PromptDev
Debug an error message
Paste an error and what you were doing — get ranked likely causes with a check for each, instead of one confident guess.
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Your prompt
Help me debug this error. Context: running npm run build after upgrading Node from 18 to 20 on Windows.
First, translate what the error literally says in one plain sentence. Then list the most likely causes RANKED by probability given my context — for each: why it fits, and the quickest command or check to confirm or rule it out. Do not jump to a fix for cause #1 as if it were certain. If the error alone cannot distinguish the causes, tell me exactly what extra information would.
Error:
[paste the complete error, including the stack trace]
Model-agnostic — works in Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or any AI chat.
Why this prompt works
- →Ranked-causes-with-checks matches how debugging actually works; a single confident answer is wrong often enough to cost more time than it saves.
- →"Translate what it literally says" first catches the surprising share of errors that answer themselves once read slowly.
- →Asking what extra information would distinguish causes turns a dead end into the next concrete step instead of a shrug.