#prompts #productivity #claude

5 Claude Prompts I Use Every Day as a Developer

Real prompts that save me hours each week — copy and use them immediately.

If you’ve been using Claude like a smarter Google — typing questions and reading the response — you’re leaving most of its value on the table.

Here are five prompts I reach for constantly. Copy them, adapt them, and make them yours.

1. The Code Reviewer

Review this code for bugs, edge cases, and anything that could fail in production.
Be specific — point to line numbers and explain *why* something is a problem, not just that it is.

<code>
[paste your code here]
</code>

This produces far better reviews than just pasting code and asking “what’s wrong?”. The XML tags help Claude separate your instructions from the content.

2. The Rubber Duck

I'm going to explain a problem I'm stuck on. Don't try to solve it yet.
Ask me clarifying questions until you fully understand what I'm dealing with.
Then, and only then, suggest solutions.

This forces you to articulate the problem clearly — and often you’ll solve it yourself before Claude even responds.

3. The First Draft Killer

Write a first draft of [thing]. 
Make it rough. Prioritise speed over quality.
I'll refine it from there.

Waiting for Claude to produce something polished on the first try wastes time. A rough draft you can react to is infinitely more useful than a blank page.

4. The Context Primer

Here is the context you need for everything I'm about to ask:
- Project: [brief description]
- Stack: [your stack]
- Constraints: [any limits, e.g. no external dependencies, must work in Node 18]

Got it? Just say "ready" and wait for my first question.

Drop this at the start of any session where you’ll ask multiple related questions. It stops you from re-explaining the same context over and over.

5. The Devil’s Advocate

I've decided to [decision]. 
Argue against this decision as convincingly as you can.
Don't soften your critique.

Use this before you commit to a technical approach. Claude will surface objections you hadn’t considered.

The common thread: structure beats vagueness. The more clearly you define what you want, the format, and any constraints, the better Claude performs.

More prompts coming next week. Follow @learnclaude on Twitter for daily tips.

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