Coding & Technical

Code Optimization Suggestions Report AI Prompt

Optimizing code is tough when you’re not sure what to target first. You might sense performance issues or see slow execution, but vague requests like “make this faster” rarely produce helpful results. Without clear context, AI tools miss root causes, skip constraints, or propose changes that don’t fit your codebase.

This is where a strong prompt makes all the difference. When you give the AI specific goals, constraints, and environment details, you get a focused optimization plan instead of generic advice. AskSmarter.ai helps you build prompts with the right level of clarity by asking smart questions about your codebase, performance goals, limits, and priorities.

With a refined prompt, you get actionable, relevant optimization recommendations that save you time and support cleaner code across your team.

The transformation

Before — Vague prompt

Look at this code and tell me how to optimize it.

After — Optimized prompt

Role: You’re a senior software engineer.

Task: Review the provided Python function and propose specific optimization improvements.

Context: The function runs in a data processing pipeline handling 50k records per minute.

Requirements:

  1. Highlight inefficiencies.
  2. Suggest alternative algorithms or data structures.
  3. Explain tradeoffs.

Constraints: Keep solutions compatible with Python 3.10.

Output: Produce a numbered list with clear, actionable recommendations.

Why this works

The after prompt outperforms the vague version because it removes guesswork and gives the AI clear direction. It defines a role, which improves the depth and relevance of recommendations. It outlines the task with precision, which guides the AI toward performance-focused analysis instead of general feedback. The added context around data volume helps the AI understand why optimization matters and what constraints shape the problem.

The prompt also includes explicit requirements, so the AI knows to check for inefficiencies, propose alternatives, and explain tradeoffs. This structure leads to a more complete and reliable response. Finally, clear output formatting ensures you get actionable insights instead of a long paragraph.

AskSmarter.ai enables this level of clarity by asking targeted questions about your environment, goals, and constraints. These questions help you provide the context you might otherwise overlook, leading to higher‑quality optimization suggestions from the start.

When to use this prompt

  • Backend Engineers

    Identify performance bottlenecks in API handlers or batch jobs that slow down throughput.

  • Data Engineers

    Optimize Python data processing tasks that struggle with large input volumes.

  • Product Managers

    Get technical clarity on why certain features slow down and how to improve them.

  • Engineering Leads

    Standardize code optimization reviews across distributed teams.

Pro tips

  • 1

    Specify your runtime environment to get accurate optimization guidance.

  • 2

    Share realistic workload numbers so recommendations match real-world usage.

  • 3

    Define constraints early to avoid suggestions that won’t fit your codebase.

  • 4

    Request tradeoff explanations to make informed decisions.

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Your turn

Build a prompt for your situation

This example shows the pattern. AskSmarter.ai guides you to create prompts tailored to your specific context, audience, and goals.