Vibe Coding Explained: How to Build a Website with AI

Imagine describing the website you want in a few sentences, watching an AI tool assemble a first version, and then asking it to change the layout as easily as you would give feedback to a designer.

That is the appeal of vibe coding. You can start with an idea rather than a blank code editor. But an attractive preview is not necessarily a finished website. Buttons still need to work, content needs to be accurate, and visitors need to feel comfortable using it.

This guide explains what vibe coding actually means, how to build a website with AI from your first prompt to a public launch, and where human judgment still matters. You will also get a realistic example and prompts you can adapt for your own project.

What is vibe coding?

Vibe coding is a way of building software by describing what you want to an AI coding tool and letting it generate or change the code. Instead of writing every line yourself, you communicate your goal, inspect the result, and request improvements in ordinary language.

The expression was introduced by software engineer Andrej Karpathy in February 2025. His original description was deliberately relaxed: he discussed accepting AI-generated changes without carefully reading the code. The term has since expanded in everyday use to cover many kinds of AI-powered website and app building. Cloudflare’s explanation of vibe coding (opens in a new tab) provides an accessible overview of the idea and its origins.

There is an important distinction here. Developer Simon Willison argues that unreviewed AI-generated code is closer to the original meaning of vibe coding, while reviewing, testing, and understanding AI-generated code is better described as responsible AI-assisted software development. His explanation of the distinction (opens in a new tab) is worth reading if you plan to publish a real product.

For a personal experiment, taking a relaxed approach might be fine. For a public website that represents your business, the practical goal should be AI speed with human review.

How does vibe coding work?

The basic loop is simple:

1. Describe: Tell the AI what the website should do and who it is for.
2. Generate: Let the tool create a first version of the interface and, when supported, the underlying code.
3. Preview: Open the website and check how it looks and behaves.
4. Refine: Give specific feedback about problems or missing features.
5. Validate: Test the final result yourself before putting it online.

You do not need to understand every programming concept to try that loop. But the more complex your website becomes, the more important it is to understand, or have someone review, what the generated system is doing.

glimpzai

What kinds of websites can you build with AI?

A small, mostly informational website is a sensible first project. For example, you could create a portfolio, an event landing page, a business introduction, a personal project page, or a prototype for a new service.

These projects let you practice describing layouts, navigation, copy, and responsive design without immediately dealing with sensitive customer information.

More advanced projects may involve user accounts, databases, payment providers, dashboards, or third-party APIs. AI tools can help with these too, but they introduce additional concerns involving security, access permissions, data storage, and ongoing maintenance.

Think of the difference this way: building a beautiful digital brochure is one challenge; building a system that safely handles people’s money or personal information is another.

Which AI tool should you use to build a website?

You will see many products described as AI website builders or AI coding assistants. They do not all work the same way.

Tool	What it is suited to	What to consider
Lovable (opens in a new tab)	Creating and iterating on web projects through natural-language requests	Understand its hosting, code export or synchronization, and project limits before committing
v0 by Vercel (opens in a new tab)	Generating and refining website interfaces and web applications	Check the generated application, dependencies, and deployment configuration
Replit Agent (opens in a new tab)	Building a working project with an AI agent in an online development environment	Review how the project runs, stores data, and is published
Cursor (opens in a new tab)	Editing and developing an existing codebase with AI assistance	Best suited to people comfortable managing files, code changes, and a development workflow

These descriptions reflect the tools’ official documentation, not a claim that we tested or ranked them. Their features, usage allowances, and pricing can change. Check each provider’s current documentation and plan details before deciding.

For your first simple website, a browser-based prompt-to-site tool may feel more approachable. If you already have a React, Astro, or another code-based project, an AI coding editor may fit better because you can work within your existing files.

There is no single best option for everyone. Choose based on what you need to build, how you want to maintain it, and whether you can access the underlying code when necessary.

How to build a website with AI: a step-by-step example

Let’s create a simple demonstration website for Fern & Frame, a fictional indoor-plant styling studio. The business name and scenario are examples, not an actual company or a project we claim to have built.

Our goal is modest: a clear, mobile-friendly, single-page website where a visitor can understand the service and find a way to make an inquiry. We will avoid customer accounts, payments, and a database in the first version.

Step 1: Decide what the website needs to accomplish

Before opening an AI tool, answer three questions:

• Who is the visitor? Homeowners and small offices interested in indoor-plant styling.
• What should they learn? What the studio offers, how the process works, and how to get in touch.
• What action should they take? Send an inquiry using a verified contact method.

This takes less effort than repeatedly asking an AI to redesign a page without knowing its purpose.

Now plan the page sections: navigation, an introduction, services, process, about, frequently asked questions, and contact details. You can always add more later, but each extra feature adds something else to review.

Step 2: Give the AI a complete starting prompt

Open a website-building AI tool of your choice. Instead of typing only “make me a modern website,” give it a short creative brief.

Here is a reusable first prompt:

Build a responsive, single-page website for a FICTIONAL business
called Fern & Frame, an indoor-plant styling studio.
This is a demonstration project, not a real business.

Audience:
Homeowners and small-office teams who want welcoming indoor spaces.

Primary goal:
Help visitors understand the services and find a contact option.

Required sections:
1. Navigation with links to page sections
2. Hero section with a clear headline and short explanation
3. Two service cards: home styling and office greenery planning
4. A simple three-step process
5. About section
6. Three useful FAQs
7. Contact section and footer

Visual direction:
Warm, calm, editorial, with generous spacing, legible typography,
natural colors, and an uncluttered layout.

Functionality:
- Responsive desktop and mobile layouts
- Mobile navigation that opens, closes, and works with a keyboard
- Navigation links that go to the correct sections
- A clear contact CTA
- Do not create a fake working contact form
- Do not invent an email, telephone number, address, prices,
  testimonials, client logos, or social links
- Clearly label any missing business details for later replacement

Quality requirements:
Use meaningful HTML headings, readable contrast, descriptive image
alternatives, and accessible buttons and links.
Do not introduce a database, authentication, or payment integration.
Use only visual assets that can be legally published, or leave
clearly marked placeholders for my own approved images.

First build a usable initial version. Then summarize what you created,
which parts are placeholders, and what needs manual testing.

Notice what makes this prompt different from a vague request. It explains the audience, the purpose, the sections, the visual style, the required behavior, and the things the AI must not invent.

AI can help you draft page copy, but only you can confirm the truth of real-world details such as opening hours, certifications, services, or customer claims.

Step 3: Review the first result before asking for more

Once the AI creates a preview, look at it as a first-time visitor would. Do not judge only by whether the colors are attractive.

Can you tell what the business offers within a few seconds? Is the contact action easy to find? Is the text readable? Does the navigation take you to the expected section?

Write down the three biggest problems. Fix those first.

For example, a vague heading such as “Transform Your World” might sound polished, but it does not explain the service. A clearer option would be “Indoor Plant Styling for Homes and Workspaces.”

The second version should become more useful, not simply more decorative.

Step 4: Improve one part at a time

A useful follow-up prompt refers to a specific problem and protects parts that already work.

Example: improve the hero section

Keep the current page sections and color palette.
Only revise the hero section.

Replace the vague headline with a clear description of the service.
Add one short supporting paragraph and a prominent contact CTA.
Make sure the headline wraps comfortably on narrow phone screens.
Do not modify the navigation or other sections.
Explain exactly what changed.

Example: repair mobile navigation

On narrow screens, the navigation overlaps the hero area.
Fix this without changing the desktop layout.

The mobile menu should open and close using a button,
close after a section link is selected, support keyboard use,
and show a visible focus indicator.

Check for horizontal scrolling at common mobile widths.
Summarize the cause and the fix.

Specific instructions help you evaluate whether the tool actually solved the problem. If a change breaks something that previously worked, return to a saved version rather than piling more instructions onto a damaged result.

glimpzai

Step 5: Replace sample content with information you can verify

AI-generated websites often look complete because they contain convincing filler. That is exactly why you need a content review.

For a real business, replace every placeholder with approved material:

• The correct business name, services, and service area
• Real, licensed photographs or graphics that you have permission to use
• Accurate contact information and functioning links
• Honest descriptions of experience, pricing, and availability
• Policies and notices appropriate to your website and audience

Do not publish fictional testimonials or invented “trusted by” logos simply because the AI included them. Do not assume an AI-generated image or third-party asset comes with the usage rights your project needs.

In the Fern & Frame demonstration, the contact section should remain clearly unfinished until a real contact address or another verified method is supplied. A button that looks like it sends a message but does nothing is worse than a plainly labeled placeholder.

Step 6: Test every interaction

A website is not finished when the preview renders. Click and test it.

Check	What to do	A problem to catch
Navigation	Use every menu link, including on a phone	Link points to the wrong section
Contact action	Open the verified email link or submit a real test inquiry	Message is never received
Mobile layout	Try narrow and wide screens	Text, images, or buttons overflow
Keyboard access	Navigate using Tab, Enter, and Escape where relevant	A menu cannot be operated without a mouse
Content	Read every headline, service, and footer detail	Invented information remains visible
Images	Inspect image relevance, source rights, and alternative text	An image is misleading or unusable
Error states	Test missing or invalid input if you use a form	No helpful feedback appears

Important: A contact form needs more than a visible submit button. It needs a working submission destination, appropriate validation, safe handling of information, and a successful end-to-end test. If you are not ready to implement those pieces, use a verified email or booking link instead.

For accessible form structure, see MDN’s guide to structuring web forms (opens in a new tab).

Step 7: Check speed, accessibility, and search visibility

Even a small AI-generated website deserves a basic quality pass.

Performance: Compress unnecessarily large images, avoid animations that slow the page, and test on a real phone or a slower connection where possible. Google’s Lighthouse tool (opens in a new tab) can help identify performance and quality issues, although automated scores do not replace manual testing.

Accessibility: Use clear heading levels, readable text, sufficient contrast, meaningful link names, and keyboard-operable controls. Google’s Learn Accessibility (opens in a new tab) materials provide practical guidance.

Search visibility: Write a descriptive page title and a useful meta description. Ensure that important text is present and accessible, links work, and the published page is not accidentally blocked from indexing. Google’s SEO Starter Guide (opens in a new tab) explains these fundamentals. Following good practices helps search engines understand a site, but it does not guarantee indexing or rankings.

You can ask the AI to help identify problems, but verify important fixes in the actual website. A tool saying “SEO optimized” is not evidence that search engines have indexed the page.

glimpzai

Step 8: Publish carefully and keep a recoverable copy

When the site has passed your checks, follow your chosen platform’s publishing process. For example, Lovable documents its publishing workflow (opens in a new tab), while v0 documents deployment options (opens in a new tab). The available domains, hosting arrangements, and account features depend on the service and plan.

Before sharing the public link:

1. Confirm the correct site version was deployed and loads over HTTPS.
2. Recheck the live contact method, images, navigation, and mobile layout.
3. Confirm that placeholder copy, development credentials, and private information are not public.
4. Keep access to your project and, where available, a code repository or another reliable backup.
5. Note how you will update the content, restore a previous version, and maintain the site.

A free preview or free building allowance does not necessarily mean that a custom domain, extra AI requests, hosting, or third-party services will remain free.

A better prompt-writing formula for AI websites

If you want more consistent output, organize each request around five elements:

Context + Goal + Requirements + Constraints + Acceptance test

For example:

On our plant-styling landing page (context), help visitors understand how to request a consultation (goal). Add a clearly labeled contact section with a verified email link and a short explanation of what to include (requirements). Do not add a database, an unconnected form, or made-up contact details (constraints). I should be able to activate the link on mobile and desktop, and it should open the correct email address (acceptance test).

An acceptance test gives you something concrete to check. “Make it better” does not.

Another useful habit is to ask the AI to explain any proposed changes before making them, especially when it wants to install dependencies, alter configuration, connect external services, or modify several unrelated files.

Where vibe coding can go wrong

Vibe coding is exciting because it lowers the effort required to get started. It does not remove the responsibilities of publishing software.

A convincing design can hide broken behavior

A polished login screen is not proof that authentication is secure. A dashboard showing sample numbers is not proof that it has a real data source. And a “Message sent” notification means little if no message reaches its intended destination.

Ask what each interface element actually does. Test it rather than trusting the preview.

Small changes can create new problems

You might ask the AI to change a button and find that it has also rearranged the header. Keep changes small, review the differences when your tool provides them, and save working versions. Cursor’s documentation on reviewing code changes (opens in a new tab) illustrates why change review is part of a responsible workflow.

Security and privacy risks increase with complexity

Be particularly careful when a project uses passwords, private documents, payment details, third-party services, or expensive APIs. Never paste secrets into public content or commit them to client-side code. Do not assume a generated app safely handles access permissions or sensitive information just because it works in a preview.

The OWASP Secure Coding with AI Cheat Sheet (opens in a new tab) emphasizes human accountability, reviewing generated changes, and guarding against risks in AI-driven development workflows.

For a production system that handles sensitive data or financial transactions, arrange a qualified technical and security review before launch. An AI assistant can contribute to that process, but it should not be the only reviewer.

Maintenance does not end when you publish

You may eventually need to update a dependency, change a hosting plan, fix a browser issue, or restore a broken feature. Before choosing a tool, understand how you can retrieve your code or content, back it up, and continue maintaining it if your needs change.

That question matters more than how impressive the first generated screen looks.

Vibe coding vs traditional website development

These approaches are not necessarily competitors. They are different ways to begin and manage a project.

Consideration	Prompt-first AI building	Conventional development workflow
First prototype	Can be generated from a detailed description	Typically starts with designs, code, or configured tools
Control over implementation	Depends on the platform and access to generated code	Developer can directly select and maintain the architecture
Required knowledge	Lower barrier for simple prototypes	More technical knowledge required
Testing and security	Still required for a public site	Still required for a public site
Long-term flexibility	Depends on portability and maintainability	Depends on code quality, architecture, and team skills

In practice, the strongest approach for many projects is a combination: use AI to speed up drafts and repetitive work, then rely on design principles, testing, and engineering review to make the result dependable.

Frequently asked questions about vibe coding

Can I build a website with AI without knowing how to code?

Yes, you can create a simple website or prototype with a natural-language website builder without writing all the code yourself. You still need to provide accurate content, test the result, and understand what happens when visitors interact with it. More complex projects benefit from technical support.

Is vibe coding free?

Some tools may offer a free starting option, but usage limits and paid features differ. Publishing, custom domains, integrations, hosting, and ongoing changes can involve charges. Review the current plan details of your chosen provider before building around it.

Can AI build an entire website from one prompt?

It can generate a surprisingly complete first version. Whether that version is ready for real visitors is a different question. Expect to revise content, test responsive layouts, connect genuine contact methods, and fix issues before publishing.

Can I use an AI-built website for my business?

Yes, provided you have the right to use its content and assets, the website actually works, and you meet relevant security, privacy, accessibility, and legal obligations. A straightforward information site is generally easier to review than a platform handling personal data or payments.

Do I still need a web developer if I use AI?

Not necessarily for a small personal experiment or a simple informational page. For custom functionality, sensitive information, complicated integrations, or a website that is important to your business, a developer or qualified reviewer can help assess the parts an AI preview cannot prove are correct.

Start small, then build with confidence

You do not need to begin with an ambitious app. Start with one page and one clear purpose. Describe what you want, examine the first version, and make focused improvements. The most useful skill is not writing increasingly elaborate prompts. It is being able to recognize whether the result genuinely solves a visitor’s problem.

Vibe coding can help you move from idea to prototype. Careful review is what helps you move from prototype to a website people can trust.

If your project grows beyond a straightforward landing page, Glimpz AI (opens in a new tab) can be a starting point for exploring professional website design and development support.

References and further reading

• Cloudflare: What is vibe coding? (opens in a new tab)
• Simon Willison: Not all AI-assisted programming is vibe coding (opens in a new tab)
• Lovable documentation (opens in a new tab)
• v0 documentation (opens in a new tab)
• Replit Agent documentation (opens in a new tab)
• OWASP: Secure Coding with AI Cheat Sheet (opens in a new tab)
• Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide (opens in a new tab)
• Chrome for Developers: Introduction to Lighthouse (opens in a new tab)