20 of the best prompts for reading full error stack, step by step across 4 stages. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
20 of the best prompts for reading full error stack, step by step across 4 stages. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
Published June 28, 2026
Windsurf only reads the first line of an error, missing the root cause in the stack trace. This oversight can lead to incorrect fixes or unresolved issues. These prompts help developers ensure Windsurf fully analyzes the error stack to identify the true problem source. Built across 4 distinct stages covering Diagnose the Wall, Isolate and Fix, Verify the Resolution and more, this guide gives you one expert prompt per step so you never have to write from scratch or guess what the AI needs. The prompts work in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini and are designed to get usable output on the first try.
Identify if Windsurf is missing critical information in the error stack.
Check Error Stack Depth
Please analyze the full error stack provided: [PASTE ERROR STACK]. Identify any underlying issues that may exist beyond the first line of the stack trace. Detail your findings, including any specific errors that indicate deeper problems, and suggest potential solutions or areas to investigate further. Format your response in a clear, structured manner, highlighting the most critical issues first.
Identify Missed Errors
Please analyze the following complete error log: [PASTE ERROR LOG]. Identify any errors that may have been overlooked in the initial analysis. Provide a detailed explanation of each missed error, including its potential impact on the system and any recommendations for resolution. Format your response in a clear, structured manner, outlining the errors and suggested next steps for addressing them.
Trace Root Cause
Given the following stack trace: [PASTE STACK TRACE], analyze it to identify the root cause of the error. Provide a detailed explanation of how the root cause could be overlooked by someone only reading the first line of the stack trace. Include insights on the importance of examining the entire trace and what specific information in the subsequent lines contributes to understanding the underlying issue. Aim for a thorough explanation that highlights common pitfalls in error diagnosis.
Evaluate Stack Trace Completeness
Please evaluate the following stack trace: [PASTE STACK TRACE]. Analyze it thoroughly to determine if all relevant lines and details have been included in your assessment. Highlight any missing information or lines that could provide additional context for diagnosing the issue. Summarize your findings in a structured format, including any recommendations for further investigation or debugging steps that should be taken based on your analysis.
Analyze Error Context
Analyze the following error context: [PASTE ERROR CONTEXT]. Please identify any underlying issues that may not be immediately apparent from the initial line of the error message. Provide a detailed analysis that includes potential causes, related components that could be affected, and any relevant troubleshooting steps that could help resolve the issues. Aim for a comprehensive overview that would assist in diagnosing the problem effectively.
Focus on isolating the root cause and applying the correct fix.
Apply Comprehensive Fix
Analyze the full error stack provided: [PASTE ERROR STACK]. Identify the root cause of the issue and propose a comprehensive fix that resolves the underlying problem rather than just addressing the symptoms. Include specific steps for implementation, potential impacts of the fix, and any additional considerations that should be taken into account to prevent similar issues in the future. Format your response as a detailed action plan.
Correct Misleading Errors
Analyze the following misleading error message: [PASTE ERROR MESSAGE]. Identify the root cause of the issue that is leading to this misleading error and propose a detailed fix that addresses the underlying problem. Explain the steps needed to implement this fix, and provide any relevant code snippets or configurations that may be necessary. Additionally, outline how to test the fix to ensure that the misleading error no longer appears and that the system functions correctly.
Resolve Deep Stack Issues
Analyze the following stack trace: [PASTE STACK TRACE]. Identify the root causes of the deep stack issues and provide a detailed solution to resolve them. Include an explanation of the errors found, the steps taken to troubleshoot the issues, and the final implementation of the fix. Additionally, suggest any preventive measures that can be taken to avoid similar issues in the future.
Fix Ignored Errors
Please review the following ignored errors: [PASTE IGNORED ERRORS]. Identify the root causes of each error and provide detailed recommendations for how to address them effectively. Include specific code changes or configurations that need to be implemented, and explain the impact of these changes on the overall system performance and error handling. Format your response as a step-by-step guide that I can follow to resolve these issues.
Address Root Cause
Identify the root cause of the issue: [PASTE ROOT CAUSE]. Provide a detailed plan for applying a fix that directly targets this root cause. Include specific steps to implement the fix, any potential challenges that may arise during the process, and how to verify that the fix has been successful. Additionally, outline any preventative measures that can be taken to avoid similar issues in the future.
Ensure the problem is fully resolved and no errors remain.
Confirm Error Resolution
Please analyze the following code: [PASTE CODE] and verify whether the previous errors have been resolved. Provide a detailed report on any remaining issues, including error messages and their locations in the code. If no errors are found, confirm that the code is functioning as intended and provide a brief summary of its functionality. Additionally, suggest any improvements or optimizations that could enhance the code's performance.
Validate Fix Effectiveness
Please analyze the following updated code: [PASTE UPDATED CODE] and determine if it effectively resolves all previously identified issues. Provide a detailed assessment of any remaining errors or warnings, and explain how the changes made in the code address the original problems. Additionally, suggest any further improvements or optimizations that could enhance the code's performance or reliability. Format your response in a structured manner, highlighting key findings and recommendations.
Check for Residual Errors
Please analyze the following code: [PASTE CODE] and check for any residual errors that may remain from the previous stack trace. Provide a detailed report on any errors found, including their locations and potential causes. Additionally, suggest possible solutions or fixes for any identified issues. Ensure that your analysis covers both syntax and logical errors, and summarize your findings in a clear format.
Ensure Complete Error Removal
Please review the following code: [PASTE CODE] and confirm that all errors identified in the stack trace have been completely resolved. Provide a detailed analysis of any remaining issues, including their locations in the code and suggestions for fixing them. Additionally, explain the potential impact of these errors on the overall functionality of the code. Format your response in a clear, structured manner with bullet points for easy reference.
Verify Error-Free Execution
Please execute the following code: [PASTE CODE] and verify that it runs without any of the previously identified errors. Provide a detailed report on the execution process, including any warnings or messages that may arise during the run. If errors are encountered, please specify the type of error and the line number where it occurred. Additionally, confirm whether the output matches the expected results based on the code's intended functionality.
Create artefacts to ensure similar issues are avoided in the future.
Create Error Analysis Rule
Draft a CLAUDE.md rule that mandates a complete analysis of the full stack trace for any errors before implementing fixes. The rule should outline the steps to identify the root cause of the error, including logging requirements, the necessary team members to involve in the analysis, and the documentation process for findings. Additionally, specify how to communicate the analysis results to the relevant stakeholders and ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into future error handling practices. Format this as a clear guideline that can be easily followed by the development team.
Add Stack Trace Comment
Please insert a comment in the following code: [PASTE CODE]. The comment should emphasize the importance of reviewing the entire stack trace for effective debugging and understanding of errors. Explain how overlooking parts of the stack trace can lead to missed insights and prolonged troubleshooting. Make sure the comment is clear, concise, and informative, ideally fitting within a single line of code.
Develop Error Handling Checklist
Please create a comprehensive error handling checklist that outlines the key steps to take when encountering errors in a system. The checklist should include items such as reviewing the full stack trace, identifying the root cause of the error, documenting the error details, prioritizing fixes based on severity, and implementing preventive measures to avoid recurrence. Additionally, include guidelines for testing after fixes are applied and for updating any relevant documentation. Format the checklist in a clear, organized manner suitable for easy reference.
Establish Naming Convention
Help me establish a clear and effective naming convention for error logs that indicates when a full stack trace review is required. The convention should include specific elements such as error type, severity level, and a timestamp. Additionally, provide examples of how this naming convention would look in practice, and explain how it can help streamline the debugging process. Aim for a format that is easy to understand and implement across different teams.
Implement Project Guard
Create a project guard that automatically triggers a comprehensive review of the full error stack whenever a new error is detected in the system. The guard should log the error details, including the timestamp, error message, and any relevant context to facilitate troubleshooting. Additionally, outline the steps for the review process, specifying who should be notified and how the findings should be documented. Ensure that the guard is designed to minimize false positives and streamline the error resolution workflow.
Windsurf's default behavior is to prioritize the first line of errors for quick fixes, but this can miss deeper issues. Adjusting settings or using prompts to analyze the full stack can mitigate this.
Use specific prompts to instruct Windsurf to analyze the full error stack. This ensures all potential issues are considered.
In Cascade mode, Windsurf might alter other files. Use prompts to verify changes and ensure no unintended alterations occur.
Yes, by creating custom rules in CLAUDE.md, you can guide Windsurf to handle errors more comprehensively.
While direct automation isn't available, using prompts and custom rules can effectively guide Windsurf to perform thorough stack trace analysis.
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