When Your AI App Breaks and You Can't Fix It
We've all been there. The AI built something, it was working, and now it's not. You've tried 20 prompts and nothing works. Here's the emergency procedure.
Step 1: Don't Panic-Prompt
The #1 mistake: frantically sending the AI vague prompts like "fix it" or "make it work." This makes things worse.
Step 2: Identify the Breaking Point
- When did it last work?
- What changed since then?
- Is it a build error or runtime error?
Step 3: Read the Error
The browser console and terminal tell you exactly what's wrong. Read the FIRST error (not the cascade).
Step 4: Isolate the Problem
- Comment out sections until it works
- Test individual components
- Check environment variables
- Verify API connections
Step 5: Targeted Fix
Now prompt the AI with the specific error:
"The app throws [specific error] at [specific location]. It started after [specific change]. Fix only this issue."
When to Call for Help
If you've spent more than 2 hours on a single bug, get professional help. We fix AI app issues daily →
