Education

What is Vibe Coding?

Vibe coding is the practice of building software by describing what you want in natural language and letting AI generate the code. It's changing how apps are built—here's what you need to know.

Definition

Vibe coding (n.): A software development approach where developers describe their intent in natural language and AI generates functional code. The developer focuses on the "vibe" or vision of what they want, while AI handles implementation details.

Term popularized by Andrej Karpathy (2025). Also known as: prompt-driven development, AI-assisted coding, conversational programming.

How Vibe Coding Works

1
Describe Your Vision
Tell the AI what you want to build in plain English. 'Build me a todo app with user authentication and a dark mode.'
2
AI Generates Code
The AI creates functional code based on your description—frontend, backend, database schemas, and more.
3
Iterate with Prompts
Refine the output by asking for changes. 'Add drag-and-drop to reorder tasks' or 'Make the buttons bigger.'
4
Deploy
Deploy the generated code to production, often with one click to platforms like Vercel or Netlify.

Popular Vibe Coding Tools

Lovable
Full-stack app generation from prompts
Bolt.new
AI-powered web app builder
Cursor
AI-first code editor
v0.dev
UI component generation
Replit
AI-assisted coding environment
GitHub Copilot
Code completion and generation

Benefits & Drawbacks

Benefits

  • 10x Development Speed
    Build in hours what used to take weeks
  • Lower Barrier to Entry
    Non-programmers can create functional apps
  • Rapid Prototyping
    Test ideas quickly without heavy investment
  • Focus on Product, Not Syntax
    Describe what you want, not how to code it

Drawbacks

  • Security Blind Spots
    AI often skips security configurations
  • Technical Debt
    Generated code may be suboptimal or hard to maintain
  • Black Box Problem
    Harder to understand code you didn't write
  • Dependency on AI
    Debugging without understanding the code is difficult

Security Reality Check

73% of vibe-coded apps have security vulnerabilities before review. AI optimizes for working code, not secure code. Here are the most common issues:

Missing Database Security
AI creates tables but forgets to enable Row Level Security (RLS)
68% of vibe-coded apps
Exposed Credentials
API keys hardcoded in frontend JavaScript for convenience
54% of vibe-coded apps
Client-Side Auth Only
Security checks in UI but not enforced server-side
41% of vibe-coded apps
Missing Security Headers
No CSP, HSTS, or other protective headers configured
72% of vibe-coded apps

The good news: these issues are fixable. Scan your app before deployment to catch them.

Vibe Code Securely

Vibe coding is powerful, but it needs a security checkpoint. Scan your AI-generated app to find and fix vulnerabilities before they become problems.

Scan Your App Free

Frequently Asked Questions

What is vibe coding?

Vibe coding is a development approach where you describe what you want in natural language and AI generates the code. The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy to describe coding by 'vibes'—expressing intent through prompts rather than writing code directly. Tools like Lovable, Cursor, and Copilot enable vibe coding.

Who invented the term 'vibe coding'?

The term 'vibe coding' was popularized by Andrej Karpathy (former Tesla AI Director and OpenAI researcher) in early 2025. He described it as a new paradigm where developers focus on expressing what they want rather than how to implement it.

Is vibe coding the same as no-code?

Not quite. No-code uses visual builders with pre-built components. Vibe coding generates actual code from natural language prompts—you get real source code you can modify, deploy anywhere, and own completely. It's closer to traditional coding but with AI as your pair programmer.

Can I build production apps with vibe coding?

Yes, but with caveats. AI-generated code can be production-ready, but it often has security vulnerabilities. 73% of vibe-coded apps have security issues before review. You can absolutely ship to production, but scan and secure the code first.

Is vibe coding secure?

Not by default. AI prioritizes functional code over secure code. Common issues include missing database security, exposed API keys, and weak authentication. However, these are fixable—scan your app, apply security best practices, and review AI-generated code before deploying.

Do I need to know how to code to vibe code?

Not necessarily for simple apps. However, understanding code helps you review AI output, debug issues, and make modifications. For production apps handling real user data, some technical knowledge is valuable for security review.

Last updated: January 16, 2026