AI for coding concept
What is vibe coding?
ReferenceVibe coding is a way of making software by describing what you want to an AI coding assistant and relying on it to write much of the code, often without closely reviewing that code. You try the result, describe what to change, and repeat. The term is often used for this hands-off style; using AI to help write code while still reviewing and testing it is broader AI-assisted programming.
Reviewed 2026-10-09
A hands-off way to make software
In vibe coding, you describe a desired app or change in ordinary language. An AI coding assistant generates or changes code, and you steer the result with follow-up requests. The person may focus on whether the software seems to do the requested job rather than on how its code is written.
The phrase is used in more than one way. In its narrower sense, it describes trusting the generated code with little or no review. Some people use it more loosely for building with AI. This page uses the narrower sense so the term stays distinct from AI-assisted coding.
Describe, try, and refine
A typical loop starts with a goal, such as asking for a simple personal app. The assistant drafts code; you run or preview the result, describe what looks wrong, and ask for a change. If an error appears, you can pass its message back and ask for a fix. The process repeats as you adjust the behavior or appearance.
The person still makes choices: what to ask for, whether the result seems acceptable, and what to try next. A study of vibe-coding sessions describes people alternating between prompts, quick checks of generated code or the running application, and manual edits. How much code a person inspects varies; limited review is central to the narrower meaning used here.
Vibe coding and programming with AI
Vibe coding sits within the larger family of AI-assisted programming: using an AI system to help create or change software. The key difference is the person’s relationship to the code. If you use AI to draft code, then inspect, test, and understand the changes, that is AI-assisted programming, but it is not vibe coding in the narrower sense.
The distinction matters because writing working software involves more than getting a screen or feature to appear. Code may need to be checked for errors and fit with the rest of a project. For help reviewing proposed changes, see How to check AI-generated code and the parent topic’s review guidance.
What the term does—and does not—mean
Vibe coding does not mean that a person has learned to program simply by describing an idea. It changes how code is produced, while choices about goals and whether a result is acceptable remain with the person. A study of vibe coding describes programming expertise as shifting toward evaluating results and deciding when to take a more direct role.
It also does not mean that every use of AI for code is vibe coding. Some people use the term broadly, but the narrower definition draws a line at limited review of generated code. That distinction helps explain why two people can both use an AI assistant and describe their work differently.
Questions people ask
What does vibe coding mean?
It means describing software you want to an AI coding assistant and relying on it to generate much of the code, often with little close review.
Is vibe coding the same as programming?
It is a way of making software, but the person may not write or inspect much of the code directly. The person still guides the goal and judges what to try next.
What is the difference between vibe coding and AI-assisted programming?
Vibe coding, in the narrower sense, involves little or no review of generated code. AI-assisted programming also includes workflows where a person reviews, tests, and understands AI-written changes.
Can someone vibe code without knowing how to program?
A person can describe a goal and try an AI-generated result without knowing much code. That does not ensure the result works as intended; checking the underlying changes may require programming knowledge.
Learn more
- Vibe coding with GitHub Copilot
See a concrete example of describing an app, iterating on it, and checking the result.
- Vibe coding: programming through conversation with artificial intelligence
Read a study describing how people prompt, evaluate, test, and edit during vibe-coding sessions.
- Vibe Coding
Understand the distinction between hands-off vibe coding and programming with AI while reviewing code.
What changed
Sources
Part of AI for coding: Use assistance without losing the threadReview every proposed change