How to vibe code your first website | Tech Radar

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Vibe coding began as a buzzword but quickly became a software category of its own. Now there are more AI platforms offering vibe coding features than there are days in a year. But if you’re going to use one, you need to know how they work and the ways they’re different from the no-code or low-code platforms you may have used in the past.

It’s a bit more complicated than simply entering a prompt and generating a fully functional website you can use right away, though that is often the way it’s marketed. In reality, you’re still left to fine-tune the generated output until it’s functional, decide on hosting infrastructure, and troubleshoot any security or operational issues that arise.

I’ve spent a lot of time working with vibe coding apps over the past couple of years, weaving several of them in and out of my workflow depending on the project scope. Here, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned, including the things that have changed in the industry since vibe coding began as a concept.

Vibe coding isn’t programming in the traditional sense. You’re not writing code, so it’s more similar to no-code or drag-and-drop website builders than writing HTML5 or React-based apps in a text editor.

But thanks to recent improvements in Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI, you can essentially describe what you want your website to do and how you want it to look, then let the platform interpret your prompt and generate the code you need in HTML, CSS, and Java Script.

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You can then export the code as raw files into any web hosting server of your choice, register a new domain, and go live within a matter of minutes.

When you enter a prompt for the AI to generate from — depending on how specific you are and how advanced the underlying technology is — you’ll end up with something that’s at best close to functional but not ready for production quite yet. You’ll then have to tweak the AI-generated site, using subsequent prompts to refine the design until you get to something you’re satisfied with.

Not all vibe coding tools work the same way, of course.

Some are more typical AI generators that let you build a website from start to finish by talking to a chatbot. Others combine this with drag-and-drop editors and other visual aids to let you tweak the design directly. A few even function like traditional text editors that programmers use, but with the option to use chatbot assistance to generate chunks of code while you still retain authority over what to keep.

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Generate frontend, backend, database, and hosting from a single prompt

Complete websites or web apps with accounts, forms, or stored data

Generate visual components and layouts, often exportable as code

Landing pages, design prototypes, or polishing an existing site's look

Bundle AI code generation with hosting, domains, and email in one subscription

Beginners who want a single dashboard for the whole website, start to finish

Sit inside a code editor and speed up work for people who already write code

Developers extending or customizing a site beyond what pure prompting can do

For a first website, a full-stack app builder or an all-in-one platform is usually the simplest starting point. They even package things like hosting infrastructure, domain registration, and ongoing support into the same platform, making it easier for you to get your website ready for launch without too much fuss.

How to vibe code your first website, step-by-step

Every vibe coding project follows roughly the same arc, regardless of which platform you choose. You'll move from a plain-language brief to a live preview, then layer on the pages, design, and any extras your site needs before you publish.

The steps below outline that workflow at a level that applies across most tools. Swap in the specific platform of your choice at each stage, and expect to spend more time refining than generating.

Start with clear and specific instructions, not a single sentence. Describe your site’s purpose, the pages you need (home, about, contact, services), your design aesthetic, and any brand colors or fonts you already use.

The more details you offer upfront, the less back-and-forth you'll need later. Most platforms generate an initial working version, complete with a live preview, within a minute or two of your first prompt.

Look at the pages and navigation the AI has created before you touch the design. Check that the site structure matches how you actually want visitors to move through it, since restructuring later is more disruptive than adjusting styling.

If something's missing, like a pricing page or a booking form, ask for it directly in a follow-up prompt rather than trying to work around the gap.

Use targeted prompts to adjust individual elements like colors, spacing, fonts, image placement, or button styles. Many platforms also include a visual editor where you can click an element and edit it directly, which tends to be faster than describing a small tweak in words.

Step 4: Add a CMS if you'll be publishing content regularly

If your site needs a blog, news section, or other content you'll update often, ask the platform to add CMS features or connect a third-party content management system through an API. This gives you an editing interface separate from the code, so future updates don't mean rewriting prompts every time.

Skip this step entirely if your site is just a static handful of pages that rarely change.

Step 5: Add ecommerce features if you're selling anything

You can build an online store by asking the AI to add product listings, a shopping cart, checkout, and a payment processor through supported integrations. Test the full purchase flow yourself, including failed payments and confirmation emails, before it goes live.

Most full-stack builders support popular payment providers as plug-in integrations rather than requiring you to build checkout logic from scratch.

Once you're happy with the site, connect your custom domain through the platform's settings and confirm SSL is active before publishing. Many all-in-one platforms handle domain registration and SSL certificates automatically, while others expect you to point your DNS records to their hosting.

Do a final pass on every page and link once the domain is live, since some elements can render differently outside the preview environment.

Vibe coding tools remove a lot of the technical barriers to building a website, but that speed comes with trade-offs worth knowing about before you publish.

Security researchers have repeatedly found that AI-generated applications ship with vulnerabilities at a higher rate than traditionally coded ones, including exposed credentials and missing authentication on features that should be locked down.

Ritoban Mukherjee is a tech and innovations journalist from West Bengal, India. These days, most of his work revolves around B2B software, such as AI website builders, Vo IP platforms, and CRMs, among other things. He has also been published on Tom's Guide, Creative Bloq, IT Pro, Gizmodo, Quartz, and Mental Floss.

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News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards