Best Practices and Pitfalls of Vibe Coding

The golden rules

1. Always review generated code

AI is not infallible. Before integrating generated code, check:

  • Logic: does the code actually do what was asked?
  • Security: no SQL injection, XSS vulnerabilities, or hardcoded secrets?
  • Dependencies: did the AI add an unnecessary library?
  • Style: does the code follow the project's conventions?

2. Version frequently

graph LR
    A[Prompt] --> B[Generated code]
    B --> C{Does it work?}
    C -->|Yes| D[git commit]
    C -->|No| E[Iterate]
    E --> A
    D --> F[Next prompt]

Commit after each functional step. If the AI breaks something on the next prompt, you can easily revert.

3. Maintain a context file

Create a CLAUDE.md or CURSOR_RULES file at the root of your project to give the AI persistent context:

# Project context
- Framework: Angular 19 + NestJS 10
- Database: PostgreSQL with TypeORM
- Style: Tailwind CSS v4
- Conventions: standalone components, no any

# Rules
- Always use typed interfaces
- Separate component .html, .ts, and .css files
- API routes are prefixed with /api

4. Understand before validating

Vibe Coding does not exempt you from understanding the code. If the AI generates something you don't understand:

  1. Ask it to explain the code
  2. Seek to understand each line
  3. Only validate when you are sure

A developer who doesn't understand their own code won't be able to maintain it.

Classic pitfalls

The blind trust pitfall

"The AI generated it, so it must be good"

AI can:

  • Invent APIs that don't exist (hallucinations)
  • Use outdated library versions
  • Introduce subtle security vulnerabilities
  • Produce code that compiles but doesn't do what you want

The over-engineering pitfall

AI tends to over-architect. If you ask for a simple form, it may generate a dynamic form management system with factory pattern and dependency injection.

Solution: specify "keep it simple" or "no unnecessary abstractions" in your prompts.

The copy-paste loop pitfall

When the code doesn't work:

  1. You paste the error in the chat
  2. The AI proposes a fix
  3. New bug
  4. You paste the error again
  5. Infinite loop...

Solution: after 2-3 unsuccessful iterations, step back. Read the code yourself. Often the problem is elsewhere.

The technical debt pitfall

Generating code quickly doesn't mean it's maintainable. Take the time to:

  • Refactor the generated code
  • Add tests
  • Document architecture decisions
  • Remove dead code

Security and Vibe Coding

What you should never do

  • Paste secrets (API keys, passwords) in a prompt
  • Trust the AI for user input validation
  • Deploy AI code without a security review
  • Ignore the AI's warnings about limitations

Security best practices

  • Use environment variables for secrets
  • Always validate user input on the server side
  • Explicitly ask the AI to check code security
  • Run static analysis tools (ESLint, SonarQube)

Summary

Vibe Coding is powerful but requires discipline. The four fundamental rules are: review, version, contextualize, and understand. Avoid the pitfalls of blind trust and debug loops, and you will become an effective and responsible Vibe Coder.