So you’ve met your new coding partner—an LLM—and you’re having a blast asking it to write code like a genie on call. You’re not alone. This approach of coding with LLMs by just going with the “vibe” was lovingly christened vibe coding by none other than Andrej Karpathy. The idea? Let the LLM write some code, tweak it, prompt some more, and keep flowing until you’ve built something magical.

But as with any good vibe, it helps to have some ground rules—because vibes can go south fast. Here’s your vibe coding survival kit—five tips and five reusable prompts to keep your sessions productive, not painful.

1. Good Vibes Only: Craft Clear, Reusable Prompts with TODAY's Date

If your prompt is vague, the LLM will respond with a vibe… and that vibe may be “vague.” Keep prompts tight, specific, and re-usable.

Pro Tip: Ask for concise testable code, avoid outdated APIs, and include today’s date in your prompt.

Prompt: Write clean, testable and concise code for [TASK]. Keep it under [X] lines. Use APIs that are current as of [DATE]. Avoid unnecessary boilerplate and verbose exception handling.

2. Vibe, But Verify

Trust, but verify. Don’t rely on a single LLM response. Ask multiple LLMs the same question—or ask the same one to explain itself twice. You’ll catch contradictions, better solutions, or just better clarity.

Pro Tip: LLMs have strengths and blind spots. Use that to your advantage.

Prompt: I asked another model this question: “[QUESTION]” and it gave me this answer: “[ANSWER]”. Is this answer correct? Would you do it differently or improve it?

3. Step Up the Vibe: One Byte at a Time

Asking an LLM to build an entire app in one go is like asking it to bake a wedding cake by dumping all ingredients in the oven. You’ll end up with a mess.

Instead, break the task into independent, testable chunks. Each chunk should ideally do one thing well and be easy to test. And if you don’t know how to break it down? Ask the LLM to help with that too.

Reusable Prompt 1 (Task Breakdown):

I want to build [PROJECT GOAL]. Break this down into [X] independent, testable coding steps. Do not write code yet.

Reusable Prompt 2 (Step-by-Step Coding):

Now write code for step [N]: “[STEP DESCRIPTION]”. Keep it modular, clear, and under [X] lines. Make sure it’s independently testable. Include basic inline comments.

 4. Vibe and Validate

Once the LLM gives you code, don’t stop there. Use a second pass to evaluate the first one. Ask another model to review the output or suggest improvements. You’d be surprised what it catches.

Reusable Prompt:

Review this code for bugs, inefficiencies, or outdated patterns. Suggest improvements in structure, clarity, or performance. Explain any critical changes.

5. Vibe With Variety

Don’t just take one answer. Ask for three ways to do the same thing. Force the LLM to think from multiple angles—you’ll often uncover more elegant, performant, or idiomatic solutions.

Reusable Prompt:

Generate [3] different ways to implement [TASK]. For each, briefly explain the approach, and when it might be preferred. Keep solutions concise.

6. Ask it to Explain, Vibe, But Actually Learn

Vibe coding is fun — until you realize you have no idea what that one mysterious function does and now everything is broken. So, make it a habit: Ask the LLM to explain what it just wrote. Line by line if needed. Understanding the logic behind the code helps you debug faster, modify confidently, and grow as a developer.

The best part? You can keep doing this over and over until the LLM finally explains it in a way that clicks for you.

Reusable Prompt 1 (Line-by-Line Explanation):

Explain the code you just wrote, line by line, in simple terms. Assume I'm new to this concept.

Reusable Prompt 2 (Concept Clarity):

Why did you choose this approach? Are there any alternatives I should know about? Explain like I’m new to this.

Reusable Prompt 3 (Deep Dive):

Can you explain the logic behind this function? How does it work, and what are the edge cases?

Vibe coding — the fun, flowy way of building with LLMs — is incredibly productive if you follow a few smart habits. This blog gives you 6 practical tips to avoid getting lost in a sea of auto-generated code. You’ll learn how to craft reusable prompts, validate outputs, break problems into small testable chunks, and most importantly — stay in control by understanding what the model is doing. Vibe hard, but code smart.