The 40 Best ChatGPT Prompts for Developers (Copy-Paste Ready)

If you write code every day, you've probably noticed that your best AI results come from prompts you've refined over time — not the generic ones you type in a hurry. This list is the result of months of iteration. These are prompts that actually work, grouped by the tasks developers face most.

Each one is specific enough to get a real answer, and flexible enough to apply to your actual codebase. Where the prompt needs your input, I've used {{clipboard}} to mark where your code or context goes.

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Code Review

These are the prompts I use most. Pasting code into ChatGPT without any context gets mediocre results. Pasting it with a focused prompt gets a real code review.

1. General code review

Review the following code for bugs, security vulnerabilities, performance issues, and readability. Be specific — point to line numbers where possible and suggest concrete fixes.

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2. Security-focused review

Audit this code for security vulnerabilities. Focus on: injection attacks, authentication flaws, insecure data handling, and any OWASP Top 10 concerns. Explain each issue and how to fix it.

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3. Performance review

Analyse this code for performance bottlenecks. Identify expensive operations, unnecessary iterations, memory issues, and suggest optimisations with example rewrites.

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4. Review for a junior developer

Review this code as if you're a senior engineer mentoring a junior. Explain what's good, what could be improved, and why — in a way that helps them learn, not just copy a fix.

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5. API design review

Review this API design. Evaluate: naming conventions, RESTful principles, error handling, response consistency, and developer experience. Suggest specific improvements.

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Debugging

When you're staring at an error message at 11pm, you don't want to explain the whole codebase. These prompts get you answers fast.

6. Debug a specific error

I'm getting this error: {{clipboard}}

Here's the relevant code. Explain what's causing it and give me a fix.

7. Rubber duck debugging

I'm going to explain a bug I'm trying to fix. Ask me questions to help me think through it. Don't give me the answer immediately — help me find it myself.

Here's the problem: {{clipboard}}

8. Explain unexpected behaviour

This code should do X but it's doing Y. Walk me through what's actually happening, step by step, and explain why it behaves this way.

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9. Fix a failing test

This test is failing. Here's the test and the relevant implementation code. Diagnose why it fails and suggest a fix.

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10. Debug async/concurrency issues

This code has a race condition / async bug. Analyse it for timing issues, missing awaits, or concurrency problems and suggest a fix.

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Explaining Code

Great for onboarding, documentation, or understanding legacy code someone else wrote.

11. Explain this code simply

Explain what this code does in plain English. Assume the reader knows how to code but hasn't seen this codebase before.

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12. Explain like I'm 5

Explain what this code does as if you're explaining to a non-technical person. Use analogies, not jargon.

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13. Explain a complex algorithm

Walk me through this algorithm step by step. Explain the logic, the time/space complexity, and when you'd choose this approach over alternatives.

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14. Summarise a large file

Summarise what this file does. What's its purpose, what are the main functions/classes, and what should a new developer know before modifying it?

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Writing & Improving Code

15. Refactor for readability

Refactor this code to be more readable and maintainable. Keep the same behaviour but improve: naming, structure, comments where needed, and eliminate unnecessary complexity.

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16. Convert to async/await

Convert this callback-based / Promise chain code to use async/await. Preserve error handling and add any missing try/catch blocks.

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17. Add TypeScript types

Add TypeScript types to this JavaScript code. Infer types from usage where possible, and use generics where appropriate.

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18. Make it testable

Refactor this code to make it easier to unit test. Identify the key changes needed (dependency injection, separating concerns, etc.) and rewrite accordingly.

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19. Optimise this function

This function is called frequently and needs to be faster. Optimise it without changing its interface. Explain the changes you made and the expected improvement.

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20. Add error handling

Add proper error handling to this code. Cover: input validation, expected failure cases, unexpected exceptions, and ensure errors are logged or surfaced appropriately.

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Writing Tests

Getting AI to write tests is one of the highest-ROI prompts in any developer's library.

21. Write unit tests

Write comprehensive unit tests for this function/class. Cover: happy path, edge cases, error cases, and boundary conditions. Use [Jest/pytest/whatever framework is appropriate].

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22. Write integration tests

Write integration tests for this API endpoint/module. Test the full flow including database interactions and external service calls (use mocks where appropriate).

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23. Generate test cases (without code)

List the test cases I should write for this function. Don't write the tests yet — just describe what needs to be tested and why.

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24. Improve test coverage

Analyse this function and my existing tests. What's missing? What edge cases aren't covered? Suggest additional test cases.

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Documentation

25. Write a docstring/JSDoc

Write a docstring/JSDoc comment for this function. Include: purpose, parameters with types, return value, exceptions thrown, and a usage example.

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26. Write a README section

Write a clear README section explaining how to use this module/class/API. Include: what it does, how to install/import it, basic usage example, and configuration options.

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27. Write inline comments

Add inline comments to this code where the logic is non-obvious. Don't over-comment simple code — focus on the why, not the what.

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28. Write a changelog entry

Write a changelog entry for these changes. Follow Keep A Changelog format. Be specific about what changed, what was added, and what was fixed.

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Git & Pull Requests

29. Write a commit message

Write a git commit message for these changes. Follow the conventional commits format (feat/fix/refactor/etc). Be specific — not just "update code".

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30. Write a PR description

Write a pull request description for these changes. Include: what the PR does, why it was needed, how it was implemented, and what reviewers should focus on.

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31. Review a PR diff

Review this pull request diff. Look for: bugs, missing edge cases, unnecessary changes, performance issues, and suggest any improvements.

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Architecture & Design

32. Design a data model

Help me design a database schema for the following requirements. Suggest tables/collections, relationships, indexes, and note any tradeoffs in your design.

Requirements: {{clipboard}}

33. Choose between approaches

I need to choose between these two approaches: {{clipboard}}

Compare them on: performance, maintainability, complexity, scalability, and your recommendation for my use case.

34. System design review

Review this system design. Identify potential bottlenecks, single points of failure, scaling issues, and security concerns. Suggest improvements.

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35. Break down a feature into tasks

Break down the implementation of this feature into specific engineering tasks. Order them by dependency (what needs to be done first). Include estimated complexity (S/M/L) for each.

Feature: {{clipboard}}

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Regex, SQL & Other Specifics

36. Write a regex

Write a regex that matches: {{clipboard}}

Explain each part of the pattern and note any edge cases it handles or misses.

37. Optimise a SQL query

Optimise this SQL query for performance. Suggest indexes, rewrite subqueries, and explain the improvements.

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38. Write a SQL query from description

Write a SQL query that: {{clipboard}}

Use standard SQL. Note any assumptions about the schema.

39. Explain a shell command

Explain this shell command/script in plain English. Break down each flag and pipe.

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40. Convert between languages

Convert this {{from_language}} code to {{to_language}}. Keep the same logic and add comments where the translation isn't 1:1.

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How to Actually Use These

The prompts above are useful on their own. They're even more useful when you can fire any of them in 2 seconds without copy-pasting.

That's what Promptzy does — it's a native macOS app that stores prompts as plain Markdown files and lets you search and paste them from anywhere with Cmd+Shift+P. The {{clipboard}} tokens resolve at paste time, so your code is already in the prompt when it lands in ChatGPT.

Store these 40 prompts in a Developer collection in Promptzy, assign keyboard shortcuts to your top 5, and you'll never retype a code review prompt again.

promptzy.app — free to download, $5 one-time Pro.