You know by now that AI can dramatically speed up your development process (when used correctly.)

But the key is knowing how to communicate with the AI properly.

Here’s my collection of prompts that actually work in real-world scenarios.

Getting to the Root of Problems

The most common mistake developers make is treating symptoms rather than causes. This prompt helps you break that cycle:

Analyze this error/bug:
[paste error]

Don't just fix the immediate issue. Identify the underlying root cause by:
1. Examining potential architectural problems
2. Considering edge cases that might trigger this
3. Suggesting a comprehensive solution that prevents similar issues

Focus on fixing the core problem, not just the symptom. Before giving a solution, give me a reasoned analysis about why and how you're fixing the root cause.

When to use it: Whenever you hit a frustrating bug that keeps coming back despite your fixes. This approach saves hours of debugging.

Understanding AI-Generated Code

Never blindly implement code you don’t understand. This prompt ensures you know exactly what you’re adding to your codebase:

Can you explain what you generated in detail:
1. What is the purpose of this section?
2. How does it work step-by-step?
3. What alternatives did you consider and why did you choose this one?

When to use it: Every single time you get code from an AI. No exceptions. Your future self will thank you.

Debugging

When you’re truly stuck on a problem, sometimes you need to break out of your usual thought patterns. This prompt helps you systematically explore possibilities from multiple angles:

Help me debug this issue: [code and logs]

Reflect on 5-7 different possible sources of the problem, thinking from a variety of creative angles that you might not normally consider. 

Distill those down to 1-2 most likely sources.

Ideate on which one it could be and add logs to test that.

Give a detailed analysis on why you think you've understood the issue, how it occurs, and the easiest way to fix it.

When to use it: When stuck debugging serious issues. This prompt forces the AI to step back and consider the problem holistically rather than diving too quickly into a single possible explanation.

Code Reviews

AI can catch issues human reviewers might miss:

Review the code in the files [include files here]

Focus on:
1. Logic flaws and edge cases
2. Performance bottlenecks
3. Security vulnerabilities
4. Maintainability concerns

Suggest specific improvements with brief explanations. First, give a detailed plan. Then, implement it with the least changes and updating minimal code.

When to use it: Before submitting PRs or after finishing a feature but before considering it “done.”

Refactoring

Transform spaghetti code into something maintainable:

Refactor this function to be more:
[paste code]

Make it:
- More readable (clear variable names, logical structure)
- Maintainable (smaller functions with single responsibilities)
- Testable (easier to write unit tests)

Ensure that you do not change too much and that this part of the code remains useable without changing other parts that might depend on it.

First, explain your changes and why they improve the code.

When to use it: When your code has grown unwieldy over time. Use this only for small parts of the code, you are likely to break things if you refactor too much at once.

Security

I wrote an entire guide on security recently where I cover how to audit your code for common vulnerabilities.

Rage Prompting

Sometimes, frustration can actually help get results from AI. The “rage prompt” works surprisingly well. Feel free to add more rage depending on your patience levels:

This code is DRIVING ME CRAZY. It should be doing [expected behavior] but instead it's [actual behavior]. 
PLEASE help me figure out what's wrong with it:
[paste code]

When to use it: When you need direct results without excessive explanation.

Conclusion

The right prompts don’t just save time: they fundamentally change how quickly you can ship reliable products.

By using these prompts consistently, you’ll avoid the common issues of AI development while capitalizing on its strengths.

What prompts have saved you time in your own development process? I’d love to hear about them.

P.S. My AI improves code generation in production & helps you ship faster. Loved by developers & teams all over the world. Check out Giga AI.