What is vibe coding?

Last Updated: 2/26/2026

Vibe coding is a software development practice making app building more accessible, especially for those with limited programming experience. It marks the end of an era where software development required years of technical training, turning millions of non-coders into creators who can build and launch applications in seconds.

The term, coined by AI researcher Andrej Karpathy in early 2025, describes a workflow where the primary role shifts from writing code line-by-line to guiding an AI assistant to generate, refine, and debug an application through a more conversational process. This frees you up to think about the big picture, or the main goal of your app, while the AI handles writing the actual code.

Learn about the new vibe coding experience in AI Studio

In practice, vibe coding is generally applied in two main ways:

"Pure" vibe coding: In its most exploratory form, a user might fully trust the AI's output to work as intended. As Karpathy framed it, this is akin to "forgetting that the code even exists," making it best suited for rapid ideation or what he called "throwaway weekend projects," where speed is the primary goal.

Responsible AI-assisted development: This is the practical and professional application of the concept. In this model, AI tools act as a powerful collaborator or "pair programmer." The user guides the AI but then reviews, tests, and understands the code it generates, taking full ownership of the final product.

Understanding how the vibe coding process works

The code-level workflow

This is the tight, conversational loop you use to create and perfect a specific piece of code.

  1. Describe the goal: You start with a high-level prompt in plain language. For example: "Create a Python function that reads a CSV file."
  2. AI generates code: The AI assistant interprets your request and produces the initial code.
  3. Execute and observe: You run the generated code to see if it works as intended.
  4. Provide feedback and refine: If the output isn’t quite right or an error occurs, you provide new instructions, like, "That works, but add error handling for when the file is not found."
  5. Repeat: This loop of describing, generating, testing, and refining continues until the code is complete.
  1. Describe the goal: You start with a high-level prompt in plain language. For example: "Create a Python function that reads a CSV file."
  2. AI generates code: The AI assistant interprets your request and produces the initial code.
  3. Execute and observe: You run the generated code to see if it works as intended.
  4. Provide feedback and refine: If the output isn’t quite right or an error occurs, you provide new instructions, like, "That works, but add error handling for when the file is not found."
  5. Repeat: This loop of describing, generating, testing, and refining continues until the code is complete.

Define “vibe deploying”

Vibe coding doesn't stop at code generation. Vibe deploying is the ability to launch your application to a live, production-grade environment (like Cloud Run) with a single click or prompt. This removes the "DevOps bottleneck," allowing you to test your ideas with real users immediately.

Vibe coding operates on two levels: the low-level iterative loop of refining code, and the high-level lifecycle of building and deploying a full application.

The application lifecycle

This is the broader process of taking a high-level idea from concept to a deployed application.

  • Ideation: You describe the entire application you want in a single, high-level prompt in tools like Google AI Studio or Firebase Studio
  • Generation: The AI generates the initial version of the full application, including the UI, backend logic, and file structure
  • Iterative refinement: You test the application and use follow-up prompts to add new features or change existing ones
  • Testing and validation: A human expert reviews the application for security, quality, and correctness
  • Deployment: With a final prompt or a single click, you deploy the application to a scalable platform like Cloud Run
  • Ideation: You describe the entire application you want in a single, high-level prompt in tools like Google AI Studio or Firebase Studio
  • Generation: The AI generates the initial version of the full application, including the UI, backend logic, and file structure
  • Iterative refinement: You test the application and use follow-up prompts to add new features or change existing ones
  • Testing and validation: A human expert reviews the application for security, quality, and correctness
  • Deployment: With a final prompt or a single click, you deploy the application to a scalable platform like Cloud Run

Vibe coding versus traditional programming

With traditional programming, you focus on the details of implementation, manually writing the specific commands, keywords, and punctuation a language requires. Vibe coding lets you focus on the desired outcome instead, describing your goal in plain language, like "create a user login form," while the AI handles the actual code.

Here’s a comparison:

Feature

Traditional programming

Vibe coding

Code Creation

Manual coding line by line

AI-generated from natural language prompts


Developer or user role

Architect, implementer, debugger

Prompter, guide, tester, refiner

Coding expertise required

Higher (knowledge of programming languages and syntax)

Lower (understanding of the desired functionality)

Primary input

Precise code

Natural language prompts and feedback

Development speed

Generally slower, methodical

Potentially faster, particularly for prototyping simpler tasks

Error handling

Manual debugging based on code comprehension

Refinement through conversational feedback

Learning curve

Often steep

Potentially lower barrier to entry

Code maintainability

Relies on code quality, developer skill, and established practices

Can depend heavily on AI output quality and user review

Feature

Traditional programming

Vibe coding

Code Creation

Manual coding line by line

AI-generated from natural language prompts


Developer or user role

Architect, implementer, debugger

Prompter, guide, tester, refiner

Coding expertise required

Higher (knowledge of programming languages and syntax)

Lower (understanding of the desired functionality)

Primary input

Precise code

Natural language prompts and feedback

Development speed

Generally slower, methodical

Potentially faster, particularly for prototyping simpler tasks

Error handling

Manual debugging based on code comprehension

Refinement through conversational feedback

Learning curve

Often steep

Potentially lower barrier to entry

Code maintainability

Relies on code quality, developer skill, and established practices

Can depend heavily on AI output quality and user review

Getting started: Choosing your vibe coding tool

Google Cloud offers several tools for vibe coding. Choosing which tool you use should depend on your goal, and not necessarily your job title. A developer might use AI Studio for a quick prototype, an enthusiast might build a full application in Firebase Studio, and a data scientist might use Gemini CLI to write a script.

After you finish prototyping, your deployment path depends on the tool you select. You can continue to iterate by editing the source code directly or by returning to your vibe coding environment to provide more instructions.

Use this guide to find the best tool for the task at hand.

Tool

Starting point

Skill level

Coding approach

Key feature

An idea you want to see, fast.

Beginner. No coding experience needed.

No-Code / Low-Code

Single-prompt app generation with zero-friction deployment.

A new, full-stack application.

Beginner to intermediate. You can start with no code, but experience helps with customization.

Low-Code / No-Code

Full-stack generation with an integrated Firebase backend. Easily add a database, user authentication, and more.

An existing project or file.

Intermediate to advanced. Designed for users with professional coding experience.

Low-Code / AI-assisted

In-editor assistance. It generates, explains, and tests code directly within your existing IDE workflow

Terminal based development

Intermediate to advanced

Low-Code/AI-assisted

Open-source agent for terminal-first "vibe" workflows

A complex engineering task or mission.

Beginner to advanced



Agent-first / Autonomous



Mission Control for orchestrating autonomous agents across the editor, terminal, and browser.



Building custom, autonomous agents from scratch.

Advanced / Expert



Code-first / Agentic



Open-source Python/Java framework for building and evaluating production-ready multi-agent systems.

Tool

Starting point

Skill level

Coding approach

Key feature

An idea you want to see, fast.

Beginner. No coding experience needed.

No-Code / Low-Code

Single-prompt app generation with zero-friction deployment.

A new, full-stack application.

Beginner to intermediate. You can start with no code, but experience helps with customization.

Low-Code / No-Code

Full-stack generation with an integrated Firebase backend. Easily add a database, user authentication, and more.

An existing project or file.

Intermediate to advanced. Designed for users with professional coding experience.

Low-Code / AI-assisted

In-editor assistance. It generates, explains, and tests code directly within your existing IDE workflow

Terminal based development

Intermediate to advanced

Low-Code/AI-assisted

Open-source agent for terminal-first "vibe" workflows

A complex engineering task or mission.

Beginner to advanced



Agent-first / Autonomous



Mission Control for orchestrating autonomous agents across the editor, terminal, and browser.



Building custom, autonomous agents from scratch.

Advanced / Expert



Code-first / Agentic



Open-source Python/Java framework for building and evaluating production-ready multi-agent systems.

How to vibe code with Google AI Studio

AI Studio is the quickest way to go from an idea to a live, shareable web app, often with a single prompt. It's perfect for rapid prototyping and building simple, generative AI applications.

Step 1: Describe what you want to build in your prompt

To get started, go to Build in AI Studio. In the main prompt area, simply describe the application you want to create. Start with a fun, creative idea, and then simply run the prompt. Once you run the prompt, you’ll see AI Studio generate the necessary code and files, with a live preview of your app appearing on the right-hand side.

Example prompt: "Create a 'startup name generator' app. It needs a text box where I can enter an industry, and a button. When I click the button, it shows a list of 10 creative names."

Example prompt: "Create a 'startup name generator' app. It needs a text box where I can enter an industry, and a button. When I click the button, it shows a list of 10 creative names."

Step 2: Refine the app

Now that you have a live preview, you can use the chat interface to refine its look and functionality with follow-up prompts. You could add features, change visual elements, and more.

Example prompt: "Make the background a dark gray and use a bright green for the title and button to give it a 'techy' feel."

Example prompt: "Make the background a dark gray and use a bright green for the title and button to give it a 'techy' feel."

Step 3: Deploy to Cloud Run to share

Once you’re happy with the result, you can deploy to Cloud Run. AI Studio now automatically provisions a database and publishes your app to a public URL. This allows your app to handle persistent data (like user profiles or industry lists) without any manual infrastructure setup.

Key features:

  • Zero-friction access: You can launch your first applications quickly.
  • Integrated database provisioning: The deployment process includes support for backend services to handle data persistence automatically. It automatically provisions and configures a database—such as Cloud SQL or Firestore—based on your app's requirements. This ensures your data storage is ready to use without any manual setup.
  • Scalable infrastructure: It uses Cloud Run on the backend, ensuring your app can scale to handle traffic if it goes viral.

How to vibe code with Firebase Studio

Firebase Studio is a powerful, web-based environment for building production-ready applications, especially those that need a robust backend with features like user authentication or a database.

Step 1: Describe your full application or vision in your prompt

To get started, open Firebase Studio and describe the complete application you want to build in the prompt area. You can describe a robust, multi-page application from the very beginning.

Example prompt: Create a simple recipe-sharing application. It needs user accounts so people can sign up and log in. Once logged in, a user should be able to submit a new recipe with a title, ingredients, and instructions. All the submitted recipes should be displayed on the homepage.

Example prompt: Create a simple recipe-sharing application. It needs user accounts so people can sign up and log in. Once logged in, a user should be able to submit a new recipe with a title, ingredients, and instructions. All the submitted recipes should be displayed on the homepage.

Step 2: Review and refine the app blueprint

After submitting your initial prompt, Firebase Studio generates an app blueprint for you to review. This blueprint is a detailed plan outlining the features, style guidelines, and technology stack the AI intends to use.

Here, you can provide feedback to refine the blueprint, ensuring the initial code generation is closer to what you have in mind. Making changes to the plan at this stage is much easier than editing the final code, helping you get to your desired state faster.

Example prompt: This blueprint looks great, but let's remove the 'AI Meal Planner' feature for now and add a 'Favorites' button to the recipe display.

Example prompt: This blueprint looks great, but let's remove the 'AI Meal Planner' feature for now and add a 'Favorites' button to the recipe display.

Step 3: Generate the prototype

When you're happy with the blueprint, go ahead and click the "Prototype this App" button. Firebase Studio will then generate a working prototype based on your approved plan. After a moment, a live, interactive preview of your new app will appear.

Step 4: Make edits to your live prototype

With your interactive prototype running in the preview panel, you can continue the conversation to make edits. For example, ask for visual changes, add or change features, or even introduce new logic to your application.

Example prompt: Let's make that heart icon functional. When a signed-in user clicks on it, save the recipe to a 'favorites' list in their user profile in the database. Also, create a new 'My Favorites' page that only displays the recipes that the current user has saved.

Example prompt: Let's make that heart icon functional. When a signed-in user clicks on it, save the recipe to a 'favorites' list in their user profile in the database. Also, create a new 'My Favorites' page that only displays the recipes that the current user has saved.

Step 5: Deploy your application

When your application is ready, you can deploy it directly from the environment. To do so, simply click "Publish" in the top right-hand corner. Firebase Studio handles the entire deployment process, publishing your app to a public URL using Cloud Run. Because it's built for production, your application is ready to scale and handle traffic from day one.

How to vibe code with Gemini Code Assist

Gemini Code Assist acts as an AI pair programmer directly within your existing code editor (like VS Code or JetBrains). It’s best used for helping professional developers work faster and more efficiently directly in their IDE, and on existing projects.

Step 1: Generate code within a file

To get started, open a project file in your IDE. Instead of writing code manually, you can use the Gemini chat window or an in-line prompt to describe the function or code block you need. The AI will generate the code and insert it directly into your file.

Example prompt: "Write a Python function that takes a filename as input. It should use the pandas library to read a CSV file and return a list of all the values from the 'email' column."

Example prompt: "Write a Python function that takes a filename as input. It should use the pandas library to read a CSV file and return a list of all the values from the 'email' column."

Step 2: Refine and improve existing code

Highlight the code you just created (or any block of existing code) and use follow-up prompts to modify or improve it. This is perfect for adding new features, adding error handling, improving performance, or changing logic without having to manually refactor.

Example prompts: "That function is useful. Now, modify it to accept an optional 'domain_filter' parameter. If a domain is provided, the function should only return email addresses that match that specific domain."

  • "That's a good start, but it will crash if the user doesn't have permissions to read that file. Can you add error handling for a PermissionError?"

Example prompts: "That function is useful. Now, modify it to accept an optional 'domain_filter' parameter. If a domain is provided, the function should only return email addresses that match that specific domain."

  • "That's a good start, but it will crash if the user doesn't have permissions to read that file. Can you add error handling for a PermissionError?"

Step 3: Generate tests to complete the feature

To ensure your code is production-quality, you can ask Gemini to generate unit tests. This automates a crucial but often time-consuming part of app development.

Example prompt: "Write unit tests for this function using pytest. I need one test for the successful case that returns all emails, another test that filters for a specific domain, and a third test to handle a FileNotFoundError."

Example prompt: "Write unit tests for this function using pytest. I need one test for the successful case that returns all emails, another test that filters for a specific domain, and a third test to handle a FileNotFoundError."

How to vibe code with Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI is an open-source AI agent that brings Gemini directly into your terminal. It’s designed for developers who want a terminal-first vibe coding experience.

Step 1: Initialize your project

After installing the agent in your terminal, you can launch Gemini CLI in any directory by typing gemini. It can automatically analyze your local files to understand the project context.

Expert tip: Create a GEMINI.md file in your project root. This file acts as "long-term memory," providing specific instructions, coding standards, and project goals that the AI follows at all times.

Expert tip: Create a GEMINI.md file in your project root. This file acts as "long-term memory," providing specific instructions, coding standards, and project goals that the AI follows at all times.

Step 2: Use model context protocol (MCP) servers and extensions

Gemini CLI supports the model context protocol (MCP), which allows the AI to connect to external tools and data sources.

  • You can connect Gemini to a database, a GitHub repository, or Google Search
  • By pointing Gemini CLI to an MCP server, you give it "new skills," such as the ability to read your Jira tickets or deploy code to a specific server
  • Gemini CLI has an ecosystem of extensions from popular service providers and Google services which package MCP servers with context for how it should be used by Gemini to carry out tasks on your behalf

Step 3: Iterate in "shell mode"

You can toggle "shell mode" within Gemini CLI to run terminal commands directly. This allows you to ask the AI to "Fix the error in my last build," and the AI can execute the fix and re-run the build command for you.

How to vibe code with Google Antigravity

Vibe coding with Google Antigravity shifts the focus from writing syntax to directing a mission. Instead of micro-managing lines of code, you guide autonomous agents that handle the heavy lifting across your editor, terminal, and browser.

Step 1: Initialize your mission control

Launch the Antigravity application. Note that for enterprise users, Antigravity is supported via the Google AI Ultra for Business add-on, granting higher usage limits and prioritized traffic for mission-critical tasks. You can choose to import existing settings from VS Code or start fresh to explore the agent-native interface.

In the Agent Manager, you'll select your primary model, such as Gemini 3 Pro, and configure your Review Policy.

For a true "vibe" experience, many developers set terminal execution to auto, which allows the agent to run routine commands like npm install or git status without stopping to ask for permission every time.

Step 2: Define the high-level objective

In the Agent Panel, describe what you want to build using natural language. For example, you might say, "Build a responsive personal finance dashboard using Next.js and Tailwind CSS."

Antigravity doesn't just start typing; it begins by analyzing your request and proposing a task checklist. This checklist outlines the entire project lifecycle, from scaffolding the file structure to final UI polish.

Step 3: Review the implementation plan

Before any code is committed, the agent generates an Implementation Plan (usually as an implementation_plan.md artifact). This document serves as a technical blueprint, detailing exactly which files will be created or modified and what logic will be used.

You can review this plan, leave comments or "vibes" on specific sections, like asking for a different color palette or a specific state management library, and the agent will adjust its strategy before proceeding.

Step 4: Monitor autonomous execution

Once you approve the plan, the agent moves into the execution phase.

You can watch as it opens the terminal to install dependencies, creates component files in the editor, and fixes its own linting errors in real-time. If you hit a roadblock or want to pivot, you can switch between Planning Mode (for complex architecture) and Fast Mode (for quick edits) to keep the momentum going.

Step 5: Verify with artifacts and browser agents

Antigravity moves beyond text-based logs by providing visual proof of its work. If your project includes a frontend, the agent can launch a Browser Sub-Agent to test the UI. It will capture screenshots and browser recordings of itself clicking buttons and navigating pages to ensure everything works as intended. You can verify the "vibe" of the final product by reviewing these artifacts directly in your mission control dashboard.

Step 6: Extend capabilities with Agent Skills

As your project grows, you can teach your agents new tricks using Agent Skills. By adding a SKILL.md file to your project's .agent/skills/ directory, you can define specific workflows or coding standards unique to your team. For instance, you could create a "database migration" skill that teaches the agent how to safely update your schema using your company’s specific CLI tools.

Advanced vibe coding: Using Agent Development Kit (ADK)

For complex projects, you can use the Agent Development Kit (ADK) with Gemini CLI to build "autonomous agents." These agents can perform multi-step tasks like:

  • Writing a full suite of unit tests
  • Refactoring a legacy codebase
  • Building a CI/CD pipeline to automate testing and deployment

Build from idea to application, faster

Vibe coding is more than just a new technique. It’s helping shift how we create software. It lowers the barrier to entry for new creators and acts as a powerful force multiplier for experienced developers, allowing everyone to focus more on creative problem-solving and less on manual implementation.

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