SUN, JULY 26, 2026
Independent · In‑Depth · Practitioner‑Tested
Grok Coding

Best Grok 4.5 Prompts for Coding (2026) — Terminal, Agents, and API Tasks

Grok 4.5 at $2/$6/M is the most cost-efficient mid-frontier model for coding tasks in July 2026. It scored 83.3% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 using 25% fewer output tokens than Opus 4.8 — making it fast and cheap for agentic coding loops. Grok Build (now open-sourced under Apache 2.0) uses Grok 4.5 as its default model. These prompts are optimised for Grok 4.5 via the SpaceXAI API, Grok Build CLI, and Cursor (Grok 4.5 is available on all Cursor plans). Privacy note: if you used Grok Build before the July 25 patch, rotate any credentials that were in directories you ran it in.

⌨️ 6 prompts 🕐 Updated Jul 26, 2026
💡 How to use these prompts: Replace everything in [BRACKETS] with your specific details before sending. Click Copy to copy any prompt to your clipboard instantly.
1
Terminal Task — Run and Fix
Complete any terminal task autonomously with Grok 4.5 in Grok Build
[USE IN GROK BUILD OR CURSOR WITH GROK 4.5]

Complete the following terminal-based task. Work through it step by step, running commands and fixing errors as they appear.

Task: [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU NEED TO ACCOMPLISH]
OS: [LINUX / MAC / WINDOWS]
Working directory: [PATH OR DESCRIPTION]
Constraints: [ANYTHING TO AVOID — e.g. do not install global packages, keep under X MB]

Run each command, capture the output, and proceed. If an error occurs, diagnose and fix it before continuing. At the end, confirm the task is complete with a verification command.
2
API Integration — Write and Test
Write a complete API integration with error handling and a test
Write a complete API integration for the following. Include error handling, retry logic, and a test function.

API: [NAME AND ENDPOINT]
Auth method: [API KEY / OAUTH / BEARER TOKEN]
What I need to do: [DESCRIBE THE OPERATION — fetch data, post, stream, etc.]
Language: [PYTHON / NODE / OTHER]
Response handling: [WHAT TO DO WITH THE API RESPONSE]
Error cases to handle: [RATE LIMITS / AUTH ERRORS / NETWORK FAILURES]

Write the complete integration code and a test function I can run immediately to verify it works.
3
Refactor for Performance — Token-Efficient Mode
Refactor code for performance using Grok 4.5's token-efficient output
[GROK 4.5 uses fewer output tokens than other frontier models — ideal for this task]

Refactor the following code for performance. Be direct — no explanation unless I ask, just the improved code.

Performance target: [WHAT TO OPTIMISE FOR — speed / memory / token efficiency / database queries / API calls]
Language/stack: [DESCRIBE]
Current bottleneck (if known): [WHERE YOU THINK IT IS SLOW]

Code to refactor: [PASTE CODE]

Output the refactored code only. Add inline comments only where the change is non-obvious.
4
Debug With Live X Context
Debug code using both reasoning and Grok's live X data for current issues
[USE ON GROK — combines coding with live X data]

I have a bug related to [LIBRARY / FRAMEWORK / API]. Before debugging my code, search X for:
1. Any recent known issues or breaking changes with [LIBRARY/FRAMEWORK] in the last 30 days
2. Any relevant GitHub issue discussions or maintainer posts

Then debug my code with that current context in mind.

My code: [PASTE CODE]
Error: [PASTE ERROR MESSAGE OR DESCRIBE BEHAVIOUR]
Expected behaviour: [WHAT IT SHOULD DO]
5
Write a CLI Tool From Scratch
Build a complete CLI tool from a plain English specification
Write a complete command-line tool in [PYTHON / NODE / GO / RUST] with the following specification.

Tool name: [NAME]
What it does: [DESCRIBE IN PLAIN ENGLISH]
Commands: [LIST EACH COMMAND AND WHAT IT DOES]
Arguments and flags: [LIST WITH TYPES AND DEFAULTS]
Output format: [PLAIN TEXT / JSON / TABLE / FILE]
Error handling: [HOW TO HANDLE BAD INPUT / MISSING FILES / NETWORK ERRORS]

Include: help text, version flag, and a README section I can paste into a README.md. Write the complete, working code.
6
Code Review — Fast and Direct
Get a fast direct code review focused on bugs, security, and performance
Review the following code. Be direct and specific. No filler, no praise unless earned.

Focus on:
1. Bugs or logic errors (highest priority)
2. Security vulnerabilities
3. Performance problems
4. Code that will be hard to maintain
5. Missing error handling

For each issue: line number (if applicable), what the problem is, and the fix. If the code is clean, say so in one sentence and stop.

Language: [LANGUAGE]
Context: [WHAT THIS CODE DOES / WHERE IT RUNS]

Code: [PASTE CODE]