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What is vibe coding?

It's building software by describing what you want to an AI, trying what it makes, and saying what to change. You never have to write the code yourself. This page explains it in five minutes, then gets you making something.

Starter 5 minute read Free · no coding needed Start here if you're new
The short answer

Building by describing

You tell an AI assistant like Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini what you'd like, in plain English. It writes the code. You try the result, then tell it what to change. You repeat that until you've got what you wanted.

The name comes from Andrej Karpathy, a well-known AI researcher, who in early 2025 described "fully giving in to the vibes" and letting the AI handle the code. It caught on because it describes something genuinely new: people who have never programmed can now make real, working things.

You're not cheating. Knowing what you want and describing it clearly is the hard part of making software. The typing was always the easy bit.
How it works

The loop you'll use for everything

  1. Describe it

    Say what you want, who it's for and how you'll use it. Ask for everything in one file so it's easy to save.

  2. Save it and try it

    Copy the AI's code into a file and open it. For most projects here that means double-clicking an HTML file. See How to save and open an HTML file.

  3. Say what to change

    Describe what you see and what you want instead, in normal words. "The button is too small and the text is hard to read on my phone" works perfectly.

  4. Repeat

    Each round makes it a bit better. Most projects on this site take five to ten rounds.

What you can make

Three kinds of project

Web pages and toolsGames, trackers, timers, a wedding site. One file that opens in your browser. Nothing to install.
Handy scriptsSmall programs that sort files, rename photos or tidy spreadsheets. These usually need Python installed.
AI at workFormulas, cleaned-up data, pivot tables and dashboards in Excel or Google Sheets. See the work guides.
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How to ask well

Five habits that make the AI's answers better

  • Say you're a beginner. "I don't know how to code" gets you simpler steps and fewer assumptions.
  • Ask for one complete file. One HTML file with everything inside is the easiest thing to save and run.
  • Change one thing at a time. Small steps are easier to check, and easier to undo.
  • Always ask for the whole updated file. Then you replace everything rather than hunting for the bit that changed.
  • Describe problems like a customer. Say what you did, what you expected and what happened. Paste any red error text you see.

Here's a starter prompt you can adapt for almost anything:

Copy this prompt
I don't know how to code. Please make me [what you want] that runs in a web browser.

It's for [who] to [what they'll use it for].

Requirements:
- Everything in ONE single HTML file, so I can save it and double-click it.
- No installs, no external libraries, works without the internet.
- [The 3 or 4 things it must do]

Please give me the complete file in one code block, then tell me in simple steps how to save and open it.
Keep it safe

A few sensible limits

  • Don't paste passwords, bank details or other people's private information into an AI chat.
  • Check anything that matters. If a tool handles money, health or work data, test it with made-up numbers first and sanity-check the results.
  • Keep copies as you go. Save snake-v1.html, snake-v2.html and so on, so a bad change never costs you your work.
  • Things you put online are public. Read Putting your project online for free before you share personal details.
Common questions

Before you start

Which AI should I use?

Any of the big three works for everything on this site: Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini. The free plans are enough to start. If one gets stuck on a problem, pasting the same question into another often helps.

Do I need to pay for anything?

No. Every starter project here uses a free AI plan, the text editor already on your computer and your web browser. Putting a project online can be free too.

Will I learn to code?

You'll pick some up without trying, the way you learn a few words of a language on holiday. But you don't need to, and nobody will test you.

What if the AI gets it wrong?

It will, sometimes. Tell it exactly what you see and ask it to fix it. That's normal, not a sign you've done something wrong. Each project guide has a Quick fixes section for the usual problems.

Can I use what I make?

Yes. It's yours: use it, change it, share it, give it to your kids or your team.

Your first project

Try it now, in about 20 minutes

The Snake game is the best place to start. It's quick, it's fun, and it teaches the loop you'll use for every other project.