"Vibe coding" is a way of making software where you describe what you want in plain English and an AI writes the code. You look at the result, say what to change, and repeat. You steer by what the app does, not by reading every line.
The term was coined in February 2025 by the computer scientist Andrej Karpathy. He described it as fully giving in to the vibes and forgetting that the code even exists, and said it was not too bad for throwaway weekend projects. Today people use the phrase more loosely for any AI-led way of building.
This guide explains what that looks like in practice, what it's good for, and how to start without getting burned.
What vibe coding looks like
A typical session goes like this:
- You describe an idea: "A page where my customers can pick a delivery day and send me their address."
- The AI builds a first version you can open and click.
- You react: "Make the button green and add a phone number field."
- It changes the app. You test it again.
You are the product owner. The AI is the builder. Your main job is to be clear about what you want and to check that what comes back actually works.
What it's good for
- Prototypes and ideas. See an idea working in an afternoon before you spend real money on it.
- Small personal or internal tools. A tracker, a calculator, a simple booking page.
- Learning. Seeing working code appear from your own words is a gentle way to understand how apps fit together.
- Simple websites. Landing pages and portfolios are well within reach.
Where it goes wrong
Be honest with yourself about the limits:
- It can look finished when it isn't. An app can seem to work while hiding bugs you haven't triggered yet.
- You may not understand the code. When something breaks, you may not know why. That is a real cost of the approach.
- Anything with money, logins or personal data needs care. AI-written code can have security gaps. If real people's private information is involved, get a developer to review it before launch.
- Big projects get harder. The more an app grows, the more likely a new change breaks an old one.
None of this means "don't". It means start small and keep a human check on anything important.
Pick your first tool
There are two broad kinds of tool. Start with whichever matches your comfort level.
| If you want to... | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Build in the browser with no setup | Lovable or Bolt | You type a prompt, get a live preview and can publish from the same page |
| Work on files on your own computer | Claude Code | An AI agent in your terminal that edits real project files, with your permission |
Not sure which? Our Bolt vs Claude Code comparison lays out the difference. Step-by-step walkthroughs:
- Build and publish a website with Lovable
- Build and publish your first app with Bolt.new
- Install Claude Code and make your first change
Free plans and limits change, so check each tool's own page for current details.
Your first safe project
Pick something small, useful and low-stakes. A good example is a one-page site for a hobby, or a simple checklist app.
- Write down the goal in two or three sentences. Who is it for and what should it do?
- Ask for the smallest version first. "A single page with a title, a short description and a contact link."
- Test it yourself. Click every button. Try silly inputs, like an empty form.
- Add one thing at a time. After each change, check that the earlier parts still work.
- Only then share it. Show a friend before you show the world.
Prompts that work better
- Be specific. "A pricing table with three columns and a highlighted middle plan" beats "make it look professional".
- Say what to keep. "Change the heading colour but don't touch the layout."
- Ask for a plan first. Many tools can talk an idea through before building. It's cheaper to fix a plan than a finished app.
- Report problems precisely. Say what you did, what you expected and what happened instead. Paste any error message.
Safety habits
- Never paste passwords or API keys into a prompt. Treat the chat as something that could be seen later.
- Keep a way back. Most builders have version history. If you use Git on your computer, commit before big changes. See our git safety net guide.
- Watch what the AI wants to run. Tools on your own computer ask permission before running commands. Read the request first, especially anything that deletes files or installs software.
- Don't collect real user data until a developer has reviewed how it is stored and protected.
- Keep your credits in mind. Many builders use up a monthly allowance as you prompt. Short, clear requests waste less.
A quick checklist
- [ ] Choose one small project
- [ ] Choose one tool and stick with it for the first project
- [ ] Ask for the simplest version first
- [ ] Test everything yourself
- [ ] Add features one at a time
- [ ] Have a developer review anything involving payments or personal data
Where to go next
Pick a tool and follow its walkthrough above. Once you're comfortable, learn how to review AI-written code so you can trust what you ship.