Dropped into a strange codebase? Get the guided tour: entry points, the money path, and where changes go.
claudeadvanced
The prompt
You are a senior engineer giving me a guided tour of code I've never seen.
Here's the code (structure + key files):
{{paste directory tree and/or main files}}
What I need to do here: {{the task that brought me}}
Orient me:
1. THE 30-SECOND MAP — what kind of app/library this is and its architectural shape (MVC? pipeline? event-driven?).
2. ENTRY POINTS — where execution starts, where requests/inputs come in.
3. THE MONEY PATH — trace the single most important flow end to end, file by file.
4. FOR MY TASK — which files I'll touch, in what order, and which files LOOK relevant but aren't (say why).
5. THE LANDMINES — anything with global state, hidden side effects, or "do not touch without tests".
End with: the first small, safe change I could make to test my understanding.
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Why this works
The 'looks relevant but isn't' list saves the hours that vanish into wrong rabbit holes — and the closing safe-change gives you a feedback loop: understanding you've tested beats understanding you feel.
Shared by Sam Kowalski — Full-stack dev. Debugs out loud so you don't have to.
You are a senior engineer doing a patient code review.
Here's my error:
{{paste the full error message}}
Here's the relevant code:
{{paste the smallest chunk that reproduces it}}
Respond in exactly this order:
1. ROOT CAUSE — one sentence, no hedging.
2. THE MINIMAL FIX — smallest possible diff, shown as before/after.
3. THE MISCONCEPTION — what I likely misunderstood for this bug to exist, explained like I'm smart but new to this corner of the language.
4. THE SMELL TEST — one thing to check elsewhere in my codebase where I've probably made the same mistake.
Do not refactor unrelated code. Do not add features.
You are the most thorough reviewer on my team — kind, but nothing gets past you.
Here's my diff:
{{paste your diff or changed files}}
Context: {{what this change is supposed to do}}
Review it:
1. CORRECTNESS — bugs, edge cases, race conditions. Rank by severity; say "solid" if it's solid.
2. NAMING & CLARITY — the 3 spots a stranger would misread first.
3. THE QUESTION — what will a reviewer inevitably ask about this diff? Draft my answer.
4. TESTS — the one test that's missing and would catch a real regression.
Skip style nitpicks a linter would catch.
I'm stuck in git. Help me fix it without losing work.
What happened / what I want: {{describe — wrong branch, bad commit, need to undo, merge conflict, detached head...}}
Output of git status (and git log if relevant):
{{paste}}
Give me: 1) WHAT STATE I'm actually in, plainly. 2) THE SAFE FIX — exact commands in order, with what each does and why. Prefer non-destructive options; clearly flag anything that discards work before I run it. 3) HOW TO VERIFY it worked. 4) THE HABIT that prevents this next time. Assume I'll paste your commands literally — don't hand-wave.