📬 Originally published on ZenOfCode

I'm reposting here to share with more devs — feedback welcome!

How I Use ChatGPT to Refactor Smarter, Not Harder

Refactoring old code feels like walking through a minefield. One wrong move and boom — tests fail, bugs spawn, and your day is ruined.

Here’s how I use ChatGPT as a legit refactoring assistant — not just a novelty.

🧪 Step 1: Let It Explain Old Code

Before I even touch anything, I drop chunks into ChatGPT and ask:

“Explain what this code does and if there are any smells.”

It helps me:

  • Understand legacy patterns

  • Spot anti-patterns

  • See opportunities to clean up

🧠 Step 2: Ask for a Refactored Version

Once I know what it does, I ask:

“Refactor this code to use cleaner naming and extract logic to smaller methods.”

You’ll get suggestions like:

  • Breaking up long methods

  • Extracting reusable logic

  • Better naming

🧼 Step 3: Keep the Parts You Like

ChatGPT isn’t perfect — but it’s a powerful second brain.

Use its suggestions as a starting point, then tweak it to your taste.

⚙️ Bonus: Custom Prompts That Work

Here are a few prompts I’ve saved:

  • “Refactor this async method to improve readability and keep exception safety.”

  • “Can you convert this into a more testable service class?”

  • “Suggest a more SOLID-compliant structure for this code.”

📦 Tools I Pair With It

  • GitHub Copilot – for inline suggestions

  • TestGPT – helps generate test cases

  • Prettier – keep things neat post-refactor

🧠 TL;DR

  • ChatGPT can help you read, refactor, and rethink your code

  • It’s not cheating — it’s upgrading your solo dev experience

  • You still drive — AI just helps navigate

🧘‍♂️ Like this kind of content?

Follow my dev blog → ZenOfCode

Or drop me a follow here on Dev.to 💬