Vibe coding best practices (from someone who's merged final-final.html)

Vibe coding is fast until it isn't. These are the habits that keep it fast.

1. Start small, then add

Don't prompt the whole app at once. Ask for the simplest working version, check it, then add one thing at a time. "Add a dark mode" is a good prompt. "Build Airbnb but for boats" is a bad week.

2. Be specific about what you see, not what the code should do

You probably can't describe the bug in code terms. That's fine. "On mobile, the menu covers the logo" is a great prompt. The AI will figure out the CSS. Screenshots help too.

3. Save working versions

When something works, save a copy before you ask for the next change. The AI will at some point "improve" something into rubble, and you'll want the version from an hour ago. Name versions by what's in them, not "final."

4. One change per prompt

Ask for three changes and you'll get two, plus a surprise fourth. Ask for one, check it, move on.

5. When it loops, start fresh

If the AI has "fixed" the same bug four times, stop. Start a new chat, paste in the current code, and describe the problem from scratch. Long chats make AIs forgetful, like people at hour three of a meeting.

6. Check what you can't see

AI-made pages look finished before they are. Check:

• Do forms actually send anywhere?
• Do all links go somewhere real?
• Does it work on a phone? (A responsive checker helps.)
• Are there API keys or passwords in the code? Never put those in a page someone else can see.

7. Get feedback early, on the real thing

Don't describe it, show it. And show the same version to everyone. Here's what not to do (we've done it): send the HTML file to three people, get three edited copies back, spend an afternoon merging them.

Instead: one shared version, everyone comments on it, nobody edits their own copy. Kenso does that with one link, and reviewers don't need an account.

8. Let the AI read the feedback

Copy-pasting comments into the chat one by one is slow and you'll miss some. With Kenso's MCP server, Claude and other AI tools can read every comment on a page and upload the fixed version back to the same link. You review the result, not the process.

9. Know when to stop vibing

When the project needs logins, payments, or real user data, either learn more about what the code does or bring in someone who knows. Vibe coding is a great start. It's a questionable bank.

Quick recap: small steps, one change at a time, save versions, check the invisible stuff, get feedback on one shared version.