There is a new word spreading across the internet, showing up everywhere from tech podcasts to small business forums. That word is "vibe coding." You might have seen it on social media, heard it mentioned by a friend, or stumbled across it while researching how to build a website without hiring a developer. Either way, you are in the right place.
This guide explains what vibe coding actually means, where it came from, and — most importantly — what it means for you as someone who wants to build something online without learning to write code.
What Is Vibe Coding?
Vibe coding is the practice of building software, websites, or digital tools by describing what you want in plain English to an AI — instead of writing code yourself.
Instead of learning JavaScript, HTML, CSS, databases, or any other technical language, you simply tell an AI what you want. "I need a website for my bakery with a menu, an about page, and a contact form." The AI builds it. You review it, ask for changes in plain English, and publish. That is the whole process.
The name captures something real: you are working from the feeling and vision of what you want, not from technical specifications. You describe the vibe. The AI handles the code.
For anyone who has ever stared at a blank screen wondering where to even begin, or who has been told "you need a developer for that," vibe coding is a genuine shift in what is possible.
Where Did "Vibe Coding" Come From?
The term was coined by Andrej Karpathy in February 2025. Karpathy is one of the most respected names in artificial intelligence — a former Director of AI at Tesla and one of the founding team members at OpenAI. When someone with his background describes a new way of working with AI, people pay attention.
Karpathy described a style of programming where you "essentially forget that code exists." You talk to the AI. You describe what you want. You accept what it gives you. You iterate. You never really look at the underlying code at all.
The phrase spread fast. Within weeks it was being used across social media, in startup communities, and in conversations among small business owners who suddenly saw a door open that had always been closed to them.
How Is Vibe Coding Different From Traditional Coding?
Traditional coding requires you to learn a programming language. You learn the syntax, the rules, the logic. You write instructions line by line. A single misplaced comma can break everything. It takes months to become functional and years to become skilled.
Vibe coding flips this completely. Instead of learning to speak the computer's language, the AI translates your human language into code on your behalf.
Traditional Coding
- Learn syntax and programming rules
- Write functions, debug errors
- Manage files and frameworks
- Deploy servers
- Months to become functional
Vibe Coding
- Describe what you want
- Review the result
- Ask for changes in plain English
- Publish
- Ready in under an hour
This does not mean vibe coding is a replacement for professional software engineering — complex systems still need skilled developers. But for a vast range of everyday tasks, especially building websites for small businesses, vibe coding is not just good enough. It is often better, because the person who knows the business best (you) is directly in control of the output.
What Can You Actually Build With Vibe Coding?
More than most people expect. Here is a realistic picture of what vibe coding can produce today:
- Business websites — full websites for restaurants, freelancers, consultants, shops, and service businesses
- Portfolio sites — for photographers, designers, writers, and creatives
- Landing pages — for product launches, events, or lead generation
- Booking pages — pages that explain your services and drive enquiries
- Simple web apps — tools, calculators, forms, and interactive pages
- Personal sites — CVs, personal brands, blogs
The sweet spot for most non-technical people is the website. That is where vibe coding delivers the most immediate, tangible value — and where the tools available today are genuinely good.
Vibe Coding for Websites: The Easiest Entry Point
If you have never built anything with AI before, building a website is the best place to start. Here is why.
First, you already know exactly what you need. You know your business, your services, your tone of voice, and what you want people to do when they land on your page. That knowledge is everything in vibe coding. The AI provides the technical execution; you provide the direction.
Second, the stakes are clear and manageable. A website has a known structure: home page, about page, services, contact. You can describe all of this in a few sentences and get a working result in under a minute with the right tool.
What the experience should feel like
You describe your business, press a button, and sixty seconds later you are looking at your website. From there, you make changes by asking for them. "Make the headline bigger." "Add a section about our story." "Change the colours to be warmer." The AI updates the site. You publish when you are happy.
Is Vibe Coding Right for You?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do you need a website but have been putting it off because it feels complicated or expensive?
- Have you ever paid a developer for a simple website and waited weeks for the result?
- Do you know what your business does well enough to describe it in a few sentences?
- Would you rather spend £29 a year on a website than hundreds on a developer?
If you answered yes to any of those, vibe coding is worth trying today. The barrier is lower than it has ever been. You do not need technical knowledge. You do not need design skills. You need a clear idea of what you want and a tool that can build it for you.
Vibe coding is not perfect for every use case. If you need a complex e-commerce platform with thousands of products, bespoke integrations, and custom logic, you will still want professional help. But for the vast majority of small businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs who need a credible, professional online presence — vibe coding is not just adequate. It is the smarter choice.
Getting Started With Vibe Coding Today
The best way to understand vibe coding is to experience it. Not to read about it, not to watch a tutorial — to actually describe something and see it built in real time.
Start with something you know well: your own business, your own service, your own project. Write two or three sentences that describe what it is, who it is for, and what you want people to do when they find it. That is your prompt. That is all you need.
The shift that vibe coding represents is real and it is happening now. The people who benefit most will not be the ones who wait to understand every technical nuance. They will be the ones who try it this week, see what it produces, and use it to get online faster and cheaper than they ever thought possible.
The barrier to having a professional website has effectively disappeared. The only thing standing between you and being online is a few sentences of plain English.
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