50 ChatGPT Prompts Every Developer Should Know

Stop wasting time with vague prompts. These 50 battle-tested prompts will transform how you use ChatGPT for development. For an even broader collection, see our ultimate guide to coding prompts.

Each prompt is optimized for maximum clarity and includes placeholders for customization.

Debugging Prompts (1-10)

1. Bug Diagnosis

I have a bug in my [LANGUAGE] code. The expected behavior is [EXPECTED], but actual behavior is [ACTUAL]. Here's the code:

[CODE]

Please:
1. Identify the root cause
2. Explain why this happens
3. Provide a corrected version
4. Suggest how to prevent this in future

2. Error Message Decoder

I'm getting this error: [ERROR MESSAGE]

Context:
- Language/Framework: [LANGUAGE]
- What I was trying to do: [ACTION]

Explain what this error means in simple terms and provide 3 possible solutions.

3. Stack Trace Analysis

Analyze this stack trace and explain:
1. What went wrong
2. Which line is the actual cause (vs. just propagating the error)
3. How to fix it

[STACK TRACE]

4. Memory Leak Detection

This code may have a memory leak. Analyze it for:
- Memory leaks
- Resource leaks (file handles, connections)
- Objects that should be garbage collected but aren't

[CODE]

5. Race Condition Debug

I suspect a race condition in this concurrent code. Please:
1. Identify potential race conditions
2. Explain the scenarios where they'd occur
3. Suggest fixes (mutexes, channels, atomic ops)

[CODE]

6. Performance Issue Investigation

This function is slow. Profile the logic and identify:
- Time complexity issues
- Unnecessary operations
- Optimization opportunities

Current execution context: [HOW IT'S CALLED]

[CODE]

7. Null/Undefined Debug

I'm getting null/undefined errors somewhere in this flow:
[CODE]

Trace through the data flow and identify all places where null/undefined could occur.

8. API Integration Debug

My API call isn't working as expected.

Request: [REQUEST DETAILS]
Expected response: [EXPECTED]
Actual response: [ACTUAL]

API documentation says: [RELEVANT DOCS]

What am I doing wrong?

9. Database Query Debug

This query returns wrong results:
[QUERY]

Expected: [EXPECTED ROWS/DATA]
Actual: [ACTUAL ROWS/DATA]

Schema:
[RELEVANT TABLES]

Diagnose the issue and fix the query.

10. Regex Debug

This regex isn't matching correctly:
Pattern: [REGEX]
Should match: [EXAMPLES THAT SHOULD MATCH]
Shouldn't match: [EXAMPLES THAT SHOULDN'T]

Fix the pattern and explain each part.

Code Review Prompts (11-20)

11. Comprehensive Review

Review this [LANGUAGE] code for:
- Bugs and edge cases
- Security vulnerabilities  
- Performance issues
- Code smells
- Best practice violations

[CODE]

Format as: 🔴 Critical | 🟡 Suggestion | 🟢 Positive

12. Security Audit

Audit this code for security vulnerabilities including:
- Injection attacks (SQL, XSS, command)
- Authentication/authorization flaws
- Data exposure risks
- Insecure configurations

[CODE]

13. Performance Review

Review for performance issues:
- O(n²) or worse operations
- Unnecessary memory allocation
- Database N+1 queries
- Blocking operations
- Missing caching opportunities

[CODE]

14. Code Style Review

Review against [STYLE GUIDE - e.g., Google, Airbnb, PEP8]:

[CODE]

List all style violations with line numbers.

15. Accessibility Review

Review this frontend code for accessibility:
- ARIA labels
- Keyboard navigation
- Screen reader compatibility
- Color contrast issues
- Focus management

[CODE]

16. API Design Review

Review this API design:

[ENDPOINTS AND SCHEMAS]

Check for:
- REST best practices
- Consistent naming
- Appropriate HTTP methods
- Error response format
- Missing endpoints

17. Schema Review

Review this database schema:

[SCHEMA]

Check for:
- Normalization issues
- Missing indexes
- Poor naming conventions
- Relationship problems
- Scalability concerns

18. Test Coverage Review

Here's my function and its tests:

Function:
[CODE]

Tests:
[TEST CODE]

What cases am I missing? What edge cases should be tested?

19. PR Review Template

I'm reviewing this PR. Help me understand:

Changes:
[DIFF OR DESCRIPTION]

Context: [WHAT FEATURE/FIX THIS IS FOR]

Questions:
1. What could break?
2. What edge cases might be missed?
3. Any potential performance impact?

20. Architecture Review

Review this system design:

[ARCHITECTURE DESCRIPTION/DIAGRAM]

Evaluate for:
- Single points of failure
- Scalability bottlenecks
- Security concerns
- Operational complexity
- Cost efficiency

Browse more code review prompts in our library, or read our AI code review workflow guide for a complete process.

Documentation Prompts (21-30)

21. Function Documentation

Generate documentation for this function:

[FUNCTION]

Format: [JSDoc / Python docstring / Javadoc / etc.]

Include:
- Description
- Parameters with types
- Return value
- Usage example
- Edge cases

22. README Generator

Generate a README.md for my project:

Project name: [NAME]
What it does: [DESCRIPTION]
Tech stack: [TECHNOLOGIES]
Installation steps: [STEPS]
Key features: [FEATURES]

Include badges, quick start, and contributing section.

23. API Documentation

Document this API endpoint:

[ENDPOINT CODE OR SPECIFICATION]

Generate documentation including:
- Description
- URL and method
- Request parameters/body
- Response format with examples
- Error codes
- cURL example

24. Architecture Documentation

Create documentation for this system architecture:

[DESCRIPTION OR DIAGRAM]

Include:
- System overview
- Component descriptions
- Data flow
- Dependencies
- Deployment considerations

25. Code Comments

Add appropriate comments to this complex code:

[CODE]

Comment on:
- Why (not what) for non-obvious logic
- Algorithm explanations
- Magic numbers
- Edge case handling
- Potential gotchas

26. Changelog Entry

Write a changelog entry for this change:

[DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE]

Version: [VERSION]
Type: [Feature / Fix / Breaking / etc.]

Format as Keep a Changelog style.

27. Migration Guide

Write a migration guide for upgrading from v[OLD] to v[NEW]:

Breaking changes:
- [CHANGE 1]
- [CHANGE 2]

Include before/after code examples for each change.

28. Troubleshooting Guide

Create a troubleshooting guide for common issues with [SYSTEM/LIBRARY]:

For each issue include:
- Symptom
- Common causes
- Diagnostic steps
- Solutions

29. Quick Start Guide

Write a 5-minute quick start guide for [PROJECT]:

Target: [Beginner developer / experienced X developer]
Goal: Get [BASIC THING] working

Focus on the absolute minimum to see results.

30. Runbook

Create an operational runbook for [SERVICE]:

Include:
- Health check procedures
- Common incident responses
- Restart procedures
- Rollback steps
- Escalation paths

Refactoring Prompts (31-40)

31. General Refactor

Refactor this code to improve readability:

[CODE]

Preserve functionality but improve:
- Naming
- Structure
- Complexity
- DRY violations

32. Extract Function

Identify code that should be extracted into separate functions:

[CODE]

For each extraction, provide:
- Function name
- Parameters
- The extracted code
- Why this should be separate

33. Design Pattern Application

Refactor this to use [PATTERN NAME] pattern:

[CODE]

Show the refactored code and explain how the pattern applies.

34. Type Safety Refactor

Add TypeScript types to this JavaScript:

[CODE]

Create appropriate interfaces/types.
Make the most strict type definitions that still work.

35. Async Refactor

Refactor from callbacks to async/await:

[CALLBACK CODE]

Handle errors properly and maintain the same behavior.

36. Reduce Complexity

This function has high cyclomatic complexity. Simplify it:

[CODE]

Target: Under 10 cyclomatic complexity while maintaining functionality.

37. Remove Duplication

Find and remove duplication in this code:

[CODE]

Create reusable functions/components for repeated patterns.

38. Modernize Syntax

Update this [LANGUAGE] code to modern syntax ([VERSION]):

[CODE]

Use latest features where they improve the code.

39. Error Handling Improvement

Improve error handling in this code:

[CODE]

Current issues: [KNOWN ISSUES OR "review and identify"]

Implement proper error handling, recovery, and user feedback.

40. Testable Refactor

Refactor this code to be more testable:

[CODE]

Add dependency injection, reduce coupling, make I/O operations injectable.

Utility Prompts (41-50)

41. Regex Generator

Create a regex that matches:
- [WHAT TO MATCH]

And doesn't match:
- [WHAT TO EXCLUDE]

Explain each part of the pattern.

42. Bash Command

Write a bash one-liner that [TASK].

Requirements:
- [ANY CONSTRAINTS]

Explain what each part does.

43. SQL Query

Write a SQL query to [GOAL].

Schema:
[TABLES AND RELATIONSHIPS]

Requirements:
- [PERFORMANCE NEEDS]
- [ANY CONSTRAINTS]

44. Git Command

What git commands do I need to [GOAL]?

Current state: [WHERE I AM]
Desired state: [WHERE I WANT TO BE]

Include safety warnings if applicable.

45. Cron Expression

Create a cron expression that runs [WHEN].

Format for: [cron / AWS / Kubernetes / etc.]

Explain each field.

46. Data Structure Selection

I need to store [DATA] and perform these operations frequently:
- [OP 1]
- [OP 2]

In [LANGUAGE], what data structure should I use and why?

47. Algorithm Selection

I need to solve: [PROBLEM]

Constraints:
- Data size: [SIZE]
- Time constraint: [REQUIREMENT]
- Memory constraint: [REQUIREMENT]

What algorithm should I use? Provide implementation.

48. Boilerplate Generator

Generate boilerplate for [TYPE] in [FRAMEWORK]:

Include:
- Standard folder structure
- Config files
- Essential dependencies
- Basic setup code

49. Test Data Generator

Generate test data for [SCHEMA]:

[DATA MODEL]

Generate:
- [N] records
- Realistic values
- Edge cases included
- Format: [JSON / SQL / CSV]

50. Code Translation

Translate this code from [SOURCE LANGUAGE] to [TARGET LANGUAGE]:

[CODE]

Maintain:
- Same functionality
- Idiomatic patterns for target language
- Equivalent error handling

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Keep these prompts handy. Adapt them to your specific needs—the placeholders make it easy to customize for any situation. To sharpen your prompting technique, read how to write better AI prompts.

For more prompts organized by use case, browse our complete prompt library:

• Coding Prompts - 200+ developer prompts
• Data Prompts - SQL, analytics, visualization
• Writing Prompts - Documentation and content