Learning how to debug code is one of the most frustrating and valuable skills you’ll ever develop as a programmer. But here’s the truth: even experienced developers get stuck. They forget a semicolon, miss a variable name, or misunderstand how a function works. And as a beginner, you’re likely to face bugs all the time.
This is where ChatGPT becomes a game-changer.
In this post, I’ll show you exactly how I use ChatGPT to debug my code. Whether you're learning Python, JavaScript, or HTML/CSS, you can use this free AI assistant to fix errors, understand your mistakes, and even improve how you think about solving problems.
Step 1: Copy and Paste the Error Message
When I see an error in VS Code or my browser console, the first thing I do is copy the entire error message. Then I paste it into ChatGPT and ask:
"What does this error mean, and how can I fix it?"
Within seconds, ChatGPT explains what went wrong — often in plain English. For example, I once had a TypeError: undefined is not a function, and ChatGPT told me exactly which line was causing the issue and how to fix it. That saved me 30+ minutes of Googling.
Step 2: Ask ChatGPT to Review the Code
Sometimes I don’t even know what went wrong. In those cases, I paste the whole code snippet and ask:
“Can you check this JavaScript code for errors?” Or
“This Python code is not running. Can you help me debug it?”
ChatGPT doesn’t just point out the mistake — it often explains why it’s wrong. This is where the learning happens.
For example, I was confused why my for loop wasn’t working in JavaScript. ChatGPT showed me I had accidentally used = instead of == in the condition. That taught me an important lesson about assignment vs. comparison.
Step 3: Ask “Why” and “What If”
What makes ChatGPT powerful is that it’s more than just an answer machine. It’s a thinking partner.
I like to ask follow-up questions like:
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“Why does this solution work?”
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“Is there a better or more efficient way to write this?”
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“What if I changed this variable to a constant?”
This turns each bug fix into a mini lesson. Over time, I’ve learned new coding patterns, best practices, and how to avoid common mistakes.
⚙️ Real Example
Here’s a quick JavaScript example that I debugged using ChatGPT:
let total = 0;
for (let i = 1; i <= 10; i++);
{
total += i;
}
console.log(total);
🧰 Bonus: Other ChatGPT Debug Prompts
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“Explain this error like I’m 10 years old.”
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“Can you rewrite this code so it’s easier to read?”
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“This function isn’t returning the right value. What’s wrong?”
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“Give me tips to avoid this kind of bug.”
These kinds of questions turn bugs into learning opportunities.
✅ Conclusion
Debugging is frustrating, but with tools like ChatGPT, you’re never really stuck. Instead of wasting hours on vague Google searches, I now solve problems faster and actually understand what I’m doing.
As a beginner, ChatGPT is like having a coding tutor in your pocket. It doesn’t just help you fix your code — it helps you learn to think like a developer.
💬 What About You?
Have you used ChatGPT to solve bugs or learn something new?
Leave a comment and share your experience! Let’s learn from each other.
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