This guide covers “what is vibe coding” in plain language. Vibe coding is building software by describing what you want in plain language and letting an AI write the code, then judging the result by running it rather than reading every line. The term was popularised by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in early 2025, and it quickly became shorthand for a whole style of AI-assisted building.
How vibe coding works
- Describe. You tell the AI what you want: “a landing page for a bakery with a menu and a contact form”.
- Generate. The AI writes the code and shows you a running result.
- React. You look at it and ask for changes: “make the header darker”, “add a pricing section”.
- Repeat until it looks and behaves the way you want.
The “vibe” part is the feel of it: you steer by outcome and intuition instead of writing code yourself.
Examples of vibe coding
- A founder prototyping a product idea in an afternoon without hiring a developer.
- A marketer building a campaign landing page by describing it.
- A developer asking an AI coding tool to scaffold a feature, then reviewing it.
- Someone generating a small internal tool, like a booking form or a dashboard.
Popular vibe coding tools
- App and site generators such as Lovable, Bolt and v0, which produce a working front end from a prompt.
- AI code editors such as Cursor, which add AI to a developer’s editor.
- Terminal agents such as Claude Code, which work across a whole project.
- Online coding environments such as Replit, which pair an editor with AI and hosting.
Who vibe coding is good for
- Non-developers who need a working prototype quickly.
- Developers who want to skip boilerplate and explore ideas faster.
- Teams testing an idea before investing in a full build.
The risks and limits
- Code you don’t understand. If something breaks, you may not know why or how to fix it.
- Security gaps. AI-generated code can contain vulnerabilities, such as missing input checks or exposed keys. Review anything that handles logins, payments or personal data.
- Maintenance. A quick prototype is not a maintained product. Without structure and tests, changes get harder over time.
- No content management. A generated front end rarely includes an easy way for non-technical people to edit text and images. See vibe coding vs WordPress.
- Lock-in. Some platforms keep your project inside their hosting and tooling, which can make leaving difficult.
Tips for better results
- Be specific about audience, sections, tone and constraints.
- Build in small steps and test each one.
- Keep your code in version control so you can undo mistakes.
- Have someone review security-sensitive parts.
- Make sure you can export or download your code.
Vibe coding vs traditional coding
| Vibe coding | Traditional coding | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A description | A blank file |
| Speed to a first version | Minutes to hours | Days to weeks |
| Understanding of the code | Often partial | Full |
| Best for | Prototypes, small tools | Complex, long-lived systems |
What is vibe coding FAQ
Is vibe coding real programming?
It produces real code, but the person steering may not write or read it. Many developers use it as a faster way to draft, then review and refine.
Can you build a business on a vibe-coded app?
People do, but treat the first version as a prototype. Add testing, security review and a plan for maintenance before real customers depend on it.
Do I need to know how to code?
No, but knowing the basics helps you spot problems and give better instructions.