If someone tells you “just vibe code it,” you might raise an eyebrow. But vibe coding isn’t about skipping effort or ignoring discipline. It’s about shifting how we build—with AI as collaborator, not magic fairy. In simple terms, vibe coding means describing what you want (in natural language) and letting an AI generate, refine, and debug your code. Your role transitions from hammering out every line to guiding, validating, and iterating—one of the key skills in AI-assisted coding today.
This new approach is gaining momentum. Tools like Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, and Replit are making “code from ideas” more real than ever. But as exciting as it is, vibe coding brings new challenges—unpredictable bugs, unclear logic, security risks, and maintainability issues. Many of these fall under a new category of vibe coding challenges developers are learning to navigate.
So how do you vibe code well, not just hack something together? Here are ten best practices to lean into so that your AI-powered software development is controlled, clear, and powerful.
1. Start with clarity: write your Product Requirements Document (PRD)
Before you send any prompts, get grounded. Write a PRD—what your app should do, user flows, edge cases, data models, APIs. This isn’t paperwork for its own sake; it’s the compass your AI will follow.
When your PRD is clear, your prompts become precise. You reduce ambiguous instructions and avoid wild tangents in generated code. At Hexaware, we back discipline with creativity—and this is where that balance starts. Great PRDs lead to better AI-assisted coding best practices down the line.
2. Break big tasks into smaller slices
If you ask, “Build me a full ecommerce site in one shot,” you’ll likely get messy, incomplete, or fragile code. Instead, break it down: user auth, product catalog, cart logic, payment, admin panel. Prompt for one slice at a time.
Each slice is easier to assess and iterate. You’ll catch issues early. This also gives you modular code that’s easier to evolve later—a boost to developer productivity and maintainability.
3. Prompt smartly: context + constraints + examples
A great prompt is threefold:
- Context: What kind of app or domain you’re building
- Constraints: Tech stack, coding style, performance or security limits
- Examples: Sample input/output, how you expect parts to behave
For example:
“I’m building a Node.js + Express REST API for a bookstore. Use TypeScript, follow REST naming conventions, error handling, and unit tests. For example: GET /books?author= will filter books by author.”
This gives the AI guide rails. Without them, it may wander into unhelpful choices.
And here’s a little pro tip many experienced vibe coders swear by:
At the end of every prompt, add a line like:
“You’re free to add any functionality that you think will be necessary for this project. You have the freedom to do so.”
It opens the model’s creative latitude and often surfaces smart, unexpected enhancements you wouldn’t have thought of yourself.
4. Always review and test generated code
Yes, AI can write code. But you can’t treat that output as gospel. Read it. Run tests. Simulate edge cases. Check error handling, exception paths, and boundary conditions.
Too many failures in AI-assisted builds come when devs accept code blindly. Be your own critic.
5. Iterate with feedback loops
Vibe coding isn’t “one prompt, done” (though you might wish it was). You’ll need to iterate—ask the AI to refactor, optimize, or fix bugs. Use the results of tests and observations to build your next prompt.
Frame feedback to the AI with precision: “Your user update endpoint works, but doesn’t validate email format or reject duplicate usernames. Please add validation and error messages.” Over time, your AI-assistant understands your tone and intent—one of the foundations of successful AI-assisted coding best practices.
6. Maintain documentation and in-code comments
Because you didn’t write line-by-line, context might get lost. Use comments, docstrings, and README segments. You can also ask the AI to generate or update documentation after generating code.
Keep your “why” visible. Future you (or your team) will thank you. This also helps when AI output drifts—your docs anchor meaning.
7. Limit your dependency on the AI for core logic
Use vibe coding for UI scaffolding, routine CRUD, boilerplate wiring, or prototyping. But for core business logic, security, edge-case algorithms—lean in and write them yourself (or with human peer review).
This embeds accountability where it matters most. The AI is a force multiplier, not a replacement for your domain knowledge.
8. Monitor security, permissions, and error paths
AI might forget to validate input, check authorization, escape queries, or sanitize user data. Security ones are especially dangerous. Experts warn that vibe coding can open doors to vulnerabilities.
Always include prompts like “ensure authentication, validate inputs, prevent SQL injection, and handle error paths.” Then manually review or run vulnerability scans. Don’t skip this just because “the AI did it.”
9. Choose the right AI model for coding
This one’s huge. The model you pick can make or break your vibe coding experience. Different LLMs have different coding instincts.
In our experience, Claude Sonnet works best for most coding use cases—it’s balanced, precise, and logical. Replit’s new Agent 3 model, on the other hand, is incredibly thorough. It thinks deeply through every layer of your prompt—which can make it feel slower at times, but that depth often results in cleaner, more structured builds once it’s done.
Experiment, but be selective. Once you find the model that fits your workflow, stick with it. Your productivity will soar.
10. Know when to switch to traditional coding
Vibe coding is the future, but traditional coding methods are still far ahead when it comes to precision and control. You can vibe your way to a great MVP or prototype, but when you’re ready for production, security, scale, and maintainability demand deeper coding knowledge and architectural thinking.
Vibe coding excels in getting your Minimum Viable Product off the ground fast, but for production-grade systems, human-led coding remains king.
11. Track your versions, review diffs, and use version control
Just like in regular development, maintain your code in a version control system (e.g. Git). Don’t let AI override your history. Review diffs, approve merges, run CI/CD pipelines. Having version control ensures accountability, traceability, and revert capability when AI goes wild.
Treat AI-generated code as a pull request you must review and merge carefully.
Bonus tips to level your vibe coding game
- Token/context management: AI models have limits (e.g. context window). Don’t flood it with everything at once. Use summaries or load only relevant modules.
- Prompt chaining: Use multi-step prompts (e.g. “First scaffold, then refine, then optimize”) instead of one mega prompt.
- Guardrails via rules: Ask the AI to follow certain standards (naming conventions, linting rules, comment format).
- Automate testing: Ask AI to generate test cases (unit, integration) along with features.
- Monitor performance: After deploying, observe metrics, logs, errors. AI won’t magically fix runtime inefficiencies—you’ll have to tune.
- AI tool diversity: Use multiple AI tools or models (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor) to cross-check or compare outputs.
- Incremental demos: Share early working prototypes; collect feedback early so you’re not too far down the wrong path.
Turning vibes into value: the mindset shift
Vibe coding feels futuristic. But its real power comes when you pair that freedom with discipline. You stay in control while letting AI amplify your output.
At Hexaware, we believe in empowering teams. Use AI not as a magic wand but as your co-pilot. Stay transparent: log what the AI generates, what you changed, and why. Be action-oriented: use iterations, feedback, and data to evolve. Be supportive—to yourself and your team—as you explore this new frontier.
The idea isn’t to eliminate the human developer—it’s to shift what humans do best: design, reason, empathize, and manage complexity. AI handles the plumbing, repetition, and boilerplate. You name it. You guide it. And yes—you vibe it.
