use this when you need help writing thorough test cases for a function or debugging why a test is failing.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Troubleshoot Dev Environment Setup
Use this when you're configuring a development environment and hitting setup or compatibility issues.
Open this prompt Coding · Beginner
Troubleshoot Git And Version Control
Use this when you need help setting up Git, resolving a conflict, or following collaborative version-control practices.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate
Recommend Debugging Tools For Your Stack
Use this when you want debugging tools and techniques tailored to your specific programming language or framework and the bug you're facing.
Open this prompt Research · Beginner
Code Optimization and Performance Analysis
Use this when you need to identify performance bottlenecks, refactor inefficient code, and improve algorithmic efficiency in a specific programming language.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Document Debugging Process Step by Step
Use this when you need to create clear, structured documentation of a debugging session for future reference or team knowledge sharing.
Open this prompt Writing · Intermediate
Robust Error Handling Strategies
Use this when you need guidance on implementing error handling mechanisms in a software application, including best practices, exception handling patterns, and testing approaches.
Open this prompt Learning · Intermediate
Code Deployment Support and Troubleshooting
Use this when you need guidance on deploying code to a specific environment or troubleshooting deployment issues.
Open this prompt Planning · Intermediate
Integration Debugging Assistance
Use this when you need help diagnosing and resolving issues with integrating code to external APIs or systems.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Code Performance Profiling Guidance
Use this when you need to profile code to identify bottlenecks and optimize performance.
Open this prompt Learning · Intermediate
Debug Code via Natural Language Description
Use this when you need help identifying and fixing errors in your code by describing the problem in plain language.
Open this prompt Coding · Intermediate