π¬ Copy-Paste Prompts
Emergency debugging prompts that actually work when production is burning.
When Your Codebase Is Actively Hostile
You know the feeling. Production is down. Slack is pinging like a slot machine hitting jackpot. Your manager is asking "ETA?" for the third time in five minutes. And you're staring at an AI chat window, typing increasingly desperate variations of "help" while getting back philosophical musings about the nature of errors.
This isn't debuggingβit's digital prayer. And like most prayers, the responses tend to be vague and unhelpful when you need specific, actionable miracles. The problem isn't AI's capability; it's that crisis prompts are written by panicked humans who forget to include the one thing AI needs: context.
π¨ TL;DR: Your Emergency Cheat Sheet
- Stop typing novels: Structured context beats emotional pleading every time
- Force prioritization: AI will give you 20 possibilities unless you demand the top 3
- Copy-paste templates work: Because your brain is currently offline for maintenance
1. The Emergency Debugging Protocol
When errors are multiplying faster than you can read them, you need a prompt that forces specificity. Generic "help me" gets generic advice. Structured context gets solutions.
Expected output: Ranked solutions with exact code changes
[ERROR CONTEXT] I'm getting this error: [PASTE ERROR]. My code: [PASTE RELEVANT CODE]. I've tried: [LIST ATTEMPTS]. Give me 3 specific fixes ranked by likelihood, with exact code changes. Start with the most probable root cause.
This works because it mimics how senior developers think: error + code + attempted solutions = narrowed possibilities. The "ranked by likelihood" forces AI to do the triage you're too stressed to perform.
2. Production Triage Templates
When everything's broken but you can only fix one thing first, you need AI to play incident commander. These prompts force prioritization when you can't think straight.
Expected output: Actionable triage steps in correct order
[SYSTEM STATUS] These services are down: [LIST]. Symptoms: [DESCRIBE]. I have access to: [LOGS/METRICS/ACCESS]. Give me a step-by-step triage plan: 1) Immediate stopgap, 2) Root cause investigation steps, 3) Verification steps. Be specific about what to check first.
Notice the structure: immediate relief first, then investigation, then verification. This prevents the classic AI move of suggesting a full architecture review while users scream.
3. Blame-Deflection Prompt Patterns
Post-mortems are coming. Someone will ask "why didn't we catch this?" These prompts help you document like a professional while subtly suggesting it wasn't entirely your fault.
Expected output: Professionally framed analysis with improvement suggestions
[INCIDENT ANALYSIS] Timeline: [WHAT HAPPENED WHEN]. Root cause: [WHAT BROKE]. Impact: [WHO IT AFFECTED]. Write a post-mortem that: 1) States facts without blame, 2) Identifies systemic improvements, 3) Suggests monitoring gaps, 4) Provides concrete next steps. Frame as learning opportunity.
The magic words: "systemic improvements" and "monitoring gaps." This shifts conversation from "who screwed up" to "how do we prevent this." It's corporate judo.
4. Error Message Translation Prompts
Some error messages are written by people who hate humanity. These prompts force AI to translate gibberish into actionable information.
Expected output: Plain English explanation with fix direction
[ERROR DECODING] Translate this error into plain English: [PASTE ERROR]. Then answer: 1) What actually failed? 2) What's the most common cause? 3) What's the quickest fix? 4) What should I Google if that doesn't work?
The "what should I Google" is crucial. It's the escape hatch when AI's first suggestion inevitably doesn't work because your environment is special.
5. 'Make It Stop' One-Liners
For when you need immediate relief, not a lecture about best practices. These are the digital equivalent of hitting the big red button.
Expected output: Direct command to execute
Give me the exact command to restart [SERVICE] and clear its cache without bringing down dependent services.
What's the quickest rollback command for [PLATFORM] to previous stable version?
Give me a one-line fix to temporarily disable [FEATURE] in production config.
These aren't elegant. They're tactical. Sometimes you need to stop the bleeding before you perform surgery.
π Pro Tips: Don't Panic, Prompt Better
Keep a prompts.txt file in your project root. When you craft a prompt that works, save it. Your future panicked self will thank you.
Include your stack in every prompt. "Using React 18 with TypeScript and Vite" prevents React Native suggestions.
Use "continue from above" when debugging complex issues. AI has context memoryβuse it like a conversation.
Demand code examples not explanations. "Show me the exact code change" beats "consider refactoring."
When stuck, change verbs: "Debug this" β "Explain this like I'm a new dev" β "What would break first?"
Your New Debugging Workflow
The next time your console looks like a Christmas tree of errors and your heart rate matches your server's failed request count, don't type another emotional plea to the AI void. Grab the appropriate template, fill in the brackets with your actual context, and get solutions that might actually work.
These prompts won't prevent firesβwe're developers, we create fires professionally. But they'll give you a fire extinguisher instead of philosophical musings about combustion. Save this page. Bookmark it. Print it and tape it to your monitor. Because your next crisis is already in production, waiting for its moment.
Action item: Pick one template above and save it as a text snippet right now. Your future self during the 2 AM outage will consider this the best investment you've ever made.
Quick Summary
- What: Developers waste time crafting ineffective AI prompts during debugging crises, getting generic or unhelpful responses when they need specific, actionable solutions immediately.
π¬ Discussion
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