Bug? How to Improve
What to do when something goes wrong. How to approach debugging with Claude.
Don't Panic — Bugs Are Normal
Every app has bugs. Even professional engineers with decades of experience create bugs daily. A bug does not mean you did something wrong — it means your app is growing and you are building something real.
The good news: you have Claude. And Claude is excellent at fixing bugs when you give it the right information.
The Debugging Mindset
You do not need to understand the code to fix a bug. You need to:
- Observe — What exactly is happening? What did you expect instead?
- Gather information — Is there an error message? Where does it appear?
- Describe it to Claude — The more specific you are, the faster the fix.
What Kind of Bug Is It?
Use this table to identify your bug type and go to the right page:
| What You See | Bug Type | Go To |
|---|---|---|
| App runs but gives wrong results | Logic Bug | Logic Bugs |
| Error message in the browser | Frontend Error | Frontend Errors |
| Error in Railway deploy logs or 500 response | Server Error | Server-Side Errors |
| Visual glitches, flickering, wrong layout | Glitch | Glitches |
| Works normally but breaks with unusual input | Edge Case | Edge Cases |
| Build fails, TypeScript error, deploy fails | Build Error | Build & Deploy Errors |
| Page loads but data is missing or empty | Missing Data | Data Not Showing Up |
The Golden Rule: Copy the Error Message
Error messages are the most valuable debugging tool. When you see red text in the browser console, a failed build output, or an error in Railway logs — copy the entire error message and give it to Claude.
Do not try to interpret the error yourself. Do not paraphrase it. Copy the full text exactly as it appears.
How to Ask Claude for Help
Quiz
What is the MOST helpful thing you can give Claude when asking for debugging help?