04 / GET BACK TO BUILDING

Debug without guessing

Capture an error, trace the actual cause, make a focused fix, and review what changed.

Set the direction first

Paste the complete error with secrets removed. Explain what you clicked, what you expected, and what happened. Ask for a diagnosis before a change.

STARTING BRIEF
Paste the complete error with secrets removed. Explain what you clicked, what you expected, and what happened. Ask for a diagnosis before a change.

Work through these tasks

Open one task, customize it for your project, and check the result before moving on. Skip any step that does not apply.

STEP 01

Explain an error message

Turn a confusing error into a useful next step.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When you want to understand a failure before fixing it.

Before moving on
Ask for missing error text and avoid recommending destructive reset commands.

STEP 02

Fix a console error

Resolve the error behind a visible problem.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When the browser console shows a repeatable error.

Before moving on
Reproduce the original flow and check for new related errors.

STEP 03

Fix a button that does nothing

Restore a broken action without redesigning the page.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When a click produces no useful result.

Before moving on
Check success, failure, loading state, and existing surrounding behavior.

STEP 04

Fix a hydration mismatch

Align the server-rendered page with the browser render.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When a supported framework reports a hydration error.

Before moving on
Check initial load and navigation; do not merely suppress the warning.

STEP 05

Fix refresh on a nested route

Make direct visits behave like in-app navigation.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When refreshing a deeper page returns a 404.

Before moving on
Check direct load, refresh, client navigation, and real unknown-route 404 behavior.

STEP 06

Review the latest changes

Understand what the AI edited before accepting it.

Open this task ↗

Use it when
When you want a plain-English review of your working changes.

Before moving on
Reference affected files and separate confirmed problems from possibilities.

Keep a recoverable checkpoint.

Save your work or review a Git commit between meaningful stages. A clean checkpoint makes the next experiment easier to understand and reverse.

Learn the terminal basics →