Claude Code Prompts
Battle-tested prompts for Claude Code: codebase audits, refactors, architecture reviews, and autonomous workflows, pulled from real production work at Vaylo Studios.
75 prompts · new drops weekly
Extract Database Query N+1 Patterns From Code
FreeScan a codebase for N+1 query problems where loops trigger repeated database calls instead of batch operations.
Extract Database Migration Risk Zones From Schema
PremiumIdentify schema changes, data loss points, and production safety issues in migration files.
Extract Observability Gaps From Async Code Patterns
PremiumScan a codebase for async operations (promises, callbacks, event handlers) that lack logging, tracing, or error instrumentation.
Find Every SQL Query That Lacks Row-Level Access Control
PremiumScan a codebase for database queries that fetch or modify data without tenant/user isolation checks.
Trace Every Database Write That Has No Audit Trail
PremiumMap every mutation that touches persistent storage without recording who changed what or when.
CLAUDE.md: Enforce Explicit Null Handling Before Property Access
PremiumConfigure Claude Code to reject any code that accesses object properties without first asserting the value exists.
Find Every Async Function That Blocks the Event Loop
PremiumScan your codebase for async patterns that silently serialize work and kill throughput under load.
Slash Command: /dead-exports Find Exported Symbols Nobody Imports
PremiumLocates every exported function, type, or constant that has zero import references across the entire codebase.
Find Every Cache Layer With No Invalidation Strategy
PremiumScans your codebase for caching logic that stores data but never defines when or how to clear it.
Convert a Webhook Handler Into a Delivery Failure Risk Report
PremiumAudits your webhook receiving and sending logic to surface every point where silent delivery failures can occur.
Find Every Retry Loop That Has No Timeout or Deadline
PremiumLocates all retry logic in your codebase that can run indefinitely because it has no absolute deadline or maximum elapsed time guard.
CLAUDE.md: Enforce Immutable Data Shapes Across Service Boundaries
PremiumA CLAUDE.md config that prevents Claude from mutating shared data structures when passing them between services or modules.
Trace Every Error That Gets Swallowed Before Reaching the User
PremiumFinds all the places in your codebase where errors are caught, logged, and silently dropped instead of surfaced.
Slash Command: /auth-audit Trace Every Auth Check in the Request Path
PremiumA slash command that maps every route to its auth enforcement and surfaces gaps where requests reach handlers unauthenticated.
CLAUDE.md: Enforce Dependency Direction Across Module Boundaries
PremiumA CLAUDE.md config that stops Claude from introducing imports that violate your layered architecture.
Find Every Async Function That Blocks on Synchronous I/O
PremiumScan a codebase for async functions secretly doing sync I/O and explain the performance cost of each.
Find Every Config Value That Should Be an Enum
PremiumScan a codebase for stringly-typed config and environment values that are secretly a closed set.
CLAUDE.md: Require Explicit Null Handling at Every Boundary
PremiumSystem config that forces Claude to surface and handle null/undefined at every IO and module boundary.
Trace Every Background Job Back to Its Trigger
PremiumMap all background jobs, workers, and async tasks in a codebase to the exact user action or system event that starts them.
Map Every Side Effect Hidden Inside a Pure-Looking Function
PremiumAudit a module or file to surface every function that looks pure but secretly reads from or writes to shared state.
Slash Command: /dead-branch Find Unreachable Code Paths
PremiumA Claude Code slash command that hunts down conditions, branches, and returns that can never execute given actual data flow.
CLAUDE.md: Enforce Explicit State Machine Transitions
PremiumConfigure Claude Code to reject implicit state changes and require documented transition guards on every state-bearing object.
Claude Code: Find Every Place Errors Are Swallowed Silently
PremiumLocate every catch block, fallback, and default that hides failure instead of surfacing it to the caller.
CLAUDE.md: Reject Any Test That Only Asserts It Ran
PremiumForce every test in the project to assert a specific observable outcome, not just that code executed.
Slash Command: /auth-surface Map Every Trust Boundary
PremiumFind every point in your codebase where auth decisions are made, deferred, or silently skipped.
CLAUDE.md: Require a Rollback Path Before Any Schema Change
PremiumStops Claude from generating database migrations without a tested, explicit rollback strategy attached.
Slash Command: /ownership-gap Find Code Nobody Owns
PremiumScans your codebase for files and modules that lack clear ownership signals before they become incidents.
Claude Code: Map Every Config Value That Can Drift Between Environments
PremiumFinds every config value that is environment-specific and flags the ones with no validation or parity check.
Slash Command: /dead-writes Find Assignments Nobody Ever Reads
PremiumHunts down every assignment in the codebase whose value is never consumed before being overwritten or discarded.
CLAUDE.md: Enforce a Naming Pressure Test on Every New Symbol
PremiumConfigures Claude Code to challenge every new name it proposes before writing it into the codebase.
Trace Every Side Effect Hiding in a Pure-Looking Function
PremiumFinds functions that look pure but secretly mutate state, hit I/O, or produce hidden effects.
Slash Command: /ghost-deps Find Things You Depend On That Aren't Declared
PremiumA slash command that surfaces undeclared dependencies: env vars, file paths, network assumptions, and global state.
CLAUDE.md: Force a Cost Accounting Before Every Suggestion
PremiumA CLAUDE.md directive that makes Claude declare the runtime, maintenance, and cognitive cost of every change before proposing it.
Claude Code: Find the Module Boundary That Doesn't Exist Yet
PremiumSurfaces the seam your codebase is begging for by analyzing import patterns and responsibility leakage.
Claude Code: Map the Implicit State Machine in a Stateful Module
PremiumForces Claude to extract the hidden state machine from imperative code before you refactor or extend it.
CLAUDE.md: Treat Every Commit as a Reversibility Decision
PremiumA CLAUDE.md block that makes Claude classify every change by how hard it is to undo before writing the commit.
Slash Command: /contract-diff Between What the Code Promises and Returns
PremiumA slash command that surfaces gaps between a function's declared contract (types, docstring, tests) and its actual runtime behavior.
Slash Command: /blast-radius Before Any Multi-File Edit
PremiumA reusable slash command that maps the true blast radius of a proposed change across files, services, and consumers.
CLAUDE.md: Refuse to Code Until the Failure Modes Are Named
PremiumA CLAUDE.md block that makes Claude enumerate how a feature can fail before writing a single implementation line.
Claude Code: Reconstruct the Mental Model From a Cold Repo
PremiumForce Claude to map the implicit architecture of an unfamiliar codebase before touching a single line.
Slash Command: /seam-check Before Extracting a Module
PremiumA /seam-check slash command that proves a module is actually extractable before you waste an afternoon trying.
CLAUDE.md: Force Claude to Show Its Work Before Editing
PremiumA CLAUDE.md block that makes Claude Code state its plan, assumptions, and rollback path before any file change.
Claude Code: Audit a Pull Request Like a Skeptical Senior
PremiumTurn Claude Code into a hostile but fair PR reviewer that catches what your team's rubber stamps miss.
Claude Code: Carve a Safe Seam Into a Tangled Module
PremiumPlans a minimal, behavior-preserving seam in a messy module so you can refactor or add features without rewriting it.
Slash Command: /spec-lock Before Claude Writes a Line
PremiumA slash command that forces Claude to lock the spec, contracts, and assumptions in writing before any implementation.
CLAUDE.md: Lock Down the Dependency and Import Discipline
PremiumGenerates a CLAUDE.md section that prevents Claude from sprawling your dependency tree or breaking import conventions.
CLAUDE.md: Encode the House Style Without Writing a Book
PremiumGenerates a tight CLAUDE.md that captures your real coding conventions from actual diffs, not aspirational rules.
Claude Code: Reconstruct the Mental Model of a Codebase
PremiumForces Claude Code to build a layered understanding of an unfamiliar repo before you ask it to touch anything.
Slash Command: /scope-guard for Runaway Agent Edits
PremiumA reusable slash command that stops Claude Code from quietly expanding the blast radius of a task you gave it.
Multi-File Refactor With a Behavior Lockfile
PremiumRefactor across many files safely by having Claude Code first capture observable behavior, then preserve it.
Slash Command: /ship Pre-Flight Check Before You Push
PremiumA reusable Claude Code slash command that audits your working tree and blocks dumb pushes before they happen.
CLAUDE.md Generator From a Cold Repo Walkthrough
PremiumHave Claude Code explore your repo and write a CLAUDE.md that actually reflects how the codebase works.
Claude Code Hook: Auto-lint on Save
FreeSet up a Claude Code pre-tool-use hook that runs your linter before every file edit — catches issues before Claude writes bad code.
Claude Code: Zero to Feature in One Session
FreeA structured prompt sequence to start a Claude Code session, orient it to your codebase, and ship a complete feature without going off the rails.
Claude Code: Codebase Onboarding Map
FreeHave Claude Code explore an unfamiliar repo and produce a structured map of how it actually works.
Codebase Health Audit
PremiumRun a quarterly audit to find tech debt, dead code, and rot before it becomes pain.
Secure-By-Default Code Review
PremiumRun a security pass over a feature using the OWASP top-10 lens, but don't get lost in noise.
Performance Investigation Protocol
PremiumDiagnose a perf regression the way an SRE would, not by sprinkling random optimizations.
Test Strategy for a Feature
PremiumA senior-style test strategy doc that decides what to test, what not to test, and at what level.
Codebase Archaeology
PremiumReverse-engineer a legacy codebase you inherited, the way an experienced engineer would.
Production Bug Triage Protocol
PremiumA surgical protocol for triaging a live production bug with Claude Code without making things worse.
Multi-Repo Context Bootstrap
PremiumGet Claude Code productive across 3+ repos without context window meltdown.
Spec-Driven Build Loop
PremiumA repeatable, premium-grade loop for building non-trivial features with Claude Code without surprises.
CLAUDE.md Production Template (Annotated)
PremiumThe full CLAUDE.md I use across 47 Industries. Copy/paste, fill in, ship.
Dependency Update Triage
FreeDecide which dependency updates to take this week without rolling the dice on breaking changes.
Stale PR Triage Workflow
FreeWalk through open PRs and decide what to do with each one.
Feature Flag Cleanup Workflow
FreeA repeatable workflow for finding stale feature flags and removing them safely.
PR Description From Branch
FreeTurn a branch full of commits into a clear, scannable PR description.
Commit Message From Diff
FreeGenerate a clean conventional commit message from the staged diff.
No Fallbacks, No Hacks
FreeStop Claude from papering over real bugs with try/catches, defaults, and "compatibility shims" that hide the actual problem.
Verify Before Calling It Done
FreeForce Claude Code to actually check its work — typecheck, run tests, hit the endpoint — instead of declaring victory and stopping.
Plan, Then Execute
FreeForce Claude to write a plan and get approval before touching code. Saves hours on multi-file changes.
Minimal Diff Mode
FreeConstrain Claude to the smallest possible change. Eliminates surprise refactors and scope creep.
Read Before Write
FreeForce Claude Code to understand existing code before changing it. Cuts down hallucinated edits dramatically.
CLAUDE.md Starter Template
FreeA drop-in CLAUDE.md template that gives Claude Code immediate context about your stack, conventions, and what 'done' means.
Every premium prompt, unlocked
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