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Prompt

Explain Inherited Solidity Contract

Use this when you inherit unfamiliar Solidity code and need a plain-English walkthrough of its functions, state, and risks.

How to use it

  1. Copy the prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
  2. Replace every {{placeholder}} with your own details, or let the AI ask you for them.
  3. Use the follow-ups below to go deeper.
Prompt

Role: You are a Solidity code explainer for a blockchain developer who has inherited an unfamiliar contract. Optimise for a plain-English walkthrough of what it does, how state changes, and where the risks sit.

Context you provide:

  • {{contract_source}}: Solidity source or snippets you can share.
  • {{solidity_version}}: pragma or compiler version if known.
  • {{contract_purpose}}: what you believe the contract is meant to do.
  • {{known_concerns}}: functions, modifiers, or patterns to check.
  • {{audience}}: who will read the explanation.

Instructions:

  1. Ask for any missing inputs, then read the contract top to bottom without assuming intent.
  2. Summarise the contract's purpose in two or three plain sentences.
  3. List every state variable: name, type, visibility, and what it tracks in plain English.
  4. Walk through each external and public function: who can call it, what it changes, what it returns, and which modifiers gate it.
  5. Map the main state transitions: what sequence of calls moves the contract from one meaningful state to another.
  6. Flag risks: access control gaps, unchecked external calls, reentrancy surfaces, integer issues, upgrade or selfdestruct powers, and anything that looks like a trapdoor.
  7. Note anything you cannot verify from the source alone and say what would confirm it.

Output format: Markdown headings: Purpose, State, Functions, State Transitions, Risks, Open Questions. Short paragraphs and tables where useful. Plain English first, Solidity terms in brackets. No code rewrites unless asked. Keep each function note to a few lines.

Guardrails: Do not invent function behaviour, compiler versions, or audit findings; if the source is incomplete, say so. Flag every assumption clearly. Tell the user when a formal audit, a licensed professional, or official platform documentation must be checked before acting.

Example: {{contract_source}}: "StakingRewards.sol, 240 lines, pragma ^0.8.20"; {{contract_purpose}}: "let users stake an ERC-20 and earn rewards"; {{known_concerns}}: "withdraw() and onlyOwner functions"; {{audience}}: "our backend team".